General Automotive Reviews

Look through the five hundred photos in this book and be amazed at how such a simple vehicle has developed over the last hundred years. Early gasoline tractors were cumbersome and heavy, the makers assumed that they would replace the cumbersome and heavy steam tractors, they should have done some market research (probably unheard of at the turn of the last century) because farmers wanted small vehicles and it took until 1912 before they got what they wanted. The machines slowly evolved to suit agricultural needs, getting more and more powerful (and once again heavier) until today when the agri business uses huge diesel units with twelve tires (to spread the weight) strangely it was not until the 70s that the makers thought the driver might like a cab to protect him from the elements.

This paperback (at amazing value for the price) covers the history of the American tractor with excellent color pictures of the various makes. The photos are mostly three-quarter or side views of the complete unit, with many close-ups of a logo or engine, they all have technically detailed captions. I thought the quality of the photos was very impressive which was the main reason I bought the book. The older models are covered by contemporary photos rather than illustrations from period ads, these machines have all been carefully restored to 'like new' by collectors.

Between the pages showing historical development there are plenty of spreads called 'Classic Profile' where famous models are covered in more photographic and spec detail. My favorite is the Raymond Lowey designed 1947 Farmall H from International Harvester. Was it the world's first streamlined tractor? It must have got something right because IH shifted 390,317 units at $962 each. If you want some good historical visual reference to tractors get this well designed and printed paperback, at a bargain price too.

Christian Gerondeau describes the transport situation in the average large US urban area.

• The central city has lost a large percentage of its population since 1950.

• The population of the suburbs has exploded.

• For some time, virtually all new job growth has been in the suburbs.

• Traffic conditions are intolerable.

• About the only place one can go on the transit system is the central city. Virtually no effective suburb to suburb service is available.

• Transit trips take a lot of time --- the average transit work trip takes at least double the time of the average commute by single occupant automobile.

• Air pollution, which is well on the way to being eradicated, is still a problem

• A comprehensive freeway system continues to be taxed by rising levels of traffic congestion.

But the subject of Gerondeau's book is not America --- it is Europe, and the conditions cited above are the conditions he demonstrates exist in major European urban areas.

The book opens with a compelling list of 20 widely held European transport ideas --- all of which he finds incorrect. The well organized narrative then proceeds to provide an effective description of these and other issues.

Gerondeau effectively challenges the conventional wisdom of both urban and intercity transport policy and concludes that significant policy changes will be necessary to solve transport problems. The solutions do not include the usual litany of forcing people out of their automobiles or mandating that more goods be transferred from trucks (lorries) to freight railroads.

He confounds his critics with extensive documentation and positions himself as a modern Copernicus seeking to convince those who make policy that transport problems will only be solved using the facts, regardless of how they track with today's particular ideology. Finally, Gerondeau provides an outline of strategies to improve European mobility.

Wendell Cox + Wendell Cox Consultancy & The Public Purpose + St. Louis USA

The 2000 and 2500 was probably the biggest international success that Triumph had, and therefore this account of their history will have wide appeal. It tells the whole story of the car's history, from its development stages, to its production life. An interesting chapter is about the Zebu project, which was later abandoned, because it echoed the reverse-slope rear window seen in the very successful Ford Anglia 105 E. It is because of these, and other previously-unknown facts that this book is so highly recommended. Graham Robson knows these cars like nobody else, mainly because he worked for Triumph for many years. Some people might say that this makes him biased, but it is better to have the comments by someone who witnessed every stage of the car's development than those of someone who did not. However, there is one small point of criticism from a South African point of view. South Africa was the first country to introduce a twin-carburettor version of the 2,5 named the Chicane, and hardly any mention is made of this model. The author knows what is going on in South Africa, judging by previous books he has written, and for this reason, this is a surprising oversight. Despite this criticism, this book must be rated as a mandatory purchase for anybody who has owned these cars. For British car enthusiasts, this is a very interesting read, and it just shows that, with the demise of Triumph,enthusiasts have been deprived of what might have been a deadly BMW rival.

For anyone who is interested in the history of Post war triumphs, this book provides a thorough and complete history of the Triumph sports cars from 1952 onward. From the side screen TR-2 roadsters to the refined TR-8's all the details and specifications are provided.

This is an excellent book. It is well written, thorough, and well illustrated. Definitely worth the price to anyone interested in Triumph motorcyles or motorcycles in general. The author takes you on a historical tour of Triumph motorcycles from day one and brings you up to date (1997-publish date). There is a focus on the new generation Triumphs that are being built at John Bloor's Hinkley factory. You are given a 'virtual' tour of this factory and is processes, even introduced to special people that work there. You soon become aware that something very special is going on at this factory in England. And if you happen to own one of these new Triumphs, like myself, this book just re-enforces what you already know -- The Empire is Striking Back -- from Hinkley !

When people see me on my Triumph Bonneville Special or 825cc Tiger they say things like:

"Great bike, must be hard to find parts for..."

or sometimes you'll get:

"I used to have one of those..."

Which is really the more appropriate response since Triumph and American motorcycling go hand in hand. This book really made it clear to me why I love Triumphs. It gives detailed descriptions of models which were constructed specifically for the American market. There are great pictures of cross country races in the California desert and road races at Daytona. The author really captures the competative relationship between the East coast and West coast Triumph dealers (who had seperate race teams) with biographies of the riders, mechanics and team managers who made motorcycle racing from the 40's to the 70's so exciting. I learned as much about the racers as I did about the modifications they made to their bikes (and now I can make to mine).

Great book for anyone who races vintage bikes or just loves the sound of a parallel twin!

I have read 2 other TRiumph books and this is the best one yet. The stats, and reviews put
this over the top. You can almost feel like Triumph is still around today. Lots of quotes form people
that were around then too! A must buy for a Triumph fan.

More than complete, the author seems to be in love with the cars being worked on in the manual, including the history of the car and driving/care tips. The repair information itself is detailed, full of annotated photos and the "extra steps" one might take in a restoration, such as how to rebuild the alternator, including a technique for the windings.

Here's the full story of Triumph's muscular and stylish 6-cylinder sports car, the TR6 - regarded by many as the last true Triumph sportscar. The first TR6 was built in 1968 and production continued until 1976 when over 94,600 TR6s had been built, making it one of Triumph's most successful models: a staggering 91% of production was exported from Britain! In this exploration of the TR6, William Kimberley leaves no stone unturned and coverage includes conception, evolution, production, competition history, restoration advice, buying advice and living with a TR6.

While there are a number of books about streetcars and interurban trains of the past, few come as close to putting readers around and onboard them as this book does. Its modern-day, color photography of these vintage rail cars -- all preserved at rail museums around North America and Britain -- is nothing short of stunning.

Grouped into chapters by historical era and car type, each featured car is profiled in a one or two-page spread containing a wonderful balance of words, statistics and photos. Combined, each chapter and profile allows readers not only to understand the history behind each car and its use, but also appreciate the details of each car's design and craftsmanship, right down to the brass controller handles, stained glass windows, and sleek curvatures.

Covering everything from the 19th-Century horsecar predessesors of the trolley right through to the streamlined PCCs and Liverpool "Liners" that represented the end of the classic trolleycar era; this book is bound to satisfy both the serious urban rail enthusiast or historian, and anyone wanting to see what trolleys were like. If you enjoy the magic of trolleys, or the wonder of history vividly come to life in the present day, "Trolleycars" belongs in your hands!