The untold story of Britain’s oldest car makerMany previously unpublished images from the vaults of VauxhallA view from the inside that has been untold until nowOf interest to the motorcar historian and modellers Vauxhall has been making cars in Britain for longer than anyone else. The first Vauxhall car left a cramped Thames-side works in 1903. Moving to Luton in 1905, Vauxhall became famous as a maker of sporting and luxury cars. Bought by the American giant General Motors, the company entered the era of mass production and, with the addition of Bedford trucks and vans, became one of the top five UK producers. After the Second World War, Vauxhall became the household name it is today with models such as Viva, Astra, Cresta, Victor, Nova, Cavalier and Vivaro. The journey from the Thames to today’s plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton is full of twists, turns, dramas and triumphs, and continues with the announcement of the sale of General Motors European operations to the PSA Groupe. The author worked at Vauxhall for 38 years, from apprentice to boardroom. He has told the Vauxhall story with the benefit of years of experience and a lifelong passion for the marque.

The international financial value of Grand Prix racing has grown substantially in recent years. This book will focus upon the massive size, value, importance and impact of the industry. It will also investigate the dominance of UK based Research and Development and design and the development of team strategy and tactics. The authors have based their analysis upon very up-to-date research involving interviews with key individuals at the highest level and visibility within the industry and focus upon the key management themes of teamworking, leadership, strategy and innovation.

It was brash and it was loud – the 1980s put paid to the glumness of the ’70s and nowhere was that more obvious than in the cars we drove, which took a quantum leap in durability, performance, equipment and style. They had to: Japanese quality and European design were luring away ever more customers. Features such as fuel injection, turbochargers, computer-controlled systems and four-wheel drive became commonplace. This was also the decade that brought us the people-carrier and the off-roader, new classes of car that radically reshaped family transport. Meanwhile, seatbelt-wearing became law, the M25 opened, speed cameras appeared and ram-raiding was the new motoring nemesis. Relive everything car-related in Britain in the 1980s with Giles Chapman.

Volume One traces the history of Opel and Vauxhall separately from inception through to the 1970s and thereafter collectively to 2015. Special attention is devoted to examining innovative engineering features and the role Opel has taken of providing global platforms for GM. Each model is examined individually and supplemented by exhaustive supporting specification tables. The fascinating history of Saab and Lotus begins with their humble beginnings and examines each model in detail and looks at why these unusual marques came under the GM Banner. Included is a penetrating review of Saab through to its unfortunate demise. Volume Two examines unique models and variations of Chevrolet and Buick manufactured in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia but never offered in North America. Daewoo, Wuling and Baojun are other Asian brands covered in detail. This volume concludes with recording the remarkable early success of Holden and its continued independence through to today. Volume Three covers the smaller assembly operations around the world and the evolution of GM’s export operations. A brief history of Isuzu, Subaru and Suzuki looks at the three minority interests GM held in Asia. The GM North American model specifications are the most comprehensive to be found in a single book. Global and regional sales statistics are included. GM executives and management from around the globe are listed with the roles they held. An index ensures that these volumes serve as the ideal reference source on GM.

A fascinating and well-researched look at the British motor industry which will appeal to both academic readers and practitioners alike. Why are there now no major car manufacturers in Britain? Whisler considers this and the surrounding issues, making valuable comparisons with overseas manufacturers operating both in the UK and abroad, which provide us with additional interest and insight. Based upon careful use of company archives, this book covers in particular the issues of product development, quality, design, and range, ensuring that The British Motor Industry is destined to make a distinctive contribution to our understanding of the performance of UK manufacturers.

Describes important developments in the history of automobiles, identifies top manufacturers and race car drivers, and lists racing records.

This book is designed to be used by anybody working with older adults in residential, nursing and day care facilities. It provides a wealth of reminiscence material which can be used in a number of ways to rekindle memories and provide stimulating activity such as quizzes and discussion. Each year covered in the book is divided into the sections 'Major events', 'On the home front', 'Music', 'Television', 'Screen and page', 'Sport' and 'Do you remember?'. Many sections can be easily turned into quizzes and it would be simple to form a quiz from each year's material. One cannot cover all that happened in these years nor highlight all the associations each event or fact triggers, so the material is intended to be expanded on by the memories it triggers in clients during discussion. So, for example, where a film title is mentioned ask if people can recall the stars of the film, its plot and how it ended. The 'Major events' section will trigger lots of opinions too as it covers the political events of the decades so try to get the groups to discuss the ethical and moral dilemmas these posed at the time. The book is intended for use with individuals and groups but you will discover that in a group one persons memories will trigger another's and so what seems like a small topic can last for the whole session as we all try to tell our personal tales. While the content has a UK bias, it also covers the major world events of the decades but I have included a blank page for each year for you to record your own personal landmarks and achievements and also those of your local town or community.specialising in older adults mental health to a deeper level.

In 1964 Brian Bold hitchhikes from London to Geneva to find his fourth girlfriend and so begins a journey of over forty years. Driving more than twenty cars, nearly every one he's owned, he travels along the minor roads of personal fortune and the motorways of social and technological change. Travelling but never quite arriving, he breaks down on the way to the Beatles' Cavern Club in Liverpool on the night of Kennedy's assassination, races an Austin Maestro at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, has a secret meeting with John Major the Prime Minister, and dresses up in another man's clothes. Often hilarious, sometimes poignant, always engaging, these stories of a family, told through the car journeys they make, will probably provide echoes to your own driving history. Read this as a love story, a travelogue, a memoir, as well as perhaps the longest road story ever told