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Product Description
Book Description
A trip up memory drive in the familiar cars your Dad knew and loved.
Product Description
Good old Dad and his good old Dad's car. As solid and dependable as the man himself, if a little less balding, Dad's car was almost a member of the family, whisking you to exciting days out, or just to visit boring relatives in distant parts of the country to the chant of 'are we nearly there yet?' Like the man behind the wheel, Dad's car made you feel safe and secure, because it was as reassuring and sensible as he was. Maybe in an idle moment Dad dreamt of driving something rakish and fast, just like in idle moments he dreamt that your Mum was Twiggy, but the demands of family life meant soft tops, hard suspension and anything even remotely sporty were off the cards. Even anything less than four doors would have been wildly hedonistic. But although the family car may not have been the very essence of rock 'n' roll, Dad was proud of it.
Spanning the 1950s to the '80s, this is a celebration of the heyday of the Dad car. From much loved family workhorses like the Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva to the rakish excitement and playground kudos of the Rover 3500 and Citroen CX, all the great Dad cars are here. Reflecting a time before people carriers and lifestyle off roaders, when the nearest thing to an airbag was hiding behind your fat brother, this is a celebration of simple, honest cars that were as flawed and as loveable as your Dad himself.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a nostalgia-fest for men of a certain age looking back at the cars of their youth, primarily from the 1970s.
Despite sturdy covers and good production, I was disappointed at first by the small dimensions of the book, but once inside I revelled in the (mostly colour) photographs of Hillmans, Fords, Austins and Vauxhalls, many of them coming from original sales brochures. Although primarily geared towards British models, there are foreign cars too: French, German, Swedish and Japanese.
The book is divided into twelve chapters, looking at the different types of car and assigning them to the types of Dad. The finale focusses on Cortina Dad, the summit of Dadness. Each entry has a photograph, a list of stats and a few paragraphs of witty comment from the authors.
Although the book took me less than an hour to read, the style is warmly humorous and down-to-earth and I often found it difficult to repress a chuckle or ten.
This would make a perfect extra present for boys in the 30 to 50 age-range.
Despite sturdy covers and good production, I was disappointed at first by the small dimensions of the book, but once inside I revelled in the (mostly colour) photographs of Hillmans, Fords, Austins and Vauxhalls, many of them coming from original sales brochures. Although primarily geared towards British models, there are foreign cars too: French, German, Swedish and Japanese.
The book is divided into twelve chapters, looking at the different types of car and assigning them to the types of Dad. The finale focusses on Cortina Dad, the summit of Dadness. Each entry has a photograph, a list of stats and a few paragraphs of witty comment from the authors.
Although the book took me less than an hour to read, the style is warmly humorous and down-to-earth and I often found it difficult to repress a chuckle or ten.
This would make a perfect extra present for boys in the 30 to 50 age-range.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A splendid little book, full of humorous nostalgia for the cars your dad and in many cases you possibly also drove with such pride in the 60's 70's and 80's.
A great present for maybe Father's Day or Christmas.
Derek Bissell
Luton,Beds
A great present for maybe Father's Day or Christmas.
Derek Bissell
Luton,Beds
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
All in all, an enjoyable book. It is always interesting to view something from someone else's perspective; in this case, how the Brits view their father's mundane "daily drivers". Interesting to note how Ford products are viewed as somewhat boring, yet popular because products such as the Cortina and the Gran-Dad, er sorry, Granada, were reliable, durable, and stylish in that they copied their larger American cousins.
I found the Austin 1100 article to be of interest; that car was sold in Canada as the Austin America; in retrospect, it was far ahead of it's time; the current Nissan Versa seems to be an update of the Austin !!
It you buy this book, check out the Hillman Hunter photograph; the car is interesting but you'll see what I am referring to when you buy the book !!
I found the Austin 1100 article to be of interest; that car was sold in Canada as the Austin America; in retrospect, it was far ahead of it's time; the current Nissan Versa seems to be an update of the Austin !!
It you buy this book, check out the Hillman Hunter photograph; the car is interesting but you'll see what I am referring to when you buy the book !!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Just great
I could read stuff like this all day. (In fact I don't, but I could). It is great fun. But only if you are over 50, have an unusual if not unhealthy obsession with cars and love... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Riggers
oh the memories
We purchased this for my father in law - who spent hours flicking through the pages and taking a trip down memory lane!
This book got the thumbs up from all the family!
This book got the thumbs up from all the family!
Published 3 months ago by Lilly
Top Gear My Dad Had One of Those book
This book was a gift for a car enthusiast for retro cars. It showed examples of most popular cars over the past thirty years and was a lovely surprise for the person who received... Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. M. Lohmann
Memories!!
Excellent little book. Brings back memories of cars what my dad owned/wished for! Would make a lovely little stocking filler for your dad this Christmas.
Published 6 months ago by Jill
I had one of those !
The Top Gear book, "My Dad had one of Those" is a super little book which will bring back memories of your first car. It certainly did for me.
Published 7 months ago by Stanley Durham
Nostalgia
This is a great book which will no doubt bring back some happy memories to many people. Some technical details regarding the Lotus Cortina are incorrect. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Colin Paterson
Good Bloke Present
I spent 1/4hr leafing through this at a garden centre.
It is very good for men (I'd guess) of a certain age.
We thought they looked cool at the time. Read more
It is very good for men (I'd guess) of a certain age.
We thought they looked cool at the time. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Renzo
Fun book
I bought this book as a fun gift for my car mad hubby, he loved it. Lots of cars that either he or his dad had owned. Not fantastic, but fun at a cheap price.
Published 23 months ago by riggson9
Pleasantly nostalgic
I bought this book for my dad as a stocking filler for his Christmas and he was very pleased with it. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by L. E. O'Toole
A look back into the past!
Purchased as a present for my Dad, it seemed to bring back some mostly pleasant memories!
Published on 3 Jan 2010 by M. Weston
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