NOSTALGIA TRIP

A handful of nice reviews from the month's magazines – our Those Were The Days ... series has featured heavily this time. The new titles featured are British Touring Car Racing, Endurance Racing at Silverstone, and American Independant Automakers.

Each of these books takes the reader on a trip to visit or revisit some aspect of daily life that has now disappeared forever. Via evocative period images and entertaining but informed text, take a delightful journey backwards in time. Pure nostalgia! Click here to browse the full series!

(Click images to view larger)

UNTIL THE WITCHING HOUR ...

Don't forget, you can stay up-to-date with all the latest books from Veloce by signing up to our monthly newsletter, On The Grid. We'll also let you know about any special offers or discounts, as well as a monthly competition!

British Summer Time ends in the early hours of October 31st this year. The clocks will be going back at 2am, which means that All Hallows Day will be 25 hours long ... so there really will be a 13 o'clock on Halloween this year! And that only happens once in a blue moon ... scary, isn't it?

So, to help see you through this difficult month ahead, to help lift the usual seasonal adjustment depression and to put smiles on your Halloween lanterns this year, we are offering a massive 40% discount off all Veloce books* for the whole of October, until the Witching Hour (13 o'clock) on October 31st 2010.

Sign up to the Veloce newsletter now to get the discount code!

*offer excludes leather and limited editions, Veloce gift vouchers, Veloce iPhone apps, other coinciding special offers, and non-Veloce products. P+P extra.

APP OF THE WEEK IN AUTO EXPRESS!

Veloce Publishing's third iPhone app picks up APP OF THE WEEK in today's Auto Express magazine. More apps coming very soon!



VW Golf GTi – The Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone App

Packed with good advice – from running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation and the Golf GTi community, to will a Golf GTi fit in your garage and with your lifestyle? – the VW Golf GTi EBG is THE COMPLETE GUIDE to choosing, assessing and buying the VW Golf GTi of your dreams.

AVAILABLE NOW through the iTunes App Store. Price: £2.49 UK / $3.99 US

GREAT RESULT FOR BRIT IN INDYCAR SERIES

Dario Franchitti 'donuting' after clinching the championship on Saturday. Courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The result of the final round of the IndyCar Series at Homestead could not have been better. Just a couple of weeks before the publication of The British at Indianapolis, Dario Franchitti and Alex Lloyd further emphasised the Brits’ exalted position in IndyCar racing.

Dario, who has provided the foreword to the book, followed up his win in this year’s Indy 500 by claiming his third IndyCar Series championship in four years. Fellow Brit, Alex Lloyd, who, like Dario is also featured with a full chapter, took the series Rookie of the Year award. Alex also finished fourth in May’s Indy 500 where British drivers ended the race in first, second, fourth and seventh places, the best result ever for this country.

Coming soon!
The British at Indianapolis
By Ian Wagstaff

A history of the British influence on the Indianapolis 500, including not only the drivers and cars, but the many others – mechanics, designers, and officials – who have been involved. The story is set out in a series of stand-alone chapters, with a wide variety of informative sidebars, and goes back 100 years to the early days of the race, through the British-led, rear-engined revolution of the 1960s to the present day. More info.

KRIS MEEKE AND PAUL NAGLE HEAD BACK TO SANREMO WHERE THEY SECURED THEIR 2009 IRC TITLE

The glamorous Italian Riviera town of Sanremo will become the venue for the last tarmac rally of this year’s 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

It was twelve months ago that the twisty and testing mountain roads of Sanremo provided the stage for Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle to secure the 2009 IRC Drivers’ Championship. This year, with a mathematical chance of retaining the title, Kris and Paul will be back with one aim only, to repeat last year’s victory.

With no fewer than 32 S2000 cars entered into the rally the competition will be fierce. Contained in the entry are also all the past winners since 2004 as well as a number of local specialists.

The Sanremo rally will also see five of the latest Peugeot 207 S2000 Evolutions go head-to-head with the revised Skoda Fabria S2000, introduced earlier in the year. The 207 Evolution model benefits from a number of performance enhancements including a new 300 bhp engine, new front suspension, optimised gearbox and transmission, upgraded brakes and suspension dampers. These modifications will ensure the Peugeot 207 S2000 remains the reference vehicle for the category.

The rally will be contested over eleven special stages with a total distance of 220.03 kilometres, including the 44 km Ronde stage in the dark on Friday night. Careful management of tyres and brakes will be vital for success in this year’s rally and the “Evolution” revisions to the Peugeot 207 S2000 will give the Peugeot drivers an added advantage.
Source:Peugeot

New! Kris Meeke – Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champion
By Simon McBride

The story of how Kris Meeke and Peugeot UK won the Intercontinental Rally Championship in their rookie year, from the disastrous opening round in Monte Carlo, to the ecstasy of winning the Sanremo rally and the Championship in the same weekend. More info.

