JAMES TAYLOR

When the Range Rover Sport was launched in 2005, it was aimed at a new group of customers who in many cases would never have considered a Land Rover product before. These customers wanted and could afford a luxurious vehicle that was expensive to run; but they also wanted a very personalized vehicle that did not have the rather grand and conservative connotations of the full-size Range Rover. Brasher and more glamorous than its older sibling, the Sport was soon adopted by celebrities and others who expected to be noticed. Range Rover Sport - The Complete Story is the first book devoted specifically to the first-generation Range Rover Sport. It tells the story behind the development and launch of the vehicle; it explains the market reaction, including contemporary press reviews; provides details of each model with technical specification tables and colour and trip options; lists production figures and VIN identification and dating; details prices and sales figures for the UK, USA and Canada and finally, includes a useful chapter on buying and owning.

The second generation Range Rover was arguably Land Rovers first model designed as a luxury vehicle. It was a major leap for the company, but a very successful one as well. Despite controversy over its looks, and some initial teething problems, it became a worthy successor to the much-loved original. Range Rover Second Generation The Complete Story draws on the memories of designers and engineers as well as on a wide variety of factory sources to provide the most authoritative history of the mode yet. The book covers the full development history; the changes during eight years of production; Range Rovers for the North American market; full technical specifications and finally Range Rovers and the emergency services.A companion volume to the authors Range Rover First Generation - The Complete Story (Crowood 2018).

James Taylor remembers very well the disappointment among his petrol-head friends when the XJ-S was announced in 1975. It was not a replacement for the legendary E-type; its colours were uninspired; and its interior was drab. All credit, then, to those people at Jaguar who truly believed in the car and, over a period of nearly 20 years, turned the ugly duckling into a swan. From the moment the XJ-S HE arrived in 1981, there seemed to be renewed hope, and from then on, the car went from strength to strength to become the much-admired grand tourer it always should have been. The book contains a timeline of the key events in the history of the XJ-S and an overview of the evolution of the XJ-S from the XJ27 prototype. There are Appendices covering identification/serial numbers, UK showroom prices through the years and sales in the US by year.

Ever since their introduction in 1972, the S-Class saloons from Mercedes-Benz have been considered the pinnacle of automotive excellence. For most of that time, ownership of an S-Class - at least, of a reasonably recent one - has been symbolic of material success and of restrained yet impeccable good taste. Several other car makers have nibbled at the edges of the S-Class market, but none has produced a viable and lasting alternative to the big Benz. Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1972-2013 charts the evolution and success of the series, from the W116 model, the first to be designed from the ground up as a large luxury saloon, through to the C126 coupe, one of the all-time Mercedes-Benz classic designs.Topics covered include: development and production of the W126 saloons and classic W126 coupes; the W140 saloons in the 1990s; the 140 coupes, the W220 models and the elegant 215 coupes; the W221 models, introduced at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 2005; the C216 coupes and the future of Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Superbly illustrated with 288 colour photographs.

Designed by Mercedess head of design Bruno Sacco, the W124 range immediately became the benchmark by which medium-sized car models were judged in the late 1980s due to its engineering excellence and high build quality. There was a model to suit every would-be-buyer, from the taxi driver through the family motorist and on to those who were willing and able to pay for luxury and performance. This book covers: design, development and manufacture of all models of W124 including estates, cabriolets and the stylish coupe range; engines and performance; special editions and AMG models and, finally, buying and owning a W124 today. Superbly illustrated with 264 colour photographs.

The Range Rovers designers intended it to be a more comfortable and road-friendly passenger-carrying Land Rover, but customers quickly saw something much more in it. During the 1970s, while its immense practicality and capability were appreciated and acknowledged, a Range Rover became a sought-after and prestigious possession. It went on to change the face of Land Rover for ever. Range Rover First Generation - The Complete Story delves into the real story of the Range Rover, examining what lay behind the multiple changes in its twenty-six years of production. The book covers the full development story; custom and utility conversions; Range Rovers for the US market; full technical specifications and Range Rovers assembled overseas. If ever a car deserved the over-used epithet iconic, the first-generation Range Rover is it. The book provides an insight into the little-known difficulties and problems that were so well concealed by the Range Rovers makers and is a must read for all Range Rover and Land Rover enthusiasts. Superbly illustrated with 223 colour and 97 black & white photographs.

BMWs M5 was a simple concept: a production 5 Series saloon re-developed for high performance by the Motorsport division. The M5 was the car that really initiated the legend of the M-cars from BMW; the letter M had been applied to a high-performance BMW as early as 1978, but that years M1 was an exotic supercar. It had the right image, but the M1 was never going to bring in major profits. The M5 was much simpler in concept. It was and remains a production 5 Series saloon, redeveloped for ultra-high performance. Manufacturing costs were minimized, allowing BMW to price the car more attractively and still bring in healthy profits. This new book charts the development of the M5 across five generations. For all fans of the BMW M5, this book provides essential background, and is packed with the facts and details that make the M5 legend come alive. The M5 is still in production and remains the benchmark high-performance saloon wherever it is sold. This is essential background reading for all BMW M5 fans and motoring enthusiasts and is superbly illustrated with 211 colour photographs.

