Books

Showing 21–40 of 55 results

  • £45.00

    MGA The Revolutionary MG

    The MGA truly marked a revolution in MG sports car design, with its appearance quite unlike any previous production car from the celebrated British marque. Entering production in the summer of 1955, it broke with the time-honoured tradition of narrow-gutted, flat-sides, upright styling, with the distinctive large grille, exposed headlamps, separate wings and sharply cut-off tail that had serviced the majority of MG sports cars for well over thirty years. Many die-hard MG enthusiasts of the time were understandably outraged, but the decision to break with tradition proved to be a good one: over 100,000 cars were produced over the model’s seven-year lifetime.

    This book from celebrated author David Knowles covers:

    • The circumstances that led to the momentous decision to make such a fundamental design change
    • The production, publicity and evolution of each and every MGA variant from launch in 1955 to the end of production in 1962, with specification tables for each model
    • The largely untold story of overseas assembly in Australia, Ireland, Mexico and South Africa
    • Profiles of the people who had crucial roles in the development of the MGA, with input from many of the individuals and their families
    • Comprehensive coverage of racing and rallying in Europe, including the MGA entries at Sebring Twelve Hour race and where many of the cars ended up
  • £14.99

    Mr. MG

    A biography for Mr. MG himself – John Thornley.

  • £14.00

    MGB The Complete Story

    The MGB was the most successful British sports car of all time, selling more than half a million examples over a production life of eighteen years. It has always represented fun driving at realistic prices, and remains well within reach of the average motorist today. The complete story of the B is set firmly in the context of the MG company’s eventful history, and there are new insights into the personalities and politics behind the development of Britain’s most popular sports car. Contains numerous specially-commissioned photographs, technical analyses, driving impressions and practical information on buying and owning a MGB.

  • £40.00

    MGF/TF Restoration Manual

    MGF/TF Restoration Manual provides the MGF/TF owner with a complete workshop guide to mechanical and body restoration for the cars. It shows the reader how to assess a car’s condition and breaks each task down into step-by-step photography and instructions, from minor repairs and maintenance procedures to a full engine strip and rebuild.

  • £40.00

    MGB Electrical Systems

    This book is essential reading for every MGB enthusiast. The mechanical aspects and the restoration of the vehicle have been written about in numerous publications but the so often maligned electrical systems has never before been comprehensively covered. For those new to vehicle electrical systems the book provides a simple primer using mechanical analogies. Each system in the car has its own chapter, with simple and uncluttered circuit diagrams in which each wire can be seen in its real colours. More than a how-to-do guide, the book also explains the why of each system and procedure, aiding diagnostics when things don t go quite as they should. The many fault finding guides help pin those elusive problems down. For those wishing to improve the car for reliability and safety.

  • £19.99

    Works Rally Mechanic – Brian Moylan’s tales

    Works Rally Mechanic is the inside story of the BMC/BL Competition Department from 1955 to 1979. Brian Moylan prepared cars for international rallies for 22 years, providing service support for ‘Big’ Healeys, Minis & TR7s. This book tells of the adventures, hilarious events, hardship, winning, losing, and real danger.

  • £8.00

    MG by Jonathan Wood

    Britain’s most popular sporting marque, MG has emerged as one of a handful of British motoring names to survive into the 21st century. From the quintessential open two-seater MG Midget, through the booming post-war years and the emergence of MG as a provider of sports cars for the world, Jonathan Wood provides an in-depth analysis of the rise and fall of a motoring legend. Examining the various models in detail, the author covers the financial and corporate traumas which afflicted the company, its brief resurgence in 1995 with the release of the MGF and the final sad chapter which saw a British icon sold off to foreign investors. As production begins again at the Longbridge factory after a three-year hiatus, this is an informative and at times touching glimpse into the history of one of the world’s most recognisable sports cars.

  • Sale!
    £20.00 £17.50

    Goldie

    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.

  • £15.99

    MG Y TYPE SPORTS SALOON

    MG Y Type by Neil Cairns

    Neil Cairns is known to many in the Club for his excellent engineering knowledge particularly in relation to the MG Type. Neil has decided to put all that knowledge down in print for benefit of owners of this amazing car.

    The book starts of with the development history and covers the various models, YA, YB and YT in detail. Neil has based this on his 25 years of experience of owning and driving a Y Type.

    He also covers hints and tips for buying a car together with many technical tips that are invaluable for an owner. He also covers the development of the XPAG engine, covering the gearbox, chassis and rear axle. For those with a restoration project on the go, he even includes a chapter on this with detailed information on how to go about restoring and dealing with the dreaded rust.

    This is a gem of a book, not only for an owner of a Y Type but also for anyone with a general interest in MG’s.