THE 356 LEGEND CONTINUES: THE NEW PORSCHE 911 SPEEDSTER

Open-roof, two-seater 911 recreates the spirit of the classic Porsche 356 Speedster


The Speedster name is one of the most evocative in the history of Porsche1. First used on the classic 356 model of 1953, the Speedster quickly became synonymous with low-slung, open-top, two-seater Porsche sports cars that attracted free-spirited driving enthusiasts seeking the ultimate ‘wind in the hair’ experience. Now, in celebration of the Speedster legend, Porsche is introducing a new 911 Speedster at the Paris Salon on October 2, and to commemorate its famous ‘50s forebear, the production run is limited to just 356 examples.
Source: Porsche

Forthcoming!
The Book of the Porsche 911
By Brian Long.
Special edition only 911 copies available direct from Veloce.

This detailed and beautifully illustrated book covers the evergreen Porsche 911 series, which is still in in production today. Written by a highly regarded motoring writer, with many years’ ownership of the type in question, this is without doubt the definitive study of the subject. All major markets are looked at, along with competition history and extensive appendices covering engine specifications from 1963, chassis numbers, build numbers, and so on. More info.

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS: ELECTRIC CARS ROUND-UP

Lots of electric car stories in the motoring news this week ...

PLUG-IN CAR GRANT ENCOURAGES SAFER VEHICLES

RoadSafe supports the stringent standards set for the Plug-In Car Grant, which will offer motorists up to £5000 to buy qualifying electric, plug-in or hydrogen fuelled cars.
To be eligible, cars must be crash tested and meet the same safety standards as regular internal combustion vehicles. Many of these already have higher safety standards than the tests require. They will also have to meet minimum range and performance criteria.

RoadSafe director Adrian Walsh said, "It is quite right that plug-ins meet the same safety criteria as other cars. We fully support this government initiative, which encourages so much innovation, led by the auto industry, to create safer, greener cars."

The safety standards will set electric cars apart from quadricycles, which only have to meet the same standards as three wheeled motorbikes. Government hopes the incentive will bring the ideal of mass-market electric vehicles closer to reality.
Source: Roadsafe

GOVERNMENT PLEDGES £24 MILLION ELECTRIC CAR INVESTMENT

The Government is to invest £24 million in developing electric vehicles has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth, but the campaigning charity warned that more must be done to cut the transport sector's massive contribution to climate change.
Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond has pledged the cash to fund the development of new engines, technology and infrastructure that will eventually enable more motorists to use electric vehicles.

Mr Hammond said today that he wants the current Government to be 'the greenest ever', and hopes the investment will both reduce the carbon emissions from car travel and provide a timely boost to this growth industry.

Friends of the Earth Transport Campaigner Richard Dyer said:

"Electric cars can help reduce carbon emissions from transport and Government support for this new industry is welcome - however, these vehicles won't do enough on their own to cut transport's contribution to climate change.

"Furthermore, electric cars are only as green as the power they use.

Ministers must ensure that more of our electricity comes from renewable sources.

"The Government must rapidly cut carbon emissions from transport if it is to be the greenest Government ever.

"More than half of all car journeys are under five miles - the Government must support councils to introduce local schemes that will encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport for these short journeys.

"Bold policies are urgently needed to tackle these emissions."
Source: Friends of the Earth

ELECTRIC DREAMS MOVE A STEP CLOSER TO REALITY

Mass market electric cars moved a step closer today as Transport Secretary Philip Hammond awarded £24 million to further develop the UK's low carbon vehicle capability.
The six winning projects - which together with contributions from business will receive total funding of £52m - are part of the latest Technology Strategy Board competition. Projects include the development of new engines for plug-in hybrid versions of Nissan, Lotus and Jaguar Land Rover cars, a lightweight electric bin wagon, development of lightweight materials for vehicle weight reduction, and new technologies using thermal energy to improve vehicle performance.

The Government also set out the eligibility criteria for its Plug-in Car Grant. Under the scheme motorists will receive a grant of up to £5,000 to purchase electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuelled cars. In order to be eligible, cars must meet appropriate safety standards and must have been crash tested. They must also meet minimum range and performance criteria.

The Government believes that this combined support will place the UK at the forefront of low carbon automotive development and provide a vital economic boost for the UK economy by giving us a key competitive advantage in this increasingly important global market.
Source: Department for Transport

New! The first publication to be produced on behalf of the RAC by Veloce Publishing.
Electric Cars – The Future is Now!
By Arvid Linde

All you really need to know about electric cars!

More info about the book.