Autoshite book club

[Guest]

This still works today-only they are shite now

Sadly no Talbot Tagora

Need more?

[andrew e]

Is the Scimitar a cross over one

[binhoker668]

I had this as a bairn!Man, remember all the pics so clearly!!!

[reallyloud]

I have this as well! They did an aircraft one as I seem to recall. Very evocotive illustrations - I pestered my father with everything from the 'I spy' series of car spotter books to the more refined and excellent Observer books of automobiles when I was young. I wonder why they don't produce these things anymore? Surely the little people still like cars?

[mk2_craig]

Great fun picking holes in all the deliberate mistakes I particularly like the author's penchant for the word "rectangular".

[hugh janass]

A quality book I like.

[Mr Lobster]

Whats with the authors obsession with the number of side windows!?

[Split_Pin]

I like that a lot and the illustrations are attractive! That would compliment my obligatory David Bellamy I-Spy car book lol!

[VWPowered]

quailty

[pogweasel]

Outstanding. I had this book, filled it in too. Very satisfying. Though I don't think I ever got the Panther or Cadillac from the luxoshite section. I also had a rather good 'observers' book of cars, motorbikes (yawn) and planes, which kept me amused A Very Long Time. Had some great obscure japano-australasian bilge in it too. Anyone got a copy? Mine fell apart circa 1987

[mnde]

My favourites were Observers Book of Cars circa 1982, and the little yellow paperback Usborne Spotter's Guide to Cars. I can't find a pic but this was in the same edition:

 

 

It had obscure Aus-shite in the back like the Renault Virage and Ford Falcon, and was replete with phrases like "Look out for the all new 1980 Fiat Panda/Front-wheel drive Escort" or "Look out for the HLS model with side rubbing strips and a black plastic airdam" . Them were the days!! I need to get hold of this from Mum's place and scan it! Lots of it is filled in with spots and reg numbers of the time, and it completely fell apart

 

Mark.

[mnde]

Oh also - Dumpy book of cars, 1960. I inherited it from my Dad or uncle and used to read it a LOT. Along with Dad's Citroen GS Haynes manual that I wrote my name in, and scribbled in, and often took to bed to read because it was so fascinating I've still got that too.Mark.

[Ross_K]

Is it not weird that a book from the '70s has units of measurement like litres and km/h?

Some can resist 16 km/h collisions

LOLz

[Ratdat]

The old Observers books were brilliant. They are quite hard to get now and not cheap either.

 

I have a set of four of these...

 

 

My dad got them for me from the local Mobil petrol station (we lived in South Africa at the time) when I was about six and 32 years later I still have them, complete with ticks in red biro next to the cars I had seen. Probably one of the things most responsible for my fascination with cars.

 

Also there's these. Never a dull moment with one of these at hand...

 

[Spottedlaurel]

I picked up one of those M&S books a while back, partially filled in which was a nice touch. P26-27 has something for pretty much all of us!

 

Perhaps we can resurrect the Autoshite Book Club here? Think the original thread was culled in The Great Purge. What I grew up with:

 

 

 

 

As a youngster I was also captivated by catalogues for Corgi, Matchbox, Britains etc. Got some current ones recently for my son, they've become essential bedtime reading! I think he might be ready to move onto the Ladybird Commercial Vehicle books now.

[pogweasel]

'Commercial Vehicles' Ladybird (the one with the Bedfords) was definately in my collection, a favourite, held together with old sellotape down the spine. I also had a 'cars' book from the same series/era... circa 1972... anyone got one of those? I can only find the older edition online....My son tells me cars are 'rubbish'. It's all "Ben10" and PSP's now.

[Father Ted]

My son tells me cars are 'rubbish'. It's all "Ben10"

I have just had to google that. Thankfully the girls are into cars and bikes whilst the lad is into bikes, but not cars - he prefers the Simpsons.

[mk2_craig]

I remember borrowing Little Red Metro Finds A Home from my local library in the mid 1980s, part of a series by Avril Rowlands. Further titles that were never completed due to other projects include Little Red Metro Throws A Rod, Little Red Metro Collapses On The Passenger Side and Little Red Metro Catches Fire During Extensive Welding.

