Automotive Books

I got this book for my boyfriend who is a total VW freak. He could not put it down....he totally loved it. If there was a "9 stars" option this book would get 9 stars! *********

An excellent book that tells a very interesting story of a great car and a great tradition. It is especially wonderful because my father, Jimmie L. Snelson is on the cover, at the beginning of Chapter 2 and page 39. My father was in the first group sent to Detroit to learn how to build the 1953 Corvette and then took that knowledge back to St. Louis where they moved the assembly of the Corvette until they moved the plant to Bowling Green, KY. I worked in the plant a short time in St. Louis and then spent the remainder of my 5 1/2 years in the Chevrolet truck plant or the car plant. My younger brother Keith retired from the Bowling Green plant in 2006.

The title of this book is only a hint at the vehicles shown in this book.A color book showing heavily modified vehicles.If you love V8 powered mini's,chopped tops,V12 engined rods and just anything bizarre then you will love this book.

First, the above "description" is wacked. This book is about the Triumph GT6 Mark I, II and III, the GT6+, the SAH GT6 and a bit about the spit, yes the Spitfire. It contains road tests, tuning info, driving impressions, comparison tests, tons of photos. They seem to be largely culled from British motoring magazines 1966-74. Aye, one of the more reliable Triumphs! (At least my saffron Mark II was!) Fascinating and scarce look back at the old beater! The turkey with torque! The mini-Jag with a jolt! Whatta ripper! It was ace!!!!

Saved me lots of headaches and money!

Great place to start for BMW enthusiasts!

This was my second purchase for my 318is, the first being the "BMW 3 Series Service Manual 1992-1998" by Bentley. Excited about my first European car and wanting to know everything about it, I read the book nearly end to end.

There are several cutaway drawings that show how the suspension and engines work. I would guess nearly 70% of the pictures are of right hand drive models. The names "boot" and "bonnet" are used to describe the trunk and hood throughout. All of the technologies are explained, from the 1.6L engine, to VANOS and the M3 models.

Production numbers, assembly locations, engine specs are all covered in good detail. Even dimensions are covered for all models. Other models covered are the convertibles, wagons, hatchback, and the Z3 are touched upon. One item of interest is even the warning about the low fog lights and that they can be easily damaged. There is little in the way of racing and a chapter each on the M3 and hatchback or TI models. If you are an M3 enthusiast look for another book.

I wouldn't say this is the best read for the E46, the last twenty pages cover the new model and how it came about from the E36. For a book published in 2000, it is well written and covers the models very well. Perhaps the most comprehensive book for someone who is new to BMW and logically explains the cars. I recommend this book for anyone new to BMW and is looking to join a club or be knowledgeable when people ask about your car or when you are at the repair shop.

Saved me lots of headaches and money!

Great place to start for BMW enthusiasts!

If you're keen on tooling around your bike this manual's for you. Everything's here

Any young BMW enthusiast will be forgiven for thinking that BMW have always manufactured the 3-series, the 5-series and the 7-series.

Here, howewer, is the history of the models that preceded the above-mentioned model ranges. The book starts with the 1500, which was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and was introduced in 1961. This is the model that is generally seen as the one that set BMW onto the road to its current success. Next comes the '02 range, which included the 2002, and even the rare 2002 Turbo gets a mention.

A lot of attention is rightly given to the six-cylinder models that preceded the 7-series, which included probably the best-looking volume-produced BMW ever, the 2800/3,0 CS range. The CSL version became a legend, especially in European motorsport, and this model is extensively covered.

The only criticism to be levelled at this book is that the text and the pictures are not always cohesive. Some pictures are not on the same page as the text that discusses the relevant models. A more minor point of criticism is that a few pictures of models that are outside the scope of this book, are included. All three current model ranges have been written about in detail, and the pictures belong in those volumes.

Notwithstanding these comments, this book reminds you of a time when BMW still built real cars, not automotive computers, and therefoe it is worthwhile for anybody who has even a remote interest in BMW's.

The book is very factual and very well written. It covers the history of the Salt Flats from the beginning in the early 20's. It brought back some great memories for some of us veteran drivers. I've been going there since 1949. The club I'm in, Land Speed Racers, has 2 of the original participants still racing. Dwayne McKinney and myself, David Ratliff. The pictures show a wide variety of cars, drivers and equipment. I'm glad to have been a small part of this history and happy to still be going to the Flats. See you on the Salt! Dave Ratliff