Books for the New Year

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Books for the New Year

“From Cyclecar To Microcar” by Michael Worthington-Williams. 112 pp. 1 8,” (Dalton Watson Ltd., 76, Wardour Street, London, W 4AN. 0.75,

I suppose it was inevitable that sooner or later a book would be written about cyclecars and the later generation of economy cars and bubble-manifestations. Michael WorthingtonWilliams has been first off the mark in this refreshingly new theme in the dull multiplication of motor-tarok subjects. A deal of responsibility rests on his shoulders, because this was a gap in transport history to be filled, but now, for better or worse, no other publisher is likely to look at it for at least a decade, and the extra coverage which he three-wheeler may or may not deserve will be forever (or for a long time) denied to us! I feel some responsibility for this book, because the author says he was tempted to fill the void in publishing which his title covers by reading an article I wrote in 1965, called the “The Greatest Lost Cause of All”. He takes issue with me over this title, on the grounds that thc orthodox light-car may be replaced by reborn cyclecars and minicars in the years to come. Well, only time will tell, but at present there is no sign of this happening, vvith customers demanding mostly the better-equipped versions of inexpensive cars such as the Ford Fiesta. Mini Metro and VW Polo, etc. There is too much of a tendency these days for authors to reduce their chosen tasks by turning out what are in the main picture books. This is how Worthington-Williams has treated his cyclecars and rnicrocars but perhaps here the subject justifies the style. Otherwise, I have few crticisms. Long captions embellish the photographic content, and it is inevitable that many of the pictures are well-used contemporary sources; they should all be so interesting to the keener students of the lesser manifestations of motoring that it is a pity better paper could not have been used, to increase their clarity. Brief chapters knit together the sections of the book devoted to Quads. Trimos and Forccars. The Wire, Bobbin and Fibre Board Brigade, The Twenties, The Thinkers, France and the Occupation, and finally Post-war Austerity. Cartoons and artists’ wilder impressions of what cyclecars were like are included and the author has made clear the crusade, the almost moral implications behind the initial mad enthusiasm for such contraptions. killed off largely by post WWI conditions. Browsing through what is a fascinating pictorial cavalcade of lost causes, I found very little to criticise. There arc rather a lot of cars I would terrn neither cyclecar nor microcar, such as the Austin Seven. and those halfway productions like the flat-twin Rover Eight, the Douglas and the Belsize-Bradshaw, the latter nicknamed the “Oil-Boiler”, from its oil-cooled cylinders, not the “Old Boiler” surely? But otherwise almost all the expected makes and models are there, and onc can sec the sources of some of the data in the photographic captions, a little from our own “Fragments” series perhaps. Three-wheelers get good representation. with AC Sociable, Morgan, Wall, CWS, Royal Ruby, Xtra, Mermll Brown, TB, Coventry-Premier, LAD, Omega, Scott Sociable, LSD, D’Yrsan, Harper Runabout, Raleigh, Coventry-Victor, and other between-wars examples included, so that it seems unkind not to have concluded with the modern

Triking. The BSA trike is there, but the final four-cylinder version is ignored. although I suspect that the picture purporting to show a see-twin Hotchkiss-engined “Beeza” is of one of these, and dated a year too late. The author has missed the point of the Scott Flying Squirrel-powered single-seater coupe of circa-I928, which gets a page to itself. It was never a production job, surely, being a one-off job built for the late Humphrey Symons to tie in with a Light Car & Cyclecar piece he had written, advocating such single-seater vehicles for town use. Indeed, the bowler-hatted Symons is seen about to get in, through the fold-back canvas roof . . . Did the propeller-driven Leyat ever have an ABC engine or is this being confused with another vehicle, used on Brooklands Track for testing

