A Useful Text-Book

“The Motor Vehicle” A text-book for Students, Draughtsmen and Owner-Drivers. By K. Newton. M.C., B.Sc., A.C.G.I., A.M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E., and W. Steeds; O.B.E., A.C.G.I., M.I.Mech.E., Seventh edition. Published for Automobile Engineer by Iliffe Books Limited on 21st June, 1962. 685 pages: 8 3/4in. x 5 1/2in. including 622 illustrations. Price 55s. net (by post 57s. 3d.)

This is the seventh edition of a book which for over thirty years has been recognized not only as an indispensable textbook for all students of automobile engineering but as a mine of information for owner-drivers, motor mechanics and in fact for all interested in the mechanical side of the motor vehicle.

The book was very heavily revised for the previous edition, published in 1958, but the authors have added in the present one details of such developments in the intervening period as they regard as important and likely to have more than ephemeral interest. Part 1 deals with fundamentals of mechanics, and includes a chapter explaining the principles of engineering drawing. Part 2 is devoted to a study of automobile engines of both petrol and diesel types, attention being given also to such matters as fuels and lubrication. Part 3 deals with gearboxes and other transmission components, axles, brakes, steering, chassis details and suspension.

Among the new matter included in Part 2 of the present edition may be mentioned the C.A.V.  D.P.A. pump, paper element air cleaners, the N.S.U. Wankel engine, the B.M.C.C  A.D.O.15 power unit and the 3-litre Humber Super Snipe engine. The section on fuels has also been rewritten and brought up-to-date.

To part 3 have been added details of eddy current brakes and clutches, magnetic clutches, Smith’s Easidrive transmission and the Jaguar Mark II and the Triumph Herald suspensions, both of which have extremely interesting features. On the other hand references to the Manumatic Two-pedal Control and to the M.A.A.G. automatic gearbox have been deleted.

The book is illustrated with 622 specially prepared drawings and photographs, providing a valuable supplement to the text. The text itself uses non-technical language as far as possible, and mathematics have been largely excluded. Throughout, the aim of the authors has been to provide an accurate but not unduly technical explanation of automobile engineering theory, while keeping the whole work in a logical sequence.