Author: Edited by Craig Horner
Publisher: Society of Automotive Historians in Britain
The Michael Sedgwick Memorial Trust has supported the nineteenth edition of ‘Aspects of Motoring History’ (usually referred to as ‘Aspects’), published by the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain (‘SAHB’). This ‘Aspects’ is the thirteenth edition of this annual publication to be supported by the MSMT. It is free to full-members of the SAHB and a limited number of copies are available directly from the SAHB at https://www.thesahb.com/aspects/.
‘Aspects’ as its name suggests, comprises a selection of articles written by SAHB members (and others) on a variety of aspects of motoring history which do not in themselves merit a book but are worthy of recording and of interest to motoring historians everywhere. Issue 19, edited by Dr Craig Horner, features:
Paul Nieuwenhuis: Americans in Paris: Budd, Ford, Citroën and the demise of the French ‘grande routière’. By the 1950s France had witnessed the demise of all of its prestige car brands, Voisin, Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye and Hotchkiss. In the UK Rolls-Royce/Bentley made the change to having a standard bodyshell for the majority of its production and thereby ensured its survival. France then found a new luxury name to represent it on the world stage - FACEL-Vega. The author looks at the forces that forged these changes and how things could have been different for France under more enlightened management of the old guard.
Kenneth Gasmier: The Riley voiturette of 1896–98 rediscovered. There have always been claims and counter-claims about the first car constructed by Percy Riley. The author examines the evidence for both sides to produce as accurate an assessment of the true story as is possible at this distance in time.
Jon Murden: ‘No parity, no work’: pay disputes and labour relations in British motor manufacturing, 1960–79. The Chief Executive of the National Motor Museum examines the background and context to the disputes that accompanied the formation of British Leyland, comparing them to the position at Ford and Rootes. These actions set the scenes for the 1980s and the depiction of the UK as the Sick Man of Europe.
Anders Ditlev Clausager: The future of classic cars – some scattered thoughts. As might be expected from one of our foremost motoring historians, this article belies its subtitle and is a carefully considered and thought-provoking examination of the prospects for the classic car movement over the next few decades.
Craig Horner: A.C. Hills and his ‘real good fellowship in a community of pioneers’. This article is the result of Craig discovering some original papers relating to Hills' life. This prominent cyclist was a contemporary of that other well-known cyclist, S.F. Edge, and like that gentleman, progressed into the motor trade. Whilst not rising to the dizzying heights that Edge did, the story of Hills life and career is nonetheless worthy of recording and of interest to all who value primary records of the early days of motoring.
Published 2023
Price: £18.00
ISBN: #2631-5610