From the moment of its launch in 1998, the Rover 75 caught the publics imagination. Here, at last, was a car that felt like traditional Rovers and had been designed in Britain. Rover 75 and MG ZT charts the evolution of the models from the early 1990s onwards including full production histories and comprehensive specification details. Contents include: the development and production of the Rover 75 under BMW in the 1990s; becoming the MG Rover Group - from BMW to Phoenix Venture Holdings; expanding the Rover 75 with Longbridge Rover Salooons and Tourers; the MG models of the new millennium - the ZT and ZT-T; monogram 75, the five-millionth Rover; a facelift for the cars with the new V8 engines; moving production to China and the end of the MG Rover Group. Illustrated with 267 colour photographs, this is essential reading for motoring enthusiasts and fans of the Rover brand.

The Rover P6 was unquestionably one of the best saloon cars to come out of Britain in the 1960s and was winner of the first-ever European Car of the Year award. It combined a wealth of technical innovation with a distinctive appearance that incorporated exactly the right degree of Italianate sharp-suited appearance for its time. It was, and remains, a great car to drive, and all these qualities were combined with the space and practicality of a four-seat family saloon. Rover P6: 2000, 2200, 3500 - The Complete Story documents its evolution from the earliest ideas in the 1950s to the end of production in 1977. It describes all the models with specification tables and paint and trim options, including NADA and Federal cars and remembers the motorsport successes and failures. It records the manufacturing process at Solihull and CKD overseas and includes a useful chapter on buying and owning a Rover P6.

The Pontons may have been Mercedes-Benzs bread-and-butter models of the 1950s, but they were vitally important in establishing the marque as a significant player around the globe. Alongside the saloons that made Mercedes famous world-wide for long-lasting and economical taxis, there were exotic two-door cabriolet and coupe derivatives, and the cars basic structure was made available too for conversion into ambulances, pick-ups, estate cars and hearses. Not always appreciated is that the 190SL sports model was also derived from the engineering of the Ponton range.The Ponton Mercedes and the 190SL have long enjoyed a strong enthusiast following around the world. Here is their story, from their creation at a time when Mercedes was emerging from the devastation of war, though their success during the German Economic Miracle of the 1950s, to their final days in the early 1960s alongside the first of the Fintail models that would eventually replace them. No enthusiast of these widely respected cars will want to be without this book.

A history of all four generations of compact Jaguar, and their Daimler equivalents, tracing the gradual development of Sir William Lyons original idea over a period between 1955 and 1969. From the powerful, luxury MK 1 and 2 cars to the 4.2-litre 420, this book covers design, development and styling; special-bodied variants; racing performance; buying and owning a compact Jaguar saloon model and, finally, specifications and production figures.

A-Z of British Bus Bodies sets out to offer a first port of call for anyone with an interest in those who built bus and coach bodies in Britain and Ireland between 1919 and 1975. From charabanc to service bus, from luxury coach to municipal double-decker, the sheer variety of public service vehicle (PSV) bodies is astonishing.

The Rolls-Royce company acquired Bentley Motors in 1931 and, although models continued to be produced with the Bentley name, they increasingly used many Rolls-Royce components. By the time the Silver Cloud and Bentley S were released in 1955, they were really differently badged versions of the same design. Yet the sporting tradition of the Bentley marque was upheld with the exotic Continental models that were derived from them. The Silver Cloud family represents a pinnacle for the Rolls-Royce company. The cars all had and still have a very special presence, and the standard saloons have an unsurpassed elegance and rightness of line. The special-bodied cars, meanwhile, are reminders of an age when the skill of the best coachbuilders was something deserving of universal admiration. With around 190 photographs, this book features: The story of the design and development of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S Type; A look at the production development of these cars between 1955 and 1965; An examination of the Bentley Continental models that were derived from Silver Cloud and S Type design; The history of the Phantom V and Phantom VI limousine chassis introduced in 1959 and destined to last until 1990; Full technical specifications, including paint and interior trim choices; Production figures and chassis codes and finally, a chapter on buying and owning one of these wonderful classic cars.

A fully illustrated history of the Land Rover 101 One-Tonne - the forward-control military vehicle developed as a gun tractor for the British Army, in production from 1975-1978. This essential guide to these small yet powerful 4 x 4 vehicles covers: production histories; design and prototypes; specification guides; the 101 in British military service between 1975 and 1998; the 101 variants - ambulances, Rapier tractors, hard-bodied versions for electronic warfare and special field conversions; sales to overseas military authorities and, finally, advice on buying and owning a 101 today. Of great interest to Land Rover and military vehicle enthusiasts, historians and owners clubs and illustrated with 207 original colour photographs.