[Guest]

That's mental!

 

 

The final one is probably "Little Red Metro Gets Weighed In For Ecoflex Astra".

[VWPowered]

'My son tells me cars are 'rubbish'. It's all "Ben10" and PSP's now.

he'll regret that when he breaks down 3AM and cant fix it

[Ratdat]

Hehe, I've got that Ladybird book of commercial vehicles too. It's great! Here's some of my library of shite...

 

This Corgi book is ace with photo stories done using corgi models. I should scan one and post it up..

 

This is from 1978 and pretty much explains every aspect of a car technically in quite some detail but in easy to understand terms so perfect for kids fascinated about cars. best of all it's got loads of production line and testing pictures of stuff like Mk1 Escorts, Mk3 'tins, Chevettes and Renault 16's...

 

Along similar lines but from 1970 but with pics of Pug 404's, R16's anf Fiat 124's being built as well as Alfas and Lancias. This one even has a chapet on how to drive a car!

 

This appears at first glance like your typical St Michael publication that your gran would have bought you for christmas but it's actually pretty wholesome. Although it's a british book from 1967 it mentions Japanese cars which was pretty unusual back then. Some brilliant pictures too...

 

Another old 'un in the same vein is this Hamlyn effort from '67which has some great pics and even oddities at the time like the Isuzu Bellett get a mention! Some nice pics of '60's trafic and the carpark from Wembley stadium on cup final day 1966 (I'll scan it)

 

Age of cars is from 1973 and is chock full of shite...

 

Like this...

 

One day I hope to have a proper car library

[Richard]

I have Man and His Car. I had it when I was a child and I sought it out in an autojumble a few years ago. The pictures are great and the text is incredibly cynical for the 1970s. I may scan some pages and post them if I can make the scanner work.

 

[Guest]

I have 100's of magazines/books which I will be scaling down soon heres a couple

Hey pogweasel-wanna buy

[MrRegieRitmo]

'Commercial Vehicles' Ladybird (the one with the Bedfords) was definately in my collection, a favourite, held together with old sellotape down the spine.

Yep, got that one somewhere, although picked up in later years from somewhere. A good little book. If I'd have had it as a child it probably would have been one of my favourites, if not my favourite. It's pretty hihg on the list now too!

[MrRegieRitmo]

That's mental!

 

 

The final one is probably "Little Red Metro Gets Weighed In For Ecoflex Astra".

I wonder if Mr Weasel got read these charming little tales as a nipper? It might have been what made him flip!

 

 

You could change this "Little Red Metro Gets Weighed In For Ecoflex Astra".

 

to "Little Red Metro Gets Torched, Shot at, Filled with cement, Pushed into the Thames, Dredged up, Weighed in for Ecoflex Astra van in white" (if you please).

[155V6]

This thread has brought back some great memories,had quite a few of the featured books .I did find an Observers Book of Cars from 1987 at the car boot sale the other day,anyone fancy an American Motors GTA Convertible?(it's a Renault 11 in disguise)

[Split_Pin]

That chap on the front cover of the Commercials book is no doubt cursing Bedford for not making the KM a tilt cab- engine access was reportedley tight as the bigger engine filled the space somewhat more than the TK'SI also have the Ladybird 'How it works' car book, but it has been updated with a MK3 Escort - looks a bit like an L model.I also like how in the David Bellamy I-spy Book, the most popular phrase is 'score for any model' I never filled mine in, I didnt want to write on it lol!I also have ' The Superbook of cars', circa 1988, and in it are some nice 70's tin, and a shonky American 'safety' Marina with a hideous rubber nosecone fitted - brilliant!!

[Guest]

From the 80's

These were on here last year but lost in the new years purge I believe.

[andrew e]

Excellent

[carlo]

When I was a young boy I LIVED on these Orbit books, trouble was I kept cutting out the different colour side views on the bottom so mum had to keep buying new ones for me. Must have spent years trying to find them in adulthood until, of course, ebay came along!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The b & w British Cars hippo one's quite nice too.

 

 

 

Despite my love of Peugeots I've also a bit of an obsession with 60s Cortinas and Corsairs.