aeroplane propellers? Incidentally, the tractor-driven Leyat is illustrated but the pusher-versions of this unusual but simple theme were more practical — even if the slipstream did blow the girls’ skirts up, axis accelerated away in city streets. The belt-drive used as late as 1953 on the AC Petite might have been mentioned, M this cyciccar book, the tax concession for three-wheelers is said to have been rescinded in the mid-1930s; d this was so, it has come back today, a 3-wheeler weighing not more than 425 kg. costing £28 a year to tax, instead of £70. The elegant little single-cylinder racing Jappic has merited a good picture but the records it broke at Brooklands were International Class, not World’s, and it isn’t mentioned that you could have bought a replica of the Jappic if so included, nor would Gush, J. J. Hall, even the makers of the Bedelia and the Avon-JAP, and a few other machines. have agreed with WorthingtonWilliams that the Jappic “was the only cyclecar designed specifically for record-breaking”. The Jappic was raced as well, by the way. There is a misprint of “Shah” for Shar . . .

But what enormous fun this book is! The Allard Clipper and the Frisky, among the other oddities, did not get in, but the Dunkley motorised pram for she nursemaids of the wealthy does, if not into the Index. This does not really matter, for so many simple solutions to automotion are there, that it will not much matter if no other publisher attempts the subject for a very long time. This one is a “Beaulieu Book”. published in conjunction with the NMM Trust.

W.B. “Alvis — The Story of the Red Triangle” by Kenneth Day. 333 pp. 91/4″ x 7″ ,Gearr, lilouhi Ltd., 15 Pont Street, London SW’1X 91,11. £12.95)

The Alvin has been well provided for in the realm of books. The first full history of the respected Coventry make was written in 1965 by K. R. Day. now President of the Alvis DC, who first saw Alvis cars racing at Brooklands in 1932. Peter Hull has given us a fine account of the origins of the Alvis. the personnel behind it, and the 12:50, 12/60 and FWD models in particular. and there is an erudite work on the 1250 Alvis engine itself. To some degree these books overlap, but Kenneth Day’s is important as constituting the complete history of the Alvis Company. covering the acro-engines and the military ychicks and all the Alvin cars, from side-valve models of the 1920s to the last of them all, the 3-litre. The present book is a revision of Mr. Day’s first work, “The Alvis Car — 1920 to 1966” and a great deal of the original text has been used But I know the author has been visiting many Alvin personalities since its publication. which has naturally made it possible to enlarge in fascinating

fashion on many aspects of the story. Apart from which, it is a larger, more important-looking volume, very well illintrated, so that it is a pity that the house of Gentry has allowed many of the blocks to be for too darkly inked, and a few printer’s errors to intrude. Each Alvis model receives a chapter to itself — the side-valve cars. the 12/50 and 12160, the six-cylinder 14.75. the Front Wheel Drive Cars, the Silver Eagle, the Speed 20, the Firebird and Firefly, thc Crested Eagle, the 3,-litre, Speed 25 and 4.3 cars, thr Silver Crest, the 12/70, the Fourteen and the Three-Litre. That is after 22 chapters devoted to Company History and the personalities who so ably carried Alvis Ltd. along the years. many of them difficult ones, and fivc chapters about the racing side of the venture.

Day then rounds it all off with two aero-engine chapters, three atxiut the Alvis Armoured Vehicles, and eight Appendices, which deal with Captain Smith-Clarke’s medical, radio and astronomical work iwith illustrations, Alvis chassis numbers, production statistics, Alvis patents, Smith-Clarke’s address to she [ME (found also in the older book, and notes on coachwork and a breakdown of Alvis cars which are still with us, a total of 1.776. Altogether, a rare treat for the avidly Alvis-minded. Especially it they do not possess K. R. Day’s earlier work. There is a very attractive dust-jacket and the Foreword is by A. J. Quale, Managing Director of the present Alvis Company.

