motorgifts.co.uk -the complete motoring giftshop

British Motoring History

A special celebration of the history of the British motor industry Special DVD Offer (see below)

DVDs ~ Posters ~ Books ~ Postcards

While the British motor industry may now be almost entirely foreign owned or made up of very small specialist companies, in its hayday it was one of the largest car manufacturers in the world producing a vast range of cars which were exported worldwide.

Below is an excellent selection of high-quality items which reveal a large part of this wonderful history in words, pictures and films and should inform and entertain all car enthusiasts, as well as serious motoring historians.

British motoring history DVDs from the pre-war and post-war eras

The Early Years of Ford in Britain (DVD)

BCF13D

55 minutes

Possibly the very best achive footage anywhere of motoring in Britain in the pre-war era.

From the earliest of times, the pioneering Ford Motor Company saw the benefits of using film cameras to help promote the strengths and virtues of its new cars. This DVD features films made by Ford's UK film department which continuously chronicled its development in Britain during the pre-war era. It includes rare footage of Model Ts being produced at Trafford Park in Manchester, a Model A being driven up Ben Nevis in the1920s; Endurance rallies from the early 1930s; fascinating film showing the building of the huge Dagenham factory (the largest car factory in Europe) and footage of early cars being built there; the launch of the new Ford V8 at the Royal Albert Hall; testing new cars and trucks along some of Britain's most challenging roads (mainly unmade and free of traffic); precision testing of vital components; "advanced" slow-motion performance analysis; entertaining marketing films and more.

A rarely seen glimpse into an entirely different motoring age along with wonderful period commentary.

British Motor Shows of the 1950s (DVD)

BCF21D

72 minutes

This fantastic DVD gives a very detailed look at British cars in the 1950s. A decade of the very latest from British motor manufacturers showing off their wares at The Earls Court Motor Shows, the Paris show and even New York, where British cars were greatly anticipated. The cars featured include Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the new Austin A30, Ford Consul, the Standard 8, Morris Minors, the Ford Anglia, the MGA, Jensen, the "new" Mini and many others. The DVD provides a splendid and nostalgic look back at the years of austerity where a good car would cost a few hundred pounds and a Rolls-Royce would set you back about ten thousand pounds. The chapters comprise: 1. Introduction. 2. 1950 Earls Court Motor Show. 3. 1950 New York British Motor Show. 4. 1950 Eastbourne Rally. 5. 1951 Earls Court Motor Show. 6. 1952 Earls Court Motor Show. 7. 1952 Brighton Elegance. 8. 1953 Earls Court Motor Show. 9. 1954 Earls Court and Paris Motor Shows. 10. 1955 Earls Court Motor Show. 11. 1956 Earls Court Motor Show. 12. 1957 Earls Court Motor Show. 13. 1958 Earls Court Motor Show. 14. 1959 Earls Court Motor Show. 15. 1959 Motoring News - Chiswick and Olympia. + Bonus extras.

British Motor Shows of the 1960s (DVD)

BCF22D

86 minutes

British Motor Shows Of The 1960s features British Motor Shows in the industry's most successful decade -when it was a leading contender in the global market. The Earls Court Motor Shows were still the principal arena for the general public to see what was new on the market. The cars featured include Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Daimler, the Rover Gas Turbine, the Ford Zephyr and Zodiac, the Triumph Spitfire, the all new Morris 1100, the Hillman Imp, the MGB, Jensen, the new Vauxhalls and many more. Chapters. 1. Introduction. 2. 1960 Earls Court Motor Show. 3. 1961 Earls Court Motor Show. 4. 1961 Rover Gas Turbine. 5. 1962 Earls Court Motor Show. 6. 1962 The New Morris 11 and Spitfire. 7. 1963 Earls Court Motor Show. 8. 1963 The New Hillman Imp. 9. 1964 Earls Court Motor Show. 10. 1964 James Bond s DB5. 11. 1965 Earls Court and New York Motor Shows. 12. 1966 Earls Court Motor Show. 13. 1966 Motor Industry Research. 14. 1967 Earls Court Motor Show. 15. 1968 Earls Court Motor Show. 16. 1969 Earls Court Motor Show. DVD BONUS FEATURES. 1960, 1964 and 68 Commercial Motor Shows and Tokyo, Geneva and Amsterdam Shows.

