Dessau, Germany, 1939. A 49-year-old veteran of the Great War hobbles over to his sleek, green racing car, hands his walking stick to his mechanic and awkwardly pulls his damaged leg into the bowels of the machine. His hosts, the glamorous young drivers of the Nazi state-sponsored Silver Arrows team, share bemused grins as he rolls up his sleeves, dons an old-fashioned leather racing cap and pulls down his goggles. A few minutes later, to the astonishment of the Germans, the mostly self- funded car flashes past at over 200mph, setting a host of new international records.

Goldie moves from the brutality of an Edwardian public school, through the jungles of Ceylon and into the blood-soaked trenches of the Somme. The book follows Goldie Gardner as he emerges into the post-war world, trying to make sense of what has happened, finding friendship and love, and searching for a way to prove himself. Motor racing and record breaking seem to offer a solution, but what follows is a story of obsession that establishes him as one of the most extraordinary record breakers of all time but leads to heartbreak, betrayal and eventually taking one risk too many.

MG, the world’s most-loved make of sports car, was created in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber – invariably known as Kim. Rising above disability, with his energy, enthusiasm and vision, Kimber became a leading figure in the British motor industry. Initially placing sporty bodies on Morris chassis, within a few years he had built M.G. into the leading European manufacturer of sports cars with an impressive record of competition successes. He survived industrial upheaval only to fall victim to the venomous internal politics of M.G.’s parent company. Sacked from his high-profile job, he was preparing to bounce back when he lost his life in a needless accident. Respected businessman, wayward husband, fallible parent – Cecil Kimber was a man of surprising contrasts. Here for the first time is the colourful story of the man behind those famous initials, published to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the first M.G.

Kim: A Biography of M.G. Founder Cecil Kimber
by Jon Pressnell

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