Graham Robson

This new edition explores BMW's M3 and M4, including the development history and their race and rally successes worldwide, supported by full and detailed specifications for each generation. It expands on the previous edition to bring the story right up to the present day, with details of all models produced up to the end of 2025. Developed in the 1980s, the BMW M3 was intended to be the world’s most successful racing saloon car. Not only did it achieve that in its very first season of motorsport, but went on to achieve lasting commercial success as a high-performance road car. The first M4 cars were launched in 2014. Although they shared the same chassis/platform and all their running gear with the new M3 Saloon, the new cars had completely fresh two-door bodyshells, with even more high-tech solutions. This highly desirable sportier model, in both coupé and convertible forms, along with model variants and special editions are explored in detail. Fully illustrated throughout, with a lavish array of colour photographs and magnificently detailed cutaway drawings of mechanical equipment, this comprehensive and authoritative book is a must for all BMW M3 and M4 enthusiasts. Originally penned by Graham Robson, this new edition was updated by fellow historian Brian Long, and includes all the recent models, developments and motorsport action.

From 1967 to 1983, the Ford Cosworth DFV engine reigned supreme in Formula 1, powering cars to 13 Drivers’ Championships in just 16 seasons. Grand Prix Ford dives deep into the remarkable story of this revolutionary engine and the powerful partnership between Lotus, Ford, and Cosworth that brought it to life. Written by the late Graham Robson — one of the UK’s most respected motorsport historians — and inspired by a concept by fellow historian Anthony Pritchard, this book captures the DFV’s dominance with clarity and authority. It’s not just about engines: it’s about the people, the teams, the victories, and the evolution of a motorsport legend. Tracks the DFV's development from Lotus's exclusive use in 1967 to widespread dominance across teams like McLaren, Matra, and Williams. Includes technical insight into engine design, performance advances, and the role of specialist rebuilders. Analyzes rivalries and resistance from Ferrari and others — and why they couldn’t hold back DFV-powered teams. Explores the DFV’s legacy through its turbocharged and evolved descendants: DFX, DFY, DFZ, and DFR. Features over 300 rare and archival images, many from Ford’s own historical archives. For any reader passionate about motorsport history, Grand Prix Ford is the definitive tribute to the engine that powered a golden era. Get under the hood of Formula 1’s most iconic breakthrough.

In this definitive history of the Rover company, Graham Robson traces the history of the iconic British car brand right back to the Starley family’s Coventry-made bicycles of the 1870s, through to 1988. Delving deeply into the records and talking to many people who have been connected with Rover cars since the 1930s, he unfolds a fascinating account of the men who directed the company’s fortunes, of their vision and of their occasional lapses. The company’s impressive record is analysed here in this probing, truthful yet affectionate look at one of the greatest names in the British motor industry.

A Veloce Classic Reprint The complete history of BMC - British Motor Corporation - and a comprehensive directory of the marques and models that made up the whole. Following the historic amalgamation of Morris Motors Ltd and the Austin Motor Co Ltd in 1952, through to the merger with British Leyland in 1968, this book details the company's origins, its achievements and its legacy, and provides a close look at the many car models that were produced during its heyday.

From the early 1930s until the mid-1970s the Rootes Group was one of Britain’s foremost car manufacturers, producing and selling a multitude of models under the Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam and Sunbeam-Talbot badges. Some of these cars have been the subject of individual model histories, but this is the first book to bring the total Rootes model line together in one major reference book. Written by one of Britain’s most able car historians, the late Graham Robson, this book has now been reprinted for future generations to enjoy. It covers the company’s history, and details all the major marques within the Rootes Group. The book looks at the overall marketing strategies as well as the widespread use of common components across the range. Individual descriptions of each model built results in a book of great breadth and absorbing interest, that will be welcomed back by all classic car enthusiasts.

This new edition explores all aspects of the M3’s history, including the race and rally successes worldwide, supported by full and detailed specifications for each generation of the model. It expands on the previous edition, to bring the story right up to the present day, with details of all models produced between 2013 and 2021, including the new M4. Developed in the 1980s, the BMW M3 was intended to be the world’s most successful racing saloon car. Not only did it achieve that in its very first season of motorsport, but went on to achieve lasting commercial success as a high performance road car. Fully illustrated throughout, with a lavish array of colour photographs and magnificently detailed cutaway drawings of mechanical equipment, this comprehensive and authoritative book is a must for all BMW M3 and M4 enthusiasts.

