Giles Chapman

This fully updated atlas contains more than 640 maps, providing a wealth of information on countries around the world. Includes large-scale maps, landscape models and locators as well as up-to-date place names, flag changes and the world''s newest regions. #Regional maps are complemented by spectacular photographs, computer-generated 3D terrain models and thematic maps. Featuring a comprehensive index of over 80,000 easily accessible entries, this is the essential reference atlas for any business, home or school.

For fifty years, Britain made the best toy cars in the world, expertly shrinking every kind of reallife vehicle and producing them in their countless, die-cast millions. Dinky Toys were the 1930s pioneers, then in the 1950s came the pocket-money Matchbox series, followed by Corgi Toys bristling with ingenious features and movie stardust.But who were the driving forces behind this phenomenon? And how did they keep putting the latest, most exciting cars into the palm of your hand year after year?In this illustrated and expanded edition of Britains Toy Car Wars, Giles Chapman reveals the extraordinary battle to dominate Britains toy car industry, and the dramas and disasters that finally saw the tiny wheels come off

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.

Sólo el verdadero entendido en la materia es capaz de identificar de forma inmediata la marca de cada automóvil; para la mayoría es el logotipo del fabricante el que informa de la marca. Pero ¿por que los Ferrari llevan un caballo encabritado?; ¿por que hay tres diamantes en cada Mitsubishi?; ¿que hay detras de la estrella de Mercedes-Benz?, y ¿que significa el simbolo Ghia en los coches Ford? Con mas de 1000 ilustraciones, esta guia de referencia revela los fascinantes secretos escondidos en mas de 125 logos de coches de todo el mundo, tanto actuales como clasicos. Giles Chapman es una destacada autoridad internacional en el sector automovilistico. Como periodista y escritor de reconocido prestigio en la materia ha publicado numerosas obras. Entre ellas cabe destacar SUV: The Worlds Greatest Sport Utility Vehicles (Londres, Merrell, 2005) y Chapmans Car Compendium: The Essential Book of Car Facts and Trivia (Londres, Merrell, 2007).

50 surprising lives of significant figures obsessives movers and shakers of the car world and motoring history

Very few cars inspire as much affection as the original Mini. Its the small car everyone loves to eulogise because it oozes energetic fun, classless minimalism and evergreen style.But its also of massive historical importance: the 1959 Mini, designed by Alec Issigonis, set the template from which all successful compact cars have been created ever after. It was the technological wonder of its age. The original Mini was on sale for 41 years, during which its 5.3m sales made it the best-selling British car of all time an achievement unlikely ever to be beaten.And just when it looked like the little car would shrivel and die, BMW had the vision to reinvent it as the planets most desirable small car range, and put it back on the serious motoring map as the MINI.Here, award-winning writer Giles Chapman tells the whole, amazing story.

A book about cars that you probably never have heard of, let alone seen before.

An intriguing series of tales about love affairs with cars which, like human relationships, can go badly wrong. Christian Wolmar, best-selling author of The Subterranean Railway and Fire & SteamThree Million Miles in a Volvo and Other Curious Car Stories is a whistle-stop tour of fifty fascinating petrolheads and how they changed car culture for good.Meet: The Prince of Darkness! The Sweeneys ace stunt driver! Renaults doyenne of colours and fabrics!Discover: A pathetic steam car! Metal underpants! The unseen brilliance of Jaguars!And find out exactly how one man adored his Volvo so much that he drove it around the world 120 times to cruise into the record books.

Un pequeño automóvil con un gran legadO. A la venta durante increíblemente seis décadas, el Mini es más popular ahora que nunca. Mini: 60 Años conmemora el vehículo que revolucionó el diseño automo