DIGITISED: THE WORK OF PHOTOGRAPHER ZOLTÁN GLASS

The National Media Museum in Bradford, UK, is currently in the process of raising a photographic treasure. The project, which aims to scan a large proportion of the photographs housed in the Zoltán Glass archive, will systematically catalogue the work of the artist, whose main creative periods came in the 1930s and 1950s, and to make them accessible in digital format. The Bradford collection numbers around 6,000 images in total; the work is scheduled for completion in April 2010.

Zoltán Glass was one of the great photographers of the 20th century – and automobiles were one his favourite subjects. During the 1920s and 1930s he was also commissioned by Daimler-Benz AG to take many photographs of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Glass, for example, documented the period of the classic Silver Arrows, the cars that dominated international grand prix racing from 1934 onwards. But he also turned his masterful skills to photographing the brand’s production vehicles for publicity material. He could even turn ostensibly uninspiring subjects, such as Mercedes-Benz vehicle production, into aesthetically pleasing images. After the death of Zoltán Glass in 1981, his photographic legacy was acquired by the National Media Museum, which houses one of Europe’s most important photographic collections.


At the instigation of Daimler AG, his work is now being catalogued and digitised. The project also involves feeding the original photograph captions into the database and reproducing the images in their original sequence. The process makes use of state-of-the-art technology, which enables the negatives and their immense wealth of detail to be photographed in high resolution using a calibrated high-end medium-format camera in order to create a neutral copy of the original. The results are first saved as files of approximately 100 megabytes in TIFF format. Finally, special software is used to convert the negative images into positives.

Once the work is complete, the photographs will be available for further historical editorial work and other projects.



Source: Daimler/Mercedes-Benz

STOCK NEWS: MINI COOPER (RALLY GIANTS) NOW AVAILABLE

Image taken from Mini Cooper (Rally Giants Series) by Graham Robson. See more great pictures from the book on flickr.

This is a comprehensive study of the career of one type of rally car – the BMC Mini-Cooper/Mini-Cooper S. In the 1960s the Mini became famous as Britain’s most successful rally car. It combined superb handling, a tiny body shell, high-performance engines and the excellence of front-wheel-drive in an irresistible package. Not only this, but the works team included famous drivers like Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Makinen and Rauno Aaltonen.
The works Minis not only won the Monte Carlo three times – 1964, 1965 and 1967 – along with the European Rally Championship in 1965, but also won events all over the world. Because Minis were British, and well-promoted, they became seen as giant-killers, and were the people’s favourite for many years. The car outpaced many of its rivals, and this book examines exactly who they were, and how they came to be defeated by the ‘mighty Mini.’

Even today, works Minis appear at every gathering of classic cars – and in 2009, Mini celebrates its 50th birthday. Packed with over 100 photographs, this book is a fitting and timely tribute to a much-loved Rally Giant.

Click here for more info about the book.

Check out this video of Graham Robson talking about the book at MINI United.

DAVID HEMMINGS INTERVIEW

David Hemmings - Porsche 928 Marque expert answers my questions at The Porsche Club GB National Event 2009 at Blenheim Palace.



Porsche 928 - The Essential Buyer's Guide by David Hemmings.
Don't buy a car without this book!
Expert advice from a marque expert.
Unique points scoring system to evaluate cars after inspection.
Walk away or stay? - quick initial evaluation of a car.
How to check the car's authenticity.
Which models are best.
The implications of restoration.
Is it the right car for you? - will it fit your garage, will you fit in the car?
Running cost details.
Detailed specifications.
Click here for more info about the book.

4-STAR CAR

Ok, we're not quite finished with highlighting the praise we've received for Porsche Racing Cars – 1976 to 2005! Here's another review for Brian Long's second volume, as published in Auto Express magazine last month.

PORSCHE RACING HISTORY

Thanks to Racecar Engineering magazine for its review of our "stunning two-volume set" on the history Porsche Racing Cars by Brian Long. The first volume covers 1953-1975 and the second covers 1976-2005.

"An excellent account of Porsche's racing history" – Racecar Engineering

Click to view larger image

THE RIGHTFUL KINGS OF THE ROAD

-PRESS RELEASE-


Take a trip back in time to see (or remember) what life was like on the roads in the 1950s, with this unique book from Veloce Publishing's Those Were The Days … Series. British Lorries of the 1950s by Malcolm Bobbitt is a well-researched historical account, which reveals much about Britain's commercial vehicle and road haulage industries of fifty plus years ago.