In a short-lived but tempestuous and exciting life, motorsport's Group B category attracted world-class manufacturers to develop new models. Almost all were technically-advanced, very powerful and striking in many ways - with Ford's RS200 being perhaps the most attractive, and the most promising, of them all. Conceived in 1983, built in 1985 and 1986, and rallied strongly in 1986, the RS200 not only looked purposeful but was only at the start of a promising career when the FIA killed off the controversial Group B category. Although Ford had already built 200 cars to satisfy homologation requirements, the RS200's career was brought to an abrupt close, and Ford Motorsport's efforts were almost entirely negated. Graham Robson was closely involved with the project throughout its tempestuous career, noting (and sometimes experiencing) all the concept stages, the engineering process, the styling, development, and manufacture, followed by a four-year period when he drove RS200s as normal road cars. This is the complete story, as related by the top management, the designers and the enthusiasts who ran, and competed with, the cars themselves, along with many details of when, where and how, all the elements of the design came together. But this is not merely a trawl through the archives, as Robson persuaded top personalities including Motorsport boss Stuart Turner, engineer John Wheeler and project manager Mike Moreton to fill in the details. This is a complex, visually and technically enthralling tale, which provides inside information of probably the bravest sporting programme ever tackled by Ford UK

Now in paperback, the complete history of British international rally events, starting with the very first RAC rally of 1932, which included 1000 miles of road motoring, when a mere three driving tests were needed to produce a result. By 1951 an international permit had been achieved, a speed element was included, and the ‘Rally of the Tests’ ran until 1960. From 1961, the event took on a number of high-speed, loose-surfaced Special Stages, the Scandinavian influence became clear, and the event took on a World Championship qualification in 1973. In that time, competing cars had progressed from having perhaps 50bhp to at least 300bhp, and even more high-tech machines with 500bhp and four-wheel-drive would follow. By then the RAC Rally was – and remains in its present form as Wales Rally GB – one of the three most important rallies in the world. Every ‘works’ team makes sure that it is represented, and it has a very important image throughout the world. Major sponsors embraced the event from the 1960s – first The Sun and Daily Mirror, then Lombard, and Network Q, and finally the Welsh government – which in recent years has become a very high-profile showcase for the world’s most exciting cars. Few other British International events have such a long and distinguished record. The 75th running of this event takes place in 2019. With year-by-year accounts of all events in the Rally’s history, copiously illustrated with period photographs, and covering the various challenges posed by such crises as foot and mouth disease, weather conditions and controversy over rules and regulations, this book is the definitive guide.

This book describes the birth, development and rallying career of the Lancia Stratos, Europe’s very first purpose-built rally car, in the mid/late 1970s. It provides a compact and authoritative history of where, when and how it became so important to the sport, as well as telling the story of the team. The book is part of Graham Robson’s definitive “Rally Giants” series, published by Veloce.

Graham Robson is the doyen of writers on rallying. His new book joins his respected Works Triumphs and Works Escorts in our list. Here he tells of the story of Donald Healey’s introduction of the cars of his own make into the world of rallying and racing, from the Healey Elliott and Westland of the late 1940s through to the last racing Austin-Healey Sprite in 1967. In between he produced competition versions of the Austin-Healey 100 and 100S, the 100-6 and the gloriously successful 3000, a brutal and wayward machine that won countless international rallies in the 1960s in the hands of great drivers like Pat Moss, Timo Makinen, Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk, to name but a few. The author describes the career of each of the works cars individually: entries, drivers and results, with nearly all cars illustrated. In addition there is detailed colour photography of important surviving examples

The complete story of the front-wheel-drive Saab 96 made the brand into a rally icon in the 1960s. Superstar driving from Erik Carlsson, his wife Pat Moss-Carlsson and – later – from Stig Blomqvist, all brought real publicity and admiration for a car that always lacked the sheer straight-line performance of its rivals. Saabs like this, however, never wanted for strength, or for amazing handling and traction, and they succeeded in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo, Britain's RAC rally, special stage events in every Scandinavian country, and the rough-and-tough Spa-Sofia-Liege Marathon. The big change came in 1967, when the 96 became the V4, looking almost the same as before, but with a new and more powerful four-stroke Ford-Germany V4 engine. Works cars continued to be competitive in carefully chosen events for many years, and it was only the arrival of much more specialised rivals that made them outdated. Saab, though, was not finished with rallying, as the V4's successors, the much larger and more powerful 99 and 99 Turbo types, proved. More than any other car of its era, the 96 and V4 models proved that front-wheel-drive allied to true superstar driving could produce victory where no-one expected it.

