Shire album

2 primary works

The Rolls Royce

by Jonathan Wood

Published June 1987

The Rolls-Royce name is synonymous with perfection and the pursuit of excellence, on account of the extraordinarily high engineering standards demanded by Henry Royce, the marque's founder. His first car, built in 1904, attracted the attention of the aristocratic Charles Rolls, who was initially responsible for selling it. Soon afterwards came the legendary Silver Ghost and Royce's place in motoring history was secure. All subsequent models have followed this perfectionist approach, maintained by BMW, which acquired the company in 1998.
About the author
Jonathan Wood is a founder member of the staff of Classic Cars magazine, he has twice won the Guild of Motoring Writers' Montagu Trophy and is a two-times recipient of the Society of Automotive Historians' Cugnot Award.
Other titles for Shire by this author are:
The Bean
Austin Seven
The Citroen
The Bullnose Morris
Classic Cars
The Model T Ford
The Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle

by Jonathan Wood

Published July 1989

The Volkswagen Beetle is the most successful car in history and over twenty million have been built. Conceived by Adolf Hitler in the spirit of the Model T Ford and designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s, the Beetle did not enter series production until 1945, after the Second World War. Its familiar but unconventional lines have become recognisable throughout the world and, incredibly, it is still being built at VW's Mexican factory. This edition brings the story up to date and charts the arrival and evolution of the New Beetle, visually inspired by the original, which appeared in 1998.