This book is a highly visual study of British lorries built during the 1950s, and contains 120 colour and black and white images, many contemporary. The photographic content extends to publicity material as well as the preservation scene depicting historic vehicles at work. All the familiar, and less familiar, names are described in great detail and the comprehensive text reveals much about life on the road in 1950s Britain, reminding us all of those marques that were household names at the time and now form a residual memory in the consciousness of many British citizens.

Malcolm Bobbitt has a lifelong interest in motor transport. In addition to contributing to various magazines, he is the author of thirty books, some printed in several languages, with subjects ranging from Bubblecars and Microcars, Motorhomes and British Police Vehicles to marque histories of Citroën, Fiat, Rolls-Royce, Rover and Volkswagen. The author, who is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and the Society of Automotive Historians, is acclaimed for his biography of W.O. Bentley and a history of Rolls-Royce to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the firm's tenure at Crewe.



Coming soon! British Lorries of the 1960s
by Malcolm Bobbitt.

ANDRÉ LEFEBVRE BOOK CAUSES STIR AT CITROËN MEETING

Gijsbert-Paul Berk – author of André Lefebvre, and the cars he created at Voisin and Citroën – took the chance at the 75heurespour75ans event in Arras to show his advance copy of the book to a number of Citroën fans.


According to the organisers there were over one thousand Citroëns Tractions Avant in the historic centre of the French town. It was an impressive sight (see pictures). In the exhibition hall of Arras the Dutch Traction Avant owners club TAN had also organised an interesting overview of all the TA models made between 1934 and 1957, with some special bodied examples.




This biography of André Lefebvre gives a revealing insight into the work of a practically unknown aeronautic engineer who, after building and racing competition cars for Gabriel Voisin in 1933, created for André Citroën the revolutionary front wheel drive Traction Avant (light fifteen in the UK). He was responsible for the minimalist 2CV and the Citroën DS, which was the sensation of the automotive world in 1955, and is still an icon of original automobile engineering and avant-garde design today.
Click here for more info about the book.

STYLE YOUR GARAGE

Ever wanted to disguise your garage door for a wine celler? well now you can do just that with printed photographic tarpaulins from style-your-garage.com.


Or pretend you own a classic car ...


Or even a Formula 1 car!

CAST YOUR EYE OVER THIS

Diecast Toy Cars of the 1950s & 1960s by Andrew Ralston is well received by Octane magazine this month – "superbly illustrated softback."

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOTOR RACING CIRCUIT?

Want to win £500 of track day fun and accommodation?



A great new publishing venture from the Discovery Media Group at www.motorsportcircuitguide.com is offering you the chance!

www.motorsportcircuitguide.com and Circuits 2010 magazine, provide complete and up-to-date information about motor racing circuits and tracks worldwide as well as local amenities and special offers.
It's time for you to have your say! Vote for "The Greatest Circuit in the World’ today and you could win over £500 of track day fun and accommodation. Email ben@motorsportcircuitguide.com with ‘Circuit survey' in the subject line and they will send you an entry form.

New! Motor Racing at Brands Hatch in the eighties by Chas Parker.
By the start of the 1980s, the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in Kent had become firmly established as one of the world’s classic tracks. It had grown from humble beginnings as a motor cycle grass track to become an internationally renowned facility, hosting top-class motor sport. During the following decade, under the stewardship of its entrepreneurial managing director, John Webb, this enviable position was reinforced, with the circuit hosting five consecutive Grands Prix, two at very short notice, from 1982-86, along with a host of other major international meetings as well as smaller, club events.

Chas Parker spent many years visiting the track, and amassed an impressive collection of thousands of colour transparencies, the majority of which are previously unpublished.
This book picks up where his previous volume, Motor Racing at Brands Hatch in the Seventies, left off. It offers a very personal account of visits to the world’s busiest motor racing circuit during a decade of excitement and change, both on and off track, in the form of a scrapbook using the author’s own photographs, taken as an ordinary spectator from the public enclosures.
Click here for more info about the book

HENRY SURTEES: A STATEMENT BY JONATHAN PALMER

“I am absolutely devastated that 18- year old Henry Surtees lost his life in an accident in the Formula Two race at Brands Hatch. This is the saddest time in my 35 years of motor racing and my deepest sympathies are with father John, mother Jane and their daughters Edwina and Leonora, together with other family and friends.” Read full statement here.