A few comments arise. The misprints in Appendix VI are rather unfortunate but Smith-Clarke’s comment therein might well be applied to today. It reads: “It should he remembered that British industrial prestige throughout the world has very largely depended upon our engineers and skilled craftsmen, on quality rather than on quantity, and I venture to say that it will he disastrous for British industry in general, and for the automobile industry in particular, if this tradition should be lost”. w.B “Spitfire into Battle” by 0. Capt. Duncan Smith DSO, DFC, RAF, Rtd. 235 pp. 8,” x 51/2″. (Ms Murray Ltd., 50 Albemarle Sow, London WI X 4BD. £9.50)

During or just after World War Two many books were written by fighter and bomber pilots who helped to save this island from inv.ion. They were exciting. interesting accounts. But history is best written after a delaying period in which proper stock can be taken of past eVelITS. This is what G. Capt. Duncan Smith hau done with his still-vivid but well-appraised story of flying Supermarine Spitfires in the last war.

From its pages one can appreciate just what a was like for a young man called up in 1939 to fly these superb fighters in anger. and later to command Spitfire Squadrons.

It is a book that will bring back many memories for those who were in similar situations during the war and students of matters aeronautical should delight in this book. which runs from first lessons in a Spitfire to action over t he Channel and in France. at Malta, in the Italian and Anzio campaigns, etc. The Foreword is tri Jeffrey Quill, OBE, AFC, FRAeS. there is a list of dramatis personae, and an Appendix of Allied and German combat claims in WW2. — W.B. “Winners — A Who’s Who of Motor Racing Champions” Edited by Brian Laban. 190 pp. 9,” x 6″. tOrbis Publishing Ltd.. OrIns Home, 20-22 Bedkdbuiy, London 101:25 481. £7.95, There has long been a need foi. a rekrence work about racing drivers. as distinct from the cars they drive. This is it. Eleven well-known motoring writers have contributed to the 123 biographies it contains to ensure accuracy. “Winners” ranges over the years, with biographies of drivers from Alberto Ascari, Sir Henry Segrave. Dario Rusta. and K. Lee Guinness. for example, to those of the present-day. There are some supporting photographs and the dust-jacket portrays the scope of the book. from modern Fl racing aces back to a poster advertising a 200 Mile Race at Brooklands. One wonders why Cyril Posthumus, Segravc’s biographer. did not write the entry on Sir Henry, as he tutor of the contributors to the book. instead of David Burgess Wise, who tends to leases the works of J. Wentworth Day. But

what a useful quick reference for those new to the world of the great racing drivers. — W.B.

Another reference work is Haynes’ “European 81 GT Cars — 1945 60” by the well-known Graham Robson, who packs information and intriguing pictures of the fast cannel this period, ranging from Abarth to Volvo and VW derivatives, in 328 pages. at a cost of 112.95.

Still on the reference theme, there is a big-paged book, “Boner”, about the Ferrari Bat-l2 racing and GT cars. by Jonathan Thompson, which is a treat of photographs. race results, plans. drawings and specifications, from Osprey, this 188-page book. some pages in colour, costing 114.95.

In Osprey’s acceptable and now very well-established “AutoHistory” series we now have some more delectable titles, such as “Fetrari 275GBT & GTS” by Ian Webb. “Ford Escort RS” (by guess who?, Graham Robson — a delectation of twin-cam, even four-cam motor ears, these two — and “Porsche 911 Turbo”, covering the 3 and 3.3-litre. Project Ni,. 930, by the knowledgeable Porsche enthusiast, Michael Cotton. All these books are compact yet splendidly informative. usually in a very readable style, despite an economy of wordage, and very nicely illustrated. Each 81, x 7″ page volume costs £5.95, UK price.