     

     

  • £14.99

    MGs on Patrol

    In the past a large number of M.G. sports and touring cars were used by United Kingdom police forces as patrol cars. This book sets out to both give full details of the cars used, compiled from surviving police, company and club records, and in their own words tell the story of the men and women who drove them

  • £13.99

    MGF and TF Buyers Guide

    Having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque expert by your side. Benefit from Rob Hawkins’ years of MGF/TF experience, learn how to spot a bad car quickly, and how to assess a promising one like a professional. Get the right MG at the right price! Packed with good advice – from running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation, and the MGF/TF community, to whether an MGF/TF will suit you and your lifestyle – this is the complete guide to choosing, assessing and buying the MGF/TF of your dreams.

    This book is an essential aid if you are thinking of buying an MGF or TF. Written by Rob Hawkins, who has test driven, repaired and modified many of these cars since they first appeared in 1995, every page of this book includes useful information to help ensure you choose the right model and spot any nasty problems. There’s so much to consider; whether to opt for an economical 40mpg 1.8 K-series or 160bhp VVC engine, hydragas or coilover suspension, standard or AP Racing brakes, standard or limited edition wheels, cloth or leather trim, hard top or soft top. Also, there are collectible versions of the MGF and TF, and this book shows how to identify them – these cars will certainly become classics.

  • £115.00

    KIM A BIOGRAPHY OF MG FOUNDER CECIL KIMBER

    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

    https://online.flipbuilder.com/uhzw/fqnw/

     

  • £15.00

    Triple-M Yearbook ’22

    The 104 page Triple-M Register 2022 Yearbook includes contributions from the Editor and the Register’s Chairman, as well as a detailed illustrated account of the racing, trialling, speed and other events in which Triple-M cars took part during 2021. The Register’s President, Mike Allison, also reflects on the hundredth anniversary of the production of the first M.G. car.

    In addition, there is a wide-ranging collection of articles chronicling the development of the J Type Midget in all its variants which celebrated its ninetieth anniversary in 2022.

    • The editor, Simon Johnston, provides the background to the development of the four-seater J1 and two-seater J2 models as well as recounting the tale of the last cycle-wing J2, originally owned by his father and back with the family after being lost for many years;

    • Very few of the four-seater J1 models survive in running order and Cathelijne Spoelstra tells the tale of one of them which arrived in the Netherlands over sixty years ago and which, like many, seemingly disappeared from view only to resurface in recent years.

    • The supercharged J3 Super Sports is the rarest road-going production M.G. with only twenty-two being built. But it’s much more than just the supercharged J2 that many people take it for. Australian M.G. enthusiasts Tim Jackson and Ed Taylor explain just how different the J3 is from the J2 and go on to recount the tale of the J3 that competed in the Monte Carlo Rallye in 1933;

    • The J4 Racing Model is, of course the rarest J Type with just nine examples built. Karl Wiessmann takes us through the complex history of the model, often referred to as too fast for its chassis, and Teifion Salisbury tells us of the many successes of his famous example – J4002 – driven with great success by Ulsterman Hammy Hamilton, not least to second place behind Tazio Nuvolari in an M.G. K3 Magnette in the closely fought 1933 Ulster TT;

    • While J2 Midgets are highly sought after today, fifty or sixty years ago they were just cheap transport for young chaps wanting a sporty looking car. Some of these former owners have recounted in humorous terms the trials and tribulations they faced in those long lost days;

    • As the editor says in his introduction in the Yearbook, no paean to the J Type Midgets would be complete without an article by the late Mike Hawke, one of the founders of the Triple-M Register, who did more than just about anybody to promote the merits of the J2. Here is reproduced an article by Mike from the late 1970s or early 80s that compares the J2 with its younger T Type siblings. No prizes for guessing which came off best!

    For many years, the Register’s Competition Secretary, Mike Linward, rounded off the Yearbook with a finely illustrated and detailed account of the many racing, trialling, speed and other events in which Triple-M cars were active during the year. Sadly, Mike died earlier this year before he could complete the 2022 Competition Report but his good friend John Reid took over the reins and finished the Report just as Mike would have done.

     

  • £13.50

    Triple M Yearbook ’21

    he Register’s 84 page 2021 Yearbook, just published in May 2022, continues the tradition of providing readers with historic, technical and other information which will appeal not only to the owners of these splendid cars, but also to the wider vintage motoring fraternity and M.G. enthusiasts generally.