View a moving tribute to the life of Henry John Surtees (February 18, 1991 – July 19, 2009).

THE GLORY DAYS OF DODGE

-PRESS RELEASE-


Dodge Challenger & Plymouth Barracuda – Chrysler's Potent Pony Cars, a brand new book by Dodge specialist Peter Grist is an in-depth look at the highly collectable and much sought after cars that captured the imagination in the 1960s and 1970s when they featured as stars of both the big screen and drag strip. A Dodge Challenger R/T was famously used in Vanishing Point – the 1971 action-road movie starring Barry Newman.


Published by Veloce at £29.99 in hardback, and written in Peter's easy to follow and unpretentious style, this new book follows a chronological journey through the development of pony cars from the 1960 Valiant onwards. Fascinating design concepts and evolution are incorporated, featuring all sub-series and models. The book boasts 375 mainly colour pictures, including fresh new photos of original vehicles and rarely seen archive pictures and period adverts.

Along with the Ford Mustang, the Plymouth Barracuda was often referred to by the colloquial name "pony car", and although the Mustang went on to outsell the 'Slippery Fish' it was the first incarnation of the Barracuda that was released first on 1 April 1964, beating the Mustang to the dealerships by two clear weeks.

Peter has been writing about American automobiles for over 15 years, during that time writing for the Chrysler Corp Club UK, high street magazines, web-sites, his first books on Dodge performance cars, and the biography of American auto designer, Virgil Exner, also published by Veloce. Peter has owned a succession of American-built cars, including a 1955 Buick, a 1959 DeSoto, 1967 Coronet, a Shelby Charger, Jeep Cherokee and an R/T Neon; he currently owns three Dodge vehicles.

This 196-page book is available now from bookshops or from www.veloce.co.uk.

JAGUAR HERITAGE MUSEUM RE-LAUNCHED

The famous Jaguar museum in Coventry has been re-launched. This follows the renaming of the Trust that owns it and the reopening of the famous gates on Browns Lane to the public.

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (“JDHT”), founded in 1983 as an independent educational charity, has been restructured and renamed Jaguar Heritage. The museum holds a small but unique and valuable display of cars from the Jaguar collection. This collection boasts more than 100 vehicles.

The display of famous cars from the Jaguar Heritage collection, together with improvements in the museum’s facilities, is the reason for the re-launch of the museum. It will now be open to the public five days a week, and the last Sunday of every month, so that many more people will be able to admire the collection.

The link between Jaguar Cars, the Trust and the activities that it carries out around the world are an important part of the future of the company.

Mike O’Driscoll, the Chairman of the Trust and the Managing Director of Jaguar Cars, who re-opened the Museum, said:

“The collection is an important part of Jaguar’s heritage and allows members of the public and Jaguar enthusiasts from around the world to view the famous cars. The structure of the museum has been re-designed so that visitors will gain a greater understanding of the fantastic racing history of our brand. There will be closer links with Jaguar Cars, which is important for the company’s future.

“It is important that we maintain the link to our heritage and the famous vehicles that have gone before like the C-type and D-type. They are not only part of the history but also part of the sporting pedigree that is Jaguar.”

He added:
“Jaguar is becoming a sports car company again and we have exciting plans for the future.”

The provenance of the famous museum is its unique collection of Jaguar cars, which tell the story of the company. These range from the Swallow sidecar, with which the founder of Jaguar, Sir William Lyons, began his career. Other cars include:

the first Jaguar badged car, a 1937 SS Saloon;
NUB 120, the famous Appleyard rally car, which was campaigned in the 1950s;
the penultimate D-type ‘Long Nose’ built in 1956, which won the Reims 12 hour race that year;
The 1966 XJ13 built to compete at Le Mans and one of the most beautiful racing cars ever designed, but which never took part in the famous race;
the last E-type S.3 V12 open two-seater; and
some of the company’s most important concept cars.
These are just a cross-section of the collection that attracts enthusiasts from around the world.

