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Top Gear: My Dad Had One of Those [Hardcover]

Giles Chapman , Richard Porter
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
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Book Description

17 May 2007 Top Gear

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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Product details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: BBC Books (17 May 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0563539194
  • ISBN-13: 978-0563539193
  • Product Dimensions: 1.9 x 17.8 x 14.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Book Description

A trip up memory drive in the familiar cars your Dad knew and loved.

From the Publisher

A trip up memory drive in the familiar cars your Dad knew and loved.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 48 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia-fest! 26 May 2007
By Nicholas Casley TOP 100 REVIEWER
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.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A trip down memory lane. 7 Jun 2007
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
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read... 5 Aug 2008
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 !!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Amusing but ...
I like Giles Chapmans sense of humour & it comes to the fore in this book about, well, Dads Cars. This is a good coffe table book & people love flicking through it. Read more
Published 1 day ago by S. D. Szwer
4.0 out of 5 stars Memories
Although My dad never had a car I did and now in my later years I had some of these cars shown in this book. I recommend you
buy this book as a piece of our motoring history
Published 3 days ago by Bill
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!
Great gift idea for the Dads out there. A vast array of older cars with good photography too. Just the right mix of words to photos and a nice nostalgic look back at how things... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sally
5.0 out of 5 stars what it says on the tin - nostalgia time
Trip down memory lane - would have been even better with a larger range of cars. Let's hope for a second volume
Published 2 months ago by beachcomber
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent gift
Very excited to find this for my dad for christmas - all dads should have one - good service excellent product - thanks
Published 4 months ago by deborahrowberry
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent automotive nostalgia!
This book was fascinating - I bought it because my Dad and I often reminisce about the various cars he owned throughout my childhood, and I'm mostly able to name them all - some of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mark Gabler
5.0 out of 5 stars Takes me back to my childhood
Fab book, exactly as it says on the front headline! Perfect gift for my Dad! Arrived as promised in perfect condition. Thank you would recommend.
Published 5 months ago by Jules69
5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT!! My Dad Had One of Those. BRILLIANT!!
Its brilliant! This is the book that I SHOULD HAVE written! :-) Any kid who grew up in the 1970's will easily remember the cars featured in this book - The Ford Cortina, Escort,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by William Wordsworth
5.0 out of 5 stars Dad's gift
What can I say Dad loved it as a stocking filler, and he likes to take it out when friends come around to talk "good old times".
Published 11 months ago by charlotte
5.0 out of 5 stars 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 13 months ago by Riggers
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