    At the heart of the publication are wide-ranging articles chronicling historic and technical aspects of ‘the cars that made M.G.’ It also focuses on their survival and continuing successes in modern times. Articles include:

    • An account by Graeme Jackson featuring Bill Thompson and the renowned Melbourne-based Lane’s Motors Racing Team and the many fine cars from that stable;

    • A technical review and guide to the intricacies and maintenance of the clutches found in ENV 75 preselector gearboxes installed in M.G.s;

    • In ‘Built to Race’ we have Ross Kelly’s account of the impressive and varied career of the legendary K3 Magnette K3004, starting with its ownership by ‘Jock’ Manby-Colegrave and progressing through a bewildering evolution of owners and styles culminating in the writer’s acquisition of this important car in 2017;

    • A fascinating and detailed account by Mike Dalby of the 1932 Royal Automobile Club Rally to Torquay of March 1932 in which challenges and successes are faithfully recorded;

    • Chris Harrill, the present owner of the ex-Leonard 1934 NA Magnette ‘The Leonard Special’ recounts its past and present including its competition successes from 1935-1955;

    • MG enthusiast and researcher Cathelijne Spoelstra concludes the Yearbook’s specialist articles with a detailed account of 90 years of the legendary C type Montlhery Midgets from 1931-2021. The C type was the first ever car with a 750cc engine to achieve 100 miles an hour; this success was pivotal to establishing M.G. – and these little cars continue to perform effectively in present day vintage racing.

     

    Competition Secretary Mike Linward rounds off the 2021 Yearbook with a finely illustrated and detailed account of the many racing, trialling, speed and other events in which Triple-M cars were active during 2021 – the first season back for many following the privations of 2020’s Covid lock down .

     

    The Triple-M Register 2021 Yearbook offers much of interest for enthusiasts of cars of the pre-war era – M.G.s and other marques alike – in a professionally presented publication, with a limited print edition. Now is the ideal time to add it to your bookshelf.

  • £24.00

    Rover K-Series engine

    Getting a Rover K-Series engine properly up and running can be a difficult task, but the result is always worthwhile.   Rover K-Series Engine – Maintenance, Repair and Modification is a practical guide to keeping these unique engines in fine working order.  The most well-known issue with the K-Series is the head gasket, and this book identifies common faults, before giving practical advice on how best to solve them.  Step-by-step guidance on  long-term engine maintenance is provided, in addition to the improvements required to prevent further problems.  A K-Series engine is stripped down to examine its clever and interesting structure, and is rebuilt with improvements.  Authors of over twenty automotive books, Iain Ayre and Rob Hawkins have combined their knowledge to bring you this book on the Rover K-Series engine.  Topics covered include the history of the K-Series; common faults and solutions; full strip down and rebuild; the Rover KV6; modifications for power and reliability; electronics and programming and comparisons with similar engine options.

  • £30.00

    Original MGA The Restorer’s Guide

    With their strong mechanical elements, solid construction and useful performance, few classic British sports cars are quite so practical to own today as the MGAs built from 1955 to 1962. The aim of this book is to show, in words and pictures, how MGAs altered in detail through the course of production, in order to enable owners, enthusiasts and prospective purchasers to identify the parts, finishes and equipment that are correct for their car. Colour photography of outstanding specimens shows every permutation of MGA specification in remarkable detail. The MGA Restorer’s Guide is accepted by classic car owners, buyers and enthusiasts as the definitive source of advice on correct original and authentic specifications and equipment. Information has been drawn from factory records, parts lists and catalogues, as well as the accumulated knowledge of the most respected restorers.

  • £16.99

    The MGA The complete Story

    Introduced in 1955 as a replacement for the TF Midget the MGA, hailed as the ‘first of a new line’, marked the beginning of MG’s most successful era. It was available in both roadster and coup forms and the MGA Twin-Cam, introduced in 1958, set new standards for affordable ohc-engined sports cars. MGA – The Complete Story relates the full history of this enduringly popular car.

    Topics covered include: complete history of all MGA versions; full technical specifications for each model; details of the cars’ racing fortunes and finally, advice on buying and maintaining an MGA.

  • £10.00

    MG TD / TF Buyers Guide

    The essential Buyer’s Guide for the TD,TF and TF1500

  • £30.00

    The Cars of BMC

    The complete history of BMC – British Motor Corporation – and a comprehensive directory of the marques and models that made up the whole. Following the historic amalgamation of Morris Motors Ltd and the Austin Motor Co Ltd in 1952, through to the merger with British Leyland in 1968, this book details the company’s origins, its achievements and its legacy, and provides a close look at the many car models that were produced during its heyday.

    304 pages – Reprint 2022 first published 1987

    By Graham Robson

  • £25.00

    THE MGA

    This book is the definitive study, for the author has gone back to factory records and to the people who worked on the car in the ‘fifties, to find out how it was conceived, manufactured and marketed. Here is the real story of the MGA’s engineering, body styling and every aspect of the car’s development and production – including MG’s strategy to beat its competitors.In seven years of production, there were major successes and sad disappointments. The MGA was the car that was “right first time” and though the Twin Cam variant was a nightmare for the factory, it is now the most sought after model.This book tells how the sleepy Thames-side village of Abingdon became a mass-production centre for the MGA, how the MGA became one of America’s best-loved sports cars and how the MGA has become one of today’s classic cars, cherished by enthusiastic owners all over the world.