50 VELOCE EBOOKS AVAILABLE NOW!

Wow! We've just realised we now have over 50 eBooks available, including many old out-of-print favourites. Click here for the full list!

SPLONK WILL RETURN IN MORRIS RIDES AGAIN!

As Skyfall hits the big screen we have a fantastic James Bond themed photo from our favourite donkey, Splonk!

Splonk is the mascot that joined Nicky West & Rob Stacey in their adventure to Asia in a 50 year old 850cc Mini Minor. The subject of new Veloce book Mini Minor to Asia Minor - There & Back. Stay tuned to find out where Splonk will go on the next adventure!

Nicky West and Rob Stacey talking about their amazing journey to Egypt in a 50-year-old Mini. The 10 minute video also features celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli, who waved the pair off from Hatfield House and provided the foreword for the book.



New! Mini Minor to Asia Minor - There & Back
By Nicky West. Foreword by Jean Christophe Novelli.
This is the story of an independent trek in a 50-year-old Mini – all the way to the Great Pyramid and back – with no assistance or support crew, to provide much needed funds and publicity for the Willow Foundation. Inspirational to others, the book includes practical advice on the car preparation and documentation required for such marathon drives, along with photographs of the Mini’s preparation and the amazing journey itself. More info.

MOTOR RACING - THE PURSUIT OF VICTORY 1963-72 REVIEW IN MOTORSPORT MAGAZINE

"An interesting snapshot of 10 years of motor racing." - MotorSport.
Motor Racing – The Pursuit of Victory 1963 to 1972 by Steve Wyatt.

BUILD YOUR OWN DREAM CAMPER VAN FOR LESS THAN £1000

New! Build Your Own Dream Camper Van for less than £1000 - That’s including the cost of the van.
By Matthew & Stuart Ball.

Ever dreamed of owning your own campervan, but never thought you had enough money? Then this book is an absolute must ... Armed with a crazy idea and lots of enthusiasm, two brothers have achieved the seemingly impossible – building a camper you’d actually want to own, for less than £1000: or, as it’s now known, the ‘1k Camper.’ You don’t need to be a DIY expert. This book will take you by the hand and guide you step-by-step towards your dream, in as little as ten weeks. Full of never before seen money- and time-saving ideas, including how to kit out your interior for free, and how to source your van for peanuts. You don’t even need to use an LDV van like the project vehicle – the ideas in this book will work on any van. The 1k Camper revolution has begun! There’s a big world out there just waiting for you and your van to enjoy. So, what are you waiting for? Go on, treat yourself or someone else to this highly entertaining and informative read. More info.

THE MOTOR TRADE IN THE GOOD OLD YEARS

"You don't have to an MGB guru to appreciate this book, this book will be a blast from the past for many who worked in the motor trade during 'the good old years' before the axe started to fall and motor companies outsourced overseas."

Thanks to Burton Mail for this review of Don Hayter’s MGB Story - The birth of the MGB in MG’s Abingdon Design & Development Office.

Click here for more info about the book.

HOW TO CLEAN A CENTRE CONSOLE VIDEO WITH NIGEL KNIGHT

The latest in our 'how to' videos taken from Selling your car - How to make your car look great and how to sell it faster (RAC handbook series) by Nigel Knight.

Quick sale and a decent price ... are they what you want when selling your car? If so, following this guide should increase your chances of achieving that most satisfying of sales – one where you make good, honest money. Even if you are not planning to sell, this book shows you how to make your motor your treasured pride and glory again using simple techniques and expert skills developed over more than 20 years of trading Learn how to give your car a stunning makeover to transform its appearance and boost its sale value; how to brush and vacuum your car before a wet clean, making an amazing difference; how to carry out a full wash, and how to repair scratches, improve paintwork and bring an exceptional shine to your car. This is an indispensable and unique guide for anyone about to become a seller. More info.

TONY ROBINSON REVIEWED IN AUTO EXPRESS

Check out the awesome 5-star review Auto Express gave Tony Robinson - The biography of a race mechanic by Ian Wagstaff in this week's edition of the best-selling magazine!

The 1950s and 1960s were a revolutionary period in motor sport history, and there are few left who were as close to Formula One in that time as leading mechanic Tony Robinson. Tony started in Grand Prix racing as mechanic to Stirling Moss, and went on to work touring Europe with privateer Grand Prix driver Bruce Halford, before becoming chief mechanic at BRP where he was reunited with (Sir) Stirling. A fascinating account of life in the pit lane. More info.