The museum’s gallery contains a bronze sculpture by Dame Elizabeth Frink, paintings by Peter Blake and Roy Nockolds, trophies from the 1950s and 1980s, and original posters.

The day to day running of the museum has been taken over by founding Trustee Peter Mitchell, OBE. Peter has carried out a review of the collection of vehicles as the first stage in the plan to improve and develop the public display facilities at Browns Lane.

Press release & image: Jaguar Heritage

RARE GLIMPSE INSIDE BENTLEY AND ROLLS-ROYCE TREASURE TROVE

One of the motor industry’s hidden treasure troves will be opened for the first time in September when Bentley Motors holds a one-off parts and accessories sales fair.

The famous Crewe-based manufacturer will be offering professional traders and owners of both Bentley and Crewe-built Rolls-Royce cars, as well as enthusiasts of these iconic British marques, the opportunity to purchase anything from a V8 engine block or replacement gearbox right through to an indicator bulb or pristine, beautifully illustrated 1950s handbook.


Bentley Motors holds over 55,000 part lines for all Bentley models (1955 onwards) as well as Rolls-Royce cars built in Crewe (1955-2002) at its state-of-the-art 143,000 square foot warehouse on the outskirts of the Cheshire town. This equates to an astonishing 7 million items - all stored and catalogued on the company’s database.

The September sales fair will enable Bentley to create additional space for parts and accessories for upcoming cars like the Continental Supersports and the much anticipated all-new Bentley which is due to make its debut in California this August.

Over the weekend a range of Bentley’s factory trained experts will be on-site to provide visitors with advice on identifying and sourcing the correct parts for their car. All the items will be clearly catalogued and displayed by model type with a range of systems available to source the perfect part.

Unlike a typical ‘autojumble’, all the parts available will be original and unused, backed with a manufacturer warranty and many provided in branded packaging. Bentley’s official logistics partner will also attend the weekend to support any customers needing parts to be shipped.

Anyone wishing to attend this unique Bentley parts and accessories can register their interest by contacting the team at heritage.event@bentley.co.uk by 21 August 2009.

Press release & images from:Bentley Motors

Coming soon from Veloce! Bentley Continental, Corniche & Azure 1951-2002 – Revised Edition by Martin Bennett.
Definitive history of the fastest and most elegant Bentleys: the Continentals. Includes Bentley Continental R and S-Types (1951-66), Bentley Corniche (1971-84), Continental Convertible (1984-95), Continental R/S/T (1991 to date), and Azure (1995 to date).
Click here for more info about the book.

BEWARE FLYING DOGS – CLUNK, CLICK EVERY (CANINE) TRIP!

Road Safety Champion, GEM Motoring Assist is warning motorists of the dangers of travelling with unrestrained animals in the car and is urging drivers to remember to Clunk Click every canine trip!

We often hear about the dangers of leaving dogs in cars on hot days, but not enough is said about what happens to dogs, regardless of their size, when a car is involved in an accident.

We’ve all seen that classic scene – the dog’s head sticking eagerly out of the car window, wind blowing back the ears, tongue lolling, nose eagerly sniffing the fast passing smells – doggy heaven! But the dog-loving owner would be horrified to find out what would happen to Fido in the event of an accident.

The scenarios are too awful to contemplate – a simple impact could see your dog dead or badly injured, let alone what might happen to you or your other human passengers who are literally in danger of being killed by your best friend. To put in context, travelling at just 30 miles an hour, if you were to have an impact, an unrestrained average sized dog weighing around 50lbs would be thrown forward with a force equivalent to almost nine 12 stone men.

David Williams MBE, GEM’s Chief Executive said: “Many people simply have no idea of the dangers to both the dog and others when travelling with an un-restrained animal. And with more people staying in the UK this summer, we expect to see even more animals being taken on long journeys so we are urging drivers to consider their pet as well as the rest of the family when it comes to car safety.”

We don’t always have the boot space or the money for a proper dog travelling cage or carriers in our car, but there is an excellent and cheaper solution which is perfect - dog car safety belts and harnesses.

There are several types of dog car safety belts and harnesses. If your dog already wears a harness type collar then there is a simple safety belt that attaches to your dog’s harness and the car seat belt and costs around £7.