The W201 was a compact saloon designed to address both concerns about fuel economy generated by the first oil crisis in the 1970s and competition for sales from the BMW 3 Series. Many doubted that Mercedes could deliver a compact car whilst retaining their traditional qualities. But the W201 soon won them over. For here was a car that was a real Mercedes in the tradition of the time - it was just smaller. With around 200 photographs, the book features the reasons behind the need to build a new compact saloon in the 1980s. It covers the styling, engineering and specification changes introduced over the lifetime of the model; gives full technical specifications, including paint and interior trim choices and production tables and vehicle number sequences. The story of Mercedes long and exciting struggle to win the German Touring Car Championship with the 190 is covered. There is a chapter on the special US variants and, finally, a chapter on buying and owing a 201-series Mercedes.

In 1968, British Leyland brought together many of Britains motor manufacturers, with the intention of creating a robust unified group that could equal the strength of the big European conglomerates. But this was not to be. There have been many books about the politics and the business activities of British Leyland, but British Leyland - The Cars, 1968-1986 looks exclusively at the cars that came from the company, both the models it inherited and those it created. The eighteen years of the corporations existence saw a confusing multitude of different car types, but this book resolves these confusions, clarifying who built what, and when. The book takes 1986 as its cut-off point because this was the year that the old British Leyland ceased to exist and what was left of the car and light commercial business was renamed the Rover Group. The book includes: Production histories and technical specifications of every major model; The special overseas models; Appendices on engines, code names, and factories; Buying guidance on the models built in Britain. This is the most comprehensive book so far to focus on the cars from British Leyland between 1968-1986 and it provides an overview of each models production history, together with essential specification details. It is profusely illustrated with 178 colour and 63 b&w photographs.

The third-generation or L322 Range Rover took the Land Rover marque firmly into the luxury market at the start of the 2000s, and set the tone for the models to follow. This book documents the whole story of this milestone model with the aid of more than 200 photographs. It includes: the story of the models origins as the L30 project when BMW owned Land Rover; the styling, engineering and specification changes introduced over the lifetime of L322 from 2001 to 2012 and a chapter on the models career in the USA. There is an overview of the aftermarket enhancements from the leading specialists of the day.tFull technical specifications are given, plus paint colours and interior trim choices and finally there is guidance on buying and owning one of these acclaimed vehicles - the L322 Range Rover.

Land Rover Freelander - The Complete Story recounts the history of the Land Rover Freelander, and its popular successor, the Freelander 2. This new book covers the original Freelander, from its design and development to its launch and reception in 1997. In 2006 , the innovative Freelander 2 was launched, with its pioneering technology in fuel efficiency. Also covered are the Freelander variants from across the world, and its use in UK law enforcement. This is an indispensable guide to the history of both generations of Freelander and is aimed at enthusiasts of Land Rover throughout the world. Lavishly illustrated with 284 colour photographs.

Land Rover Defender, 90 and 110 Range - 30 Years of the Coil-Spring 4x4 Models charts the evolution of the coil-sprung Defender vehicles. When Land Rover switched from leaf springs to coil springs for their utility models in 1983, it was a major step forward. The first coil-sprung model, the One Ten, replaced the Series III 109s. The short-wheelbase Ninety replaced the Series III 88s in 1984. From 1990, the models were all re-branded as Land Rover Defenders - 90, 110 and 140 - as the Land Rover range expanded and the marketing teams wanted a new name.Topics covered include: Origins of the Defender and early Ninety and One Ten Models; Development and use of the long-wheelbase models; Special conversions and Defenders built outside the UK, including in Australia and South Africa; Military and emergency service use of the Defender; Detailed examinations of engines and engineering, and the focus on diesel power; The future of the Defender. Charts the evolution of the coil-sprung Defender vehicles - the early 90 and 110 models from 1983 to present day. A must buy for all Land Rover enthusiasts. Superbly illustrated with 300 colour photographs. James Taylor is a well-known writer on classic motoring and a specialist on the Land Rover marque.

Rovers big hatchback saloon of the 1970s and 1980s had all the elements of a superb motor car. It was the work of long-standing Rover engineers, with substantial input from their colleagues at Triumph. The SD1s top models even shared their V8 engines with earlier and much-loved classics from Rover. It was stunningly attractive, cleverly derived from Italian supercar styling and still extraordinarily practical thanks to its large hatchback configuration. In this new book, Rover historian James Taylor tells the full story of the SD1, warts and all, from initial concept to final production model. The oft-criticized early models and the more successful later variants are discussed as well as the exclusive Vitesse and Vanden Plas models and overseas and police variants. Finally, for those inspired enough to seek one out today, there is guidance on purchase and ownership.