"It is not often these days that a new book about old cars has really new information, but this one does. Buy it." - The Sacred Octagon "This is both a book for those with an interest in cars and the art deco period." "We think of the French as producing the most strikingly streamlined cars of the 1930s, in lyric teardrop bodies hammered out with doses of Italian style and German science. But this book reminds us that streamline design was the rage among car buffs everywhere in the '30s, even in upright, country-house, Evelyn Waugh Britain. Mr. Down reminds us that at the same time streamline cars were going on the market, ocean liners and trains were being streamlined, the better to compete with the nascent airline industry. His book also reminds us that the automobile industry of the time in Britain had yet to embrace mass production. Cars were sold to the few, and the sellers were coachbuilders as much as chassis or engine makers. To compete, each British car company had to offer a version of the season's fashionable cut, and so each one presented an airline or streamline body or two. The resulting cars are rare, with wonderful names like the Triumph Gloria Flow-Free and the Riley Kestrel. Many of these companies would not survive. But there are also glimpses of the future. We meet the young William Lyons, who impressed a man named William Walmsley. Together, their Swallow Sidecar company moved from teardrop add-ons for motorcycles to aero bodies for popular auto chassis. Swallow became Jaguar, of course, and two decades later produced more serious streamlining, driven by aerodynamics and racing." - New York Times "This vibrant work features a good mix of period and modern photos. Fans of streamlining will enjoy this fresh perspective on pre-war British car styling." - Classic & Sports Car"It's a fascinating read, which also feature photos of the cars that have survived to this day (many of which haven't been published until now)." - Classic Car Buyer "Here's a delightful book that could fill a gap both on your bookshelf. In the first part, author Barrie Down explains the Art Deco movement and how it combined with streamlining in the 1930s to produce some of the century's most stunning cars. He then goes on to details some of those cars, with background to the designs, a critique of them, an assessment of their success and more, all illustrated in colour and black and white. Highly recommended!" - Triumph World "Author Barrie Down was an industrial designer and it shows in his thorough and knowledgable text. Readable, informative and good value." - Classic Cars "A most enjoyable 144-page romp through a golden age of motoring." - Gay Classic Car Group"The book has some lovely period pictures and adverts together with some really nice pictures of many of the known survivors. The narrative has been thoroughly researched and is in a very readable style." - Jowetteer "With a mix of recent photos of many of these cars, and the more interesting contemporary photos and brochures, this is a very enjoyable look at a mid-'30s style that was different, and yet established various design elements that have been seen again over the decades since." - New Zealand Classic Car"Barrie Down, a man well versed in industrial design, is an authoritative narrator and has dug out a number of rare photographs." - Octane. The book's strengths are its analysis of production figures and its identification of the designers and coach builders who produced these designs, often as batches, for the various marques. These include AC, British Salmson, Hillman, Joweet, Lagonda, Riley, Rover, SS Jaguar, Standard, Talbot and Triumph. The book is divided into two parts, the first one exploring the genesis of Art Deco and the logic, such as it is, behind streamlining and the second part is presenting 10 specific cars/marques. It is worth noting that the book itself employs Art Deco-inspired fonts and graphic devices. – SpeedReaders.