Dog car seat harnesses cost around £12 - £20 depending on the size of your dog. These harnesses are completely padded and easily attach to your car seat belt and come in a variety of colours.

GEM is offering a chance to win your dog a harness, and is giving away 1 harness a week through its website until the end of September. To be in with a chance of winning, simply visit www.motoringassist.com/dogs. Enter your details and you will be included in a weekly draw plus there’s a link to download a safety leaflet produced by ROSPA with more information about travelling with your pet.

Source: GEM Motoring

A connection between motoring and dogs also exists at Veloce ...


For nearly eighteen years, the folk at Veloce have concentrated their publishing efforts on all-things automotive. Now, in a break with tradition, the company launches a new imprint for a new publishing genre!
The Hubble & Hattie imprint will be the home of a range of books that cover all-things animal; be these dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, elephants – all produced to the same high quality of content and presentation as our motoring books, and offering the same great value for money.

Forthcoming dog books from Hubble & Hattie (click covers for more info).

VELOCE AT THE PORSCHE CLUB GB FESTIVAL '09

Here are some images from a blustery weekend at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.





David Hemmings - Author of Porsche 928 – The Essential Buyer's Guide & guiding member of the Porsche Club GB. Video interview coming soon.

ON THE START LINE

Two great reviews for Veloce books, Porsche 908 and Fast Ladies, feature in the June/July issue of Startline – thanks to them!

Click below to view larger image

PORSCHE MAKES LEARNING FUN FOR YOUNG DRIVERS

A new Driving Skills Academy at the world-class Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone, Northamptonshire aims to boost the confidence of young drivers by allowing them to take to the tracks in their own car and hone their skills behind the wheel.

Co-hosted by TV presenter and journalist Vicki Butler-Henderson and supported by Red Bull Racing F1 driver, Mark Webber, the course builds on the principles of driving safety and driving enjoyment by providing a formal, yet fun, environment for new road users to have the opportunity to understand how engine performance and chassis dynamics affects their car’s handling as well as the influence the driver’s actions have.

Priced at £165, the Driving Skills Academy courses take place on Saturdays, starting from August 22nd. The day is structured around four modules; Practical, which looks at understanding your car’s handling characteristics on the unique low friction surfaces; Theory, which studies the principles of advanced driving techniques with a leading driving expert; Human Performance, offering an opportunity to test your reaction speed and vision in the state-of the-art sports science laboratory; and Assessment, where you drive a Porsche 911 around the Handling Circuit alongside a Driving Consultant.

For a young driver taking their first tentative miles on the road, the variety of distractions and potential hazards can be bewildering. Having confidence in your own ability and that of your car is key to tackling modern traffic situations successfully. This is particularly true in bad weather, when road grip can be reduced significantly due to standing water, black ice or snow.

The Driving Academy course provides participants with a unique opportunity to gain a sound knowledge of the principles of car control around the specially designed test tracks, plus tips on how to avoid potential road hazards in advance and thus deal with them more efficiently – or better still, avoid them completely. And the fact that this experience culminates in an opportunity to drive a 911 Carrera around the Handling Circuit makes learning fun!

PR Source www.porsche.co.uk/experience.

CONCEPT BECOMES REALITY

Adrian Dewey received the advance copy of his forthcoming book in the post today. What can we say, he was rather pleased with it.

Adrian said: "I'm absolutely delighted with the finished book. It looks even better than i had envisaged. Many thanks to all at Veloce!"

Coming soon! How to illustrate and design Concept Cars
By Adrian Dewey.
This book provides an easy to follow guide on how to draw cars like the professional design studios. Covers materials used from pencils to markers, airbrushes to computer generated drawings. The book features clear and concise step-by-step guides to drawing all external components of a car, and teaches how to render them in order to bring them to life. It also showcases work that demonstrates how these techniques produce great car art and design.

Adrian Dewey spent most of his childhood drawing cars. On leaving school he went on to study Product Design, and later Transport Design. He has taught presentation techniques and sold his artwork worldwide for a number of years.

Adrian has also designed concept cars for independent sports car companies, magazines and websites, as well as Formula 1 concept design work for books, and is a featured design expert on a marker pen suppliers’ website.

Click here for more info about the book.