Search results for ""author andrew noakes""

The car that would become the DB7 began its gestation in 1991. Developed entirely under the ownership of Ford, this new smaller Aston Martin was intended to add a new higher-volume strand to Aston Martin's range, and when the good-looking car was launched in 1993 it soon became obvious that this was sound policy. The straight-six-powered coupe was an instant hit and sold well. A cabriolet version followed soon afterwards, and in 1998 Project Vantage - a V12 version of the car was unveiled. In 2002 the range was joined by two special editions - the Vantage Zagato and the GT. When production of the DB7 family ended in 2003, giving way to the DB9, just over 7000 cars had been produced, making the DB7 the most numerous of all Astons. Written with the full co-operation of the factory, this is a book for every lover of this superb car.

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Aston Martin - Model by Model traces the turbulent history of Aston Martin and Lagonda through the cars these two famous British marques have produced. Fast, beautiful and superbly well made, they became some of the most famous machines in motoring history. More than one hundred individual entries detailing every significant Aston Martin and Lagonda model is described here, together with many rare and exciting machines built as racing cars, prototypes or one-offs for wealthy clients. As an independent manufacturer, Aston Martin continues today to develop interesting new models, and has returned to sports car racing with considerable success.

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As one of the most remarkable models that Mercedes-Benz has ever created, the 107-series was a sales success for nearly two decades and has been an automotive icon for far longer. Elegant styling, effortless performance and superior build quality are central to the appeal of the Mercedes-Benz R107 SL and C107 SL models. This book details the complete history of the model from its design in the late 1960s, its launch in 1971, its development through the 1970s and 1980s to the end of production in 1989. Accompanied by over 250 archive pictures and original images, Mercedes-Benz SL and SLC 107-Series 1971-1989 - The Complete Story reveals the story behind the racing SLs and the works rally SLCs, and provides a valuable guide to buying and running these cars.

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Lewis Hamilton’s record-breaking achievements in F1 are the latest successes in a glorious motor sport record for Mercedes and Benz that stretches back to the very first races in the 1890s. For the first time, this book tells the story of Mercedes in motor sport from the very beginning, with those pioneers of the 19th century, right through to today’s hybrid F1 cars. It covers the triumphs and disasters, from the early Grand Prix machines and the extraordinarily advanced and massively powerful racers of the 1930s to the highs of F1, Le Mans and Mille Miglia glory and the sorrow of the 1955 Le Mans disaster. The story is brought right up to date, tracing Mercedes victories in sports car racing, Indycar, F1 and Formula E – and this book celebrates the achievements of some of the world’s greatest drivers, from Caracciola, Fangio and Moss to Hakkinen, Unser and Hamilton.

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This book tells the fascinating, and sometimes frustrating, story of the journey from the iconic Jaguar E-type to its successor, the F-type. With nearly 300 photographs, it documents the evolution of the F-type from the Pininfarina XJ Spider through Jaguar's own XJ41/42, XX and XK180. It reviews the whole range of F-type convertible and coupe models and discusses the wild Project 7 and the latest turbo-charged four-cylinder cars. The special vehicles produced for Team Sky and Bloodhound SSC are included along with a useful chapter on buying an F-type. Finally, the book considers the F-type's future in a changing automotive world.

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Produced in conjunction with the Bentley Drivers Club and the W.O. Bentley Memorial Foundation,100 Years of Bentley is a lavish celebration of one of the most recognised and revered car brands in history, from its earliest models right up to the modern day cars. A six-times winner in the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour race, Bentley is also the brand behind iconic cars such as the 41/2-Litre ‘Blower’, the R-type Continental, and modern classics such as the Continental GT and Mulsanne. Featuring more than 200 pictures, many from the club’s archives and some never seen in print before, this beautiful book details the whole history of Bentley. From W.O. Bentley’s early days as a railway engineer along with his first attempts at modifying French DFP cars, to the company’s earlyracing exploits, including its victories in the early Le Mans races. Covering the Bentley brand’s revival in the 1980s and renewed impetus when it was acquired by the Volkswagen group, the story is brought up to date with the awesome new Bentleys built for the 21st century and the new era of electrification just around the corner.

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From Le Mans champions to James Bond's favourite ride to today's supercars, Aston Martin DB celebrates 70 years of Britain's greatest sports cars with this superb collection of over 250 stunning, and often rarely seen images from the Aston Martin Heritage Trust archive. From the very first DB1 to the iconic DBs of the 1960s to the very latest DB11, this stylish, lavishly illustrated book is a fitting celebration of one of the world's most enduring sports cars. The fast, beautiful sports cars that Aston Martin built under David Brown’s ownership won the Le Mans 24-hour race and the World Sports Car Championship, and provided James Bond with his most famous transport: the ejector-seat equipped DB5 that won acclaim in Goldfinger. Though the DB era ended when Brown sold the company in 1972, its influence continued to be felt - James Bond’s most recent car was the specially-made DB10, and Aston Martin has just launched its most complete car ever, the DB11 – and the initials ‘DB’ mean as much to Aston Martin now as ever. The perfect gift for fans of fast and beautiful cars! Chapters include: 1 Birth of a Legend 2 Crisis and Renewal 3 Designs on Victory 4 The Englishman’s Ferrari 5 End of an Era 6 The DB Legacy

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