SEE YOUR BOOK PUBLISHED!

Would you like to self-publish your work - your passion - and have the same high quality product as our own books, which are well-known and respected for their first-class characteristics?

If the answer's yes, get in touch with us right away to discuss the many possibilities available to you in terms of producing a conventional printed book and/or digital publishing (ebook) at prices that will suit all budgets. We can edit, design, lay out and print your book/ebook, and submit your ebook to Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Waterstones, iBookstore and GooglePlay.
Contact here.

STEVE WYATT WITH NEW MOTOR RACING BOOK

Thanks to Steve Wyatt for sending us this picture with Anthony Carter at Goodwood Revival 2012!

Motor Racing – The Pursuit of Victory 1963 to 1972
By Steve Wyatt.

Picking up where the first volume left off, this is a beautifully illustrated journey covering a period of ten years in motor sport. Moving year by year, this book is written from the perspective of a passionate motor sport enthusiast of the day. Features many previously unpublished photographs. More info.

ME AND MY CAR/MOTORCYCLE #6

This month we have Nicky West from Hertfordshire with 'Morris' – a 50-year-old 850cc Mini Minor. Nicky is the author of Veloce's recently published book Mini Minor to Asia Minor – There and back! Please keep your entries coming in to prize@veloce.co.uk, and you never know, it could be YOU in this space next month!

It’s hard to describe Morris without an air of affection. Of care. Almost, dare I say it, of love?
Like most (if not all) classic Mini’s there’s something about him that makes Morris irresistible.
You smile when you slam the door shut and get that first waft of musty, hessian backed carpet, deteriorating silently beneath your feet. You never fasten your seat belts before you turn the key and press the floor starter, just in case he’s having an ‘off’ day and needs a little TLC. You can’t get frustrated cruising at a whopping 56mph even though the BMW driver behind you on the M25 is flashing his lights and making rude gestures. And you always whisper words of encouragement as you watch the needle drop off the fuel gauge, while feverishly scanning the horizon for a petrol station that sells high octane ‘juice’.
Oh, it could be argued that Rob (husband, Rally driver and Mini aficionado) and I are quote “Mini Mad” and if I’d thought ahead to take a pound for every disparaging comment, I’d be writing this from the Bahamas. Yes, there may be the slightest hint of truth that we are indeed ‘keen’ on this marque. And yes, Rob is fantastic at keeping these diminutive little cars going against the odds. But in all honesty there was one single reason why Morris became the vehicle of choice for an 11,000km jaunt to the Pyramids and back to raise money for charity.
The undeniable fact was … he was cheap.
Originally picked up for just over £600 as a non-runner, he’d been off the road for over 40 years and our intention had always been to restore him in our dotage. But fate, my thirst for travel and the cost of an Egyptian Carnet de Passage at that time put paid to that idea; before you could say shish-kebab Morris had become our only hope of completing the journey.
But what an adventure it turned out to be!
Who could have foreseen that the once billed ‘trip of a lifetime’ in December 2010 would be torn to shreds within two months as the Arab Spring uprising began? Country after country across North Africa and the Middle East began to tear itself apart with borders closing on a daily basis. And there were we, slap bang in the midst of it, trying to pull off a round trip to the last remaining wonder of the ancient world in just 35 days. No support crew. No other cars. Just us, Morris and a bean bag donkey called Splonk as our mascot.
Bribery, civil uprisings, searing heat, monster potholes, lost cars, wrong boats, deserted highways, congested cities, dysfunctional sat navs, famous chef’s, brass bands, breathtaking scenery, flea bitten motel rooms, elation, despair, laughter, heartache and the burning desire to get home.
We had it all.
Morris changed from being a car, a mere conveyance, to our travelling companion; a noble steed of epic proportions, the likes of which the Lone Ranger or Charlemagne would have been proud to own. And it’s his story that I’ve tried to capture in the book.
But would we do it again? Would we risk everything on some whirlwind adventure that could fail from so many uncontrollable and unforeseeable aspects? With Morris, an unrestored pale pink Mini still covered in the Arabic paint squiggles from his sojourn at the port of Alexandria?
You’ll have to wait and see …
Nicky West




Do you have an unusual car/motorcycle with a story to tell?
We want to see it! Send photos & description to prize@veloce.co.uk
We will pick one a month, and any we feature will win an Essential Buyer's Guide (worth £9.99 / $19.95) of your choice.
Click below to browse the whole series.
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