Books by Mr James Taylor

An essential introduction to the surprisingly long history of the electric car, from the early pioneers, through to the first commercially viable models such as Tesla.The electric car now stands center-stage in the motoring industry as we seek to reverse climate change by eradicating petrol and diesel cars. Yet, battery powered vehicles date back nearly 200 years and predate the development of the internal combustion engine by several decades. In the early Edwardian era electric cars were a strong contender to become the dominant form of transport, but their range and speed were limited and petrol-fueled cars rapidly eclipsed them. However, since the 1970s there has been an effort to revive the electric car market, and with the recent arrival of the Nissan Leaf and subsequent models in development, the electric car is at last set to take the lead.This beautifully illustrated introduction traces the history of the electric car from the early nineteenth century up to the burgeoning market of the early twenty-first century.

Vauxhall cars have been central to motoring in Britain for over a century. The company built a formidable reputation in its early years with notable machines like the Prince Henry, the 30/98 and the 1914 Grand Prix cars, and then moved into a more mainstream area of the market, remaining in the forefront of innovation during the 1930s. The post-1945 years saw the company as one of the foremost in Britain, catering for family needs with cars like the Velox, the Cresta, and the Victor, and then building the highly successful Viva range of smaller models. Closely aligned with its German cousin, Opel, Vauxhall relied increasingly on Opel's designs after the mid-1970s. Astra, Cavalier, Nova and Carlton were among the best-loved cars of their era, and no-one can forget the giant-killing 176mph Lotus Carlton. This illustrated introduction explores the history of Vauxhall cars from its beginning in 1903 to the city cars and SUVs that have led the Vauxhall product lines, as the company continues to excel in the twenty-first century.