No comments about Rolls-Royce in America.

4 comments about The Rolls Royce Motor Car: and the Bentley Since 1931.

1. If limited to one definitive book on Rolls-Royce and post 1931 Bentley this would be it. Very readable history as well as a comprehensive tecnical appendix. The idea format for a book on one make cars.



2. It's good to see a new version of an old favorite. I have two of the earlier editions. My only real complaint about the coverage in the new volume is that it's too bad that more details on the new Rolls-Royce Phantom could not have been included. This is a very handy book for the Rolls-Royce enthusiast.

   My other complaint about the book is the printing quality. A number of the pages were printed on damaged paper which had streaks and other imperfections, pg 76 in my copy as an example. Since this was a personal gift to myself, I really didn't want to go through the aggrivation and wait for a new copy. I don't know if the steep discount on the book was due to the copies purchased by Amazon were irregular or not.

   Anyhow enough said, the coverage maintians the level of RR history set down by Tony Bird.




3. The title sums it up. Vivid color photos and good information
   about pre 1915 vintage cars.



4. This is a very comprehensive documantion of one the most exclusive car manufactures in the world. Very useful guide on all things Bentley / Rolls Royce.

No comments about The Magic of a Name, The Rolls-Royce Story, Part Two: The Power Behind the Jets.

No comments about The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story, Pt. 3: Family of Engines.

1 comments about Fedden - the Life of Sir Roy Fedden (Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Historic Series No. 26).

1. This book provides the background detail of Sir Roy Fedden, who was at Cosmos Engineering in the late 1920's when Rolls-Royce were developing the predecessors to the Merlin. Rolls-Royce tried to get Fedden (Later to go to Napiers)to join their company as a design assistant to Henry Royce, but to no avail. It was Fedden who sorted-out the Curtiss OX-5 engines shipped to England from USA. Anyone interested in the detail of Rolls-Royce and/or Napiers and/or this exciting period in aeroplane piston engine development will want to read this very readable detailed account.

1 comments about Rolls-Royce and Bentley: The history of the cars (History of the Cars).

1. While not the largest reference on Rolls-Royce & Bentley, this book is one of the most pleasurable I've read on the subject. It is very well presented, concise, informative and readable.

   Beginning with the first Royce cars of 1904, the book continues chronologically through the 1996 models. I most enjoyed the sections on the Silver Ghost & those on the later models which are given equal coverage with the popular middle year cars.

   The numerous illustrations are very well selected. Especially nice are chassis line drawings for most models and many good interior photos. The color photo gallery in the center is beautiful.

   Another useful feature is a technical specification chart, including chassis numbers, for each series. If you would like to invest in just one book to tell the story of Rolls-Royce & Bentley, this would be an excellent choice.

1 comments about Rolls-Royce (Foulis Mini Marque History Series).

1. LJK Setright's book covers the period from pre Rolls Royce inception, to 1971, when this book was written.

   The book is split into coherent sections, starting with when Royce was proprietor of an electrical equipment factory bought a Decauville car. He was so unimpressed by it, that he set about its improvement, then went on to producing his own cars'. These were brought to the attention of the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls whom ran several car retail outlets'. The upshot of this you already know, and the chapter continues with the development of the early models'. Following on from the first chapter is the cars' in World War 1, and the military engine business including aircraft engines, then their post war developments. Next is the American Rolls Royce car factory at Springfield and its collapse after the stock crash, the developments in the cars, and the acquisition of Bentley by RR. The next chapter is on the development of engines, again mostly military aero engines, before and during the Second World War - see comment on Ellor below. The development of jet engines is the subject of the next chapter, and ends with the RB211 jet engine and it's problems. The final chapter is on the post Second World War cars and their developments' ending with the Corniche convertible.

   Setright gives an interesting account of Royce's and the companies' cautious yet rigorous philosophy of technical development, commitment to the highest standards, and the unexpected benefits of over-engineering, all set in the context of their respective era's. Along the way amusing anecdotes illustrating these points, such as the companies' sideswipes at its competitors, prevent this book from becoming a tedious tome of facts and figures. Setright also brings out serious points' on how particular people, and technical developments, made great impact in history. Such as Mr Ellor a "supercharging genius" from whom Rolls Royce got a lead in supercharging technology for the Schneider trophy, later used in the Merlin engine of Hurricane, Spitfire, and Lancaster bomber. This is also used to illustrate the relationship the company had with the British government, and very interesting it was. All in all, despite the fact it came out in 1971, has only monochrome photographs, this is an excellent book. It is so readable, I can only hope someone can persuade LJK Setright to revisit this book, and bring it up to the modern day. With the recent events that have transpired, as of the year 2000, when Volkswagen acquiring the Crewe factory, plus the Bentley brand, while BMW retaining the Rolls Royce brand name.

1 comments about Rolls-Royce: The Best Car in the World.

1. A nice looking book with fine color plates. The text is not bad, but contains many minor errors of fact as well as a few major ones, for example: 1)the Mark VI Bentley was NOT AT ALL 'identical' to the prewar Mark V; 2)the Company did not set up a plant next to the Crewe works to 'build' the standard steel bodies - they were shipped in from Pressed Steel Company and fine-tuned, painted and trimmed by Rolls-Royce. These are not critical for the casual reader, but are surprising in that Reg Abbiss, well-known and respected among Rolls-Royce enthusiasts, was involved with the author in development of the book. Nevertheless, apart from a few clangers like the above, it is a book worth having.

No comments about The Rolls-Royce Twenty.

No comments about Armoured Cars in Eden - An American President's son serving in Rolls Royce Armoured Cars with the British in Mesopotamia and with the American Artillery in France during the First World War.