50 Years of British cars racing in America

70 minutes

A fascinating journey through the motor racing archives of British cars in America. The DVD features Jaguars, MGs, Minis, Triumphs, Aston Martins and many other British cars racing at many of America's leading circuits, such as Sebring, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Indianapolis and elsewhere during the second half of the 20th Century.

It also features great action footage of many of Britain's leading post-war race drivers in action, including Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss.

Plus, there's a specal feature on a number of the British land speed record attempts in America during the 20th Century by Donald Campbell, Goldie Gardiner, Stirling Moss and Terry Kilbourne.

"Something for everyone" Historic Motor News"

Four British motoring archive DVDs together (SPECIAL PRICE & BONUS DVD)

BCF222D

Purchase all four DVDs above together and save £10

More than 280 minutes of high-quality archive films featuring important developments in British motoring history and racing, as well as excellent archive footage of many of the country's finest cars in action.

+ Free extra bonus DVD Vintage cars on show

Also, see complementary reference books below

Official British Motor Show posters from the 1920s to 1960s

1924 British Motor Show poster

AHMS1

Classic poster of the British Motor Show at Olympia, London, 1924

Measures 42cm x 30cm

Also available laminated and framed

(The frame is a smart jet black aluminium frame which complements the picture and comes ready to hang)

1935 British Motor Show poster

AHMS2

Classic poster of the British Motor Show at Olympia, London, 1935

Measures 42cm x 30cm

Also available laminated and framed

(The frame is a smart jet black aluminium frame which complements the picture and comes ready to hang)

1936 British Motor Show poster

AHMS3

Classic poster of the British Motor Show at Olympia, London, 1936

Measures 42cm x 30cm

Also available laminated and framed

(The frame is a smart jet black aluminium frame which complements the picture and comes ready to hang)

1959 British Motor Show poster

AHMS4

Classic poster of the British Motor Show at Earls Court, London, 1959

Measures 42cm x 30cm

Also available laminated and framed

(The frame is a smart jet black aluminium frame which complements the picture and comes ready to hang)

1961 British Motor Show poster

AHMS5

Classic poster of the British Motor Show at Earls Court, London, 1961

Measures 42cm x 30cm

Also available laminated and framed

(The frame is a smart jet black aluminium frame which complements the picture and comes ready to hang).

Full set of five posters together (SPECIAL PRICE)

AHMS55

Purchase the full set of British Motor Show posters together and save at least £5

Leading British motoring history reference books

The Motor Industry of Britain Centenary Book 1896-1996 (Book)

AHCENT1

By various authors. 249 pages. Over 500 illustrations

This sumptuously illustrated guide to Britain's motor industry was jointly produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and Autocar magazine to celebrate the first 100 years of Britain's motor industry. It is packed with facts, figures, revealing old press photographs and advertisements, as well as providing ten detailed chapters of all the main motoring events which happened during the first 100 years. With only a limited number of copies of this excellent book remaining, it should be a must for anyone who has an interest in Britain's rich motoring heritage.

The British Motor Industry

AHBRMO1

By Jonathan Wood. 64 pages. Nearly 90 B&W and colour illustrations

An informative and beautifully illustrated paperback reference book which provides an insightful history into Britain's motor industry. Leading motoring historian Jonathan Wood chronicles the full history from the start of the industry in 1896, during the high summer of Victorian prosperity, until the collapse of The Rover Group in 2005. He includes everything from the production of hand-made bespoke automobiles for the fortunate few to the arrival of mass production to provide cars for the many. Wood also looks at the factories and the people who worked in them, and examines the role played by the component manufacturers that serviced the industry and also offers explanations as to why motor manufacturing followed the British motorcycle, bicycle and cotton industries into oblivion. Excellent value.