This is the complete story of the Peugeot 205’s rallying history, told in all its glory by expert motoring historian Graham Robson, as part of the ‘Rally Giants’ series. Four-wheel-drive had been authorised in rallying from 1979, but for a time no serious car-manufacturer even tried to harness it to their cars. Although it was Audi who produced the world’s first rally-winning four-wheel-drive car – the Quattro – it was Peugeot who designed, developed, campaigned and won with the first truly sophisticated four-wheel-drive Group B Car – the 205 Turbo 16. It was the first truly great, purpose-designed, Group B car. Determined to win at almost any cost, Peugeot hired Jean Todt (who would later transform the fortunes of the Ferrari F1 organisation) in 1981, and set him an ambitious target. His dream car had to be running in 1983, homologated in 1984, and capable of winning World Championships by 1985. Nothing, no excuses and no lack of application, was to get in the way of that. Apart from being obliged to use the silhouette of the still-secret new 205 road car, Todt was able ask for anything. Getting approval for whatever he needed and fast-tracking the engineering of the four-wheel-drive rally was not an issue in reaching one simple objective – victory! This book tells the detailed story of all the cars, the influences, and the personalities behind a magnificent success story. No sooner had the new turbocharged, transverse-mid-engined car started competing, than it was ready to win, yet its dominant career was cut short at the end of 1986 by an abrupt change in rallying regulations. This is the engineering story laid out in great detail, as well as the interaction between company personalities, superstar drivers (including Ari Vatanen) and the highly-charged atmosphere of motorsport at this time. Because Group B was cancelled even before the 205 T16 had reached maturity, it went on to have a successful career in desert raid rallies, and at Pike Peak in the USA, all of which is described in this amazingly authoritative study. Packed with illustrations, technical details, facts, figures and successes of this innovative car, this book is a must for any rally fan.

This is the complete story of the Austin Healey 100-6 and 3000’s rallying history, told in all its glory by expert motoring historian Graham Robson, as part of the ‘Rally Giants’ series. In nine eventful years – 1957 to 1965 – the six-cylinder-engined Austin Healey evolved into a formidable and increasingly specialised rally car. By any standards, it was the first of the ‘homologation specials’ – a type made progressively stronger, faster, more versatile, and more suitable for the world's toughest International rallies. Though the motorsport foundations had been laid by the Healey Motor Co. Ltd, the work needed to turn these cars into rock-solid 210bhp projectiles was almost all completed by the world-famous ‘works’ BMC Competitions Department at Abingdon. It was because of their vast experience that the ‘Big Healeys’ (as they were affectionately known) became fast and tough, nimble yet durable, so that they were capable of winning major events wherever traction could be assured. Not only did the works Austin Healeys win some of the world's most famous events – including Liege-Sofia-Liege, Spa-Sofia-Liege and the French and Austrian Alpine rallies – but they were also supremely fast on events like the Tulip, and came so close, so often, to winning their home event, the British RAC Rally, which traditionally ended the season. The drivers – Pat Moss, Donald Morley, Rauno Aaltonen, Timo Makinen and Paddy Hopkirk among them – became heroes, while individual cars seemed to take on a character and reputation of their own. This book lists each and every success, each and every notable car, and traces exactly how the machinery developed, and improved, from one season to the next. Over time, the works cars adopted aluminium cylinder heads and body panels, much-modified chassis, transmission and exhaust systems; they also became supremely strong and could withstand a true battering on the world's toughest events. This book relates how the cars were improved by the engineers, how the drivers came to love their heavy and sometimes self-willed steeds, and how the management team got the most out of everything - machinery, personnel, drivers, and regulations. Heavily illustrated and packed with technical detail, this book will make a welcome addition to any motorsport fan’s library.