In their larger-format books Osprey haw two new titles, one about the rare “De Tomaso Automobiles” by Wallace A. Wyss. and the tither dealing with the new generation of “Porsche 924, 928 and 944” cars, by Jerry Sloniger. The former. a 108-page book. costs 110.95, and the Porsche book, of 168 pages, is priced 19.95. The publishers are at 12-14 Long Acre. 1.ondon WC2E 9LP. • • • • • • Joining the many good motorcyck historics we have reviewed in recent months. comes “The Story of Royal Enfield Motorcycles — Made Like a Gun” by Peter Hartley, a book of varied and very nostalgic reporting on an important make. with Brooklands pictures amongst the many devoted to production Royal .fields etc. This is a book in series with other excellent mottircyck books from Patrick Stephens Ltd., of Bar Hill, C.sunbridge CB3 [EL, about Norton. Triumph and BOA machines. with others about AJS and Matchless hi preparation. The Royal Entield title is competitively priced at £7.95, and in conjunction with it there is the fifth printing til Bob Holliday’s classic. “The Norton Story”, in its second edition, at the same price. The same publisher has another motorcycle book in “Golden Oldies roadtcsts”, edited by Mike Nicks, this consisting of reprints t vim Clam, lithe of I9 of their published road-test reporh, loan

Aermacchi Ala Verde to Vincent Rapidc ,md Comet the price tag of this one being. again.

17.95. • • * • • *

“Spirts Cars” by Cyril Posthumus and David Hodges comes in Hamlyn’s Automobile library series and is an excuse to hang some well-chosen words and specifications on Malcolm Ward drawings of many famous sports-cars of all ages.

The page siite is x 81/2″. colour is used, and over 180 significant cars are thus rather superficially listed, at a charge of 18.95. If you feel like spending part of the New Year modelling cars of several scales and of some unusual makes and mixtels, information will be found in “How to go Car Modelling” by Gerald Scarborough, which PSL of Cambridge publish at £6.95. The author discourses about plastic and metal kits, model-car racing. etc.. but essentially the theme is how to do it. The scak plans include a war-time Crossley tourer, Brooklands Riley 9, K3 MG and 1957 512 GP .Maserati, tO 1:32 and

1:43 scales. • • • • •

Graham Robson’s “The Rover Story”, from the house of Patrick Stephens, has gone into a fully-updated second-edition. priced at 19.95. Those who love Or hate the Jeep will he enthralled with the extremely comprehensive

coverage of this war-time Nvourite, in a big work called simply “The Jeep”, by Jean-Gabriel Rudy and March Tararine. It is part of the Warne’s Transport Library series, translated in this instance by Gordon Wilkins, and is fine value at £12.95. The pictures alone, some in good colour. of every sort of Jeep in aim. Mr/ conceivable Jeep situation, make this a desirable possession — all 272 9′ x 91/2″ pages of it.

Those intending to tour France in 1982 should possess themselves of “French Leave 1982/3” and “France it la carte”, two guides to the delights of French food, wine and scenery.

These energetic little guides are the work of Chiltern House Publishers Ltd., Chiltern House, Amersham Road, Amersham, Bucks., HP6 5PE, a one-man private venture which is launching its new edition of “French Leave” after only a year in publishing. The Nail, costs 13.95 and the other guide 12.50. • • • • • •

Competition Ferraris have been well documented, in many fine books in recent and more distant times. Now comes a beautifully-illustrated work about “Ferraris For The Road” by Henry Rasmussen, published by the Haynes Group from Yeovil for 116.95. In 128 landscape-sized pages 270 fine pictures t 125 in colour, of all the road-prowling motors from Marenello, starting with the Spyder California and the Berlinetta and running through to the 246 GT Dino and the 512 Boxer Ferrari, concluding with the 308 GTS. This book first appeared in America in 1980 and forms one of Haynes’ “Survivor Series”. The white type-setting is note everyone’s liking but the pictures make up for it.

Apart from the several books relating to the Schneider Trophy seaplane races, which we reviewed last month, a pictorial coverage, edited by David Moldon, is available from Schneider 81, The Studio, Whaddon Lane, Owlsebury. Near Winchester, Hampshire, for 12.85, plus 50p. for postage. It contains more than 100 pictures in a magazine-size soft cover publication, all of which are fascinating and many new to us. Pages from contempt., newspapers, cartoons of the pilots, engine drawings, etc. add to the appeal. and Rolls-Royce folk will find much to interest them therein. — W.B.