Classic British Sports Cars

HXH4309

By John Pressnell. Hardback, 290 x 240mm, 128 pages, 250 colour & 50 b&w illustrations

A treat for all fans of British sports cars. Fifty-six open-top icon roadsters feature in this authoritiative, highly pictorial celebration of classic British sports cars, from the AC Ace to the Wolseley Hornet Special. Individual histories will place each car in perspective, describing its appeal, significance and driving characteristics. Also detailed for each one are models and variants, year-by-year evolution, specifications and performance figures. "A nicely presented appetiser to a vast subject" Classic and Sports Car

A to Z of British sports and thoroughbred motor cars 1919-1939

HER2

By Nick Walker. 304 pages. 270mm x 210mm

The sports car has always held a warm place in the hearts of British motorists, and even more in the two decades between the wars than now. In those days motoring was still an exciting experience - very exciting for those who had just acquired their first car. And doubly so for those young men - and it was usually men - whose first car was a sports car, be it a gleaming new MG or a third-hand GN. This book gives encyclopaedic coverage of all British sports and thoroughbred cars made in that 20-year period. More than 250 models are dealt with and illustrated by some 400 archive photographs. There is a short history of each marque, then each model is given a full description and specification together with commentary on its place in the motoring scene. Some - Aston Martin, Jaguar, Morgan - are still household names, but many others have fallen by the wayside. "A very useful well laid out reference work which provides an initial understanding of the development of each model" The Automobile

A to Z of British coach builders 1919-1960

HER1

By Nick Walker. Hardback. 224 pages. 280mm x 210mm. Over 420 archive photos. Revised & Enlarged Edition

The re-issue of what is commonly regarded as the definitive work on coachbuilding on motor car chassis in Britain, and on the coachbuilders who plied this trade. This second edition contains not only revisions to existing entries but also new entries on 122 additional firms about which details have emerged. The author sets the scene by describing advances in fashions and techniques of coachbuilding in separate chapters on the 1920s, 1930s and the postwar period. Then comes by the main A-Z section, giving entries on firms from Abbey Coachworks to James Young. This is followed by two new sections: first, A-Z entries on 58 additional firms active in the 1919-39 period; and second, alphabetical coverage of 64 companies which came into coachbuilding after 1945. "I would strongly recommend this volume to anyone interested in the product of this once significant British industry" The Automobile

Art Deco and British Car Design - The Airline Cars of the 1930s

VEL52

By Barrie Down. 144 pages. 214 illustrations

The rarely told story of British car streamline styling. The book identifies the influence Art Deco had on automotive design and includes biographies of 1930s British automotive designers along with many illustrations of their work, including many pictures not published before. The book is divided into two parts, with the first explaining and illustrating Art Deco styling elements and the second part portraying the British streamlined production cars made between 1933 and 1936. The book is well illustrated and is an instructive and visual feast for all car lovers, especially anyone interested in British motoring history. "Author Barrie Down was an industrial designer and it shows in his thorough and knowledgable text. Readable, informative and good value." Classic Cars

British Auto Legends -Classics of style and design

MX36

By Michel Zumbrun. Softbound. 218 pages. 24cm x 31.5cm. 400 colour illustrations

The British motor industry has created many of the world’s landmark car designs. Its famous names -Jaguar, Bentley, AC, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and many others, are inextricably linked with some of the most recognized and coveted cars ever made. This beautifully presented book gathers together more than 50 of the most significant British cars designed between 1907 and the present, each one a milestone of British motoring heritage. With an introduction describing the often tortuous story of British motoring and its great marques, a succinct description of each car’s history, design and performance, and unparalled images by one of the world’s foremost car photographers, this book is an authoritative tribute to the nation that gave the world the sports car. It also features biographies of all the key designers, a full technical glossary and details of where the cars may be seen worldwide and is sumptuously produced in a way that will appeal to classic car enthusiasts worldwide.

High-quality postcards featuring original British car advertisements

Classic British car postcards

AHPC1

A colourful set of 20, extra large, high-quality, picture postcards featuring original advertising of many of the most popular cars from the 20th Century. Each card also features useful factual information about the featured car on the reverse. Only £14.99 for the full set.

An invaluable reference source