This is a comprehensive study of the rallying career of the Toyota Celica GT-Four. Starting in 1988, three generations of this effective turbocharged four-wheel-drive car – known by enthusiasts as ST165, ST185 and ST205 types – fought for World Championships, and were amazingly successful for almost a decade. All types combined high-performance, great reliability, and superb preparation by Toyota Team Europe (based in Cologne, Germany), their 300bhp/four-wheel-drive chassis package being among the best in the world. Over the years, the cars won some of the roughest events in the world (such as the Safari and the Acropolis), and were also supreme on tarmac, snow and ice, including Monte Carlo. After fighting a running battle with Lancia for years, the Celicas won the World Manufacturers' Championship twice. Its famous drivers included Carlos Sainz (World Champion in 1990 and 1992), Juha Kankkunen (Champion in 1993) and Didier Auriol (Champion in 1994). Never far from controversy, and at times embroiled in technical and regulatory disputes, these cars brought real glamour to the colourful sport of rallying, and were only replaced by an even higher-tech Toyota – the Corolla World Rally Car – in 1997.

This book describes the birth, development, and rallying car of the turbocharged, four-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza in the 1990s and early 2000s, providing a compact and authoritative history of where, when and how it became so important to the sport.

When world rallying introduced a new formula for ‘World Rally Cars,’ Ford needed a completely new car to meet the new rules. Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport organisation, then small but soon to expand considerably, was contracted to do the job, completed the design in less than a year, and spent the next 12 years campaigning this turbocharged four-wheel-drive car all round the world. Working from state-of-the-art premises at Dovenby Hall, near Cockermouth, in Cumbria, M-Sport built a total of no fewer than 97 Focus WRCs, which were always competitive at World level, this being proved by the fact that they won 44 World Championship events. In that time, stellar drivers such as Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Markko Märtin, Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen all added to the mystique of an ultra-professional organisation, along with substantial support, and sponsorship, from the drinks giant Martini, the oil company BP (and its major subsidiary Castrol), and the state of Abu Dhabi. In building up its own in-house technical expertise, M-Sport not only engineered and developed the entire car on behalf of Ford, but gradually took over development (and eventually manufacture) of the 300bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, and led the design of the complex four-wheel-drive transmissions provided, at first, by Xtrac, and later by Ricardo. M-Sport’s reputation within the sport of rallying was such that, when the regulations once again changed, the company was immediately able to produce a new-generation Fiesta WRC, and continue with its winning ways.

After the first ever intercontinental rally – the London-Sydney in 1968 – there was widespread enthusiasm for an even more difficult test. With the Football World Cup being held in Mexico in 1970, it was the perfect opportunity to hold a parallel, much tougher challenge – the World Cup Rally. Organisers John Sprinzel and John Brown secured sponsorship from the Daily Mirror and planned a unique high-speed event, lasting six weeks and covering 16,000 miles from London to Mexico City via some of the most varying, tortuous and difficult terrain on three continents. Serious works teams such as Ford and British Leyland spent tremendous amounts choosing and developing new cars, completing months-long route surveys, and analysing every detail of diets, oxygen provision, and the number of crew members. Despite all this planning, out of an entry of more than 100, only 23 cars made it to the finish. It was then, and remains now, the toughest rally of all time. This book, now reprinted in paperback, tells the complete story.

The Escort RS Cosworth, which started rallying in 1993, was one of the most ingenious designs of all time. What started as a shortened Sierra Cosworth 4x4 platform, topped off by a modified Escort cabin and outer skins, was soon developed into a versatile and sophisticated rally car, and eventually became Ford's most successful since the legendary Escorts of the 1970s. Because it was smaller, lighter, and more nimble than any of the Sierras, the combination of Cosworth power, four-wheel-drive transmission, and an effective aerodynamic package made it a Rally Giant in all conditions. With five World victories in its first season, and success all round the world in later years, it was seen in every continent, in all conditions. Drivers like Carlos Sainz, Tommi Makinen and Francois Delecour added their own stardust to a glittering reputation. To meet a change in regulations, the Escort World Rally Car took over in 1997, and also enjoyed years of success. Until the all-new Focus WRC was launched in 1999, this generation of Escorts was the most effective rally car that Ford had ever produced. This book tells the whole story, and is part of the series “Rally Giants” many of which have recently been reprinted by Veloce, due to popular demand.

Not only has Cosworth designed and supplied many race car engines, which won F1, CART, and many other Championship races, but it has also produced many celebrated high-performance road-car engines. In more recent times, its growing expertise in developing electronic data capture components, and in providing ultra-high-tech engine manufacturing facilities, has made it a world leader. The expansion continues, and in this book the Cosworth story has been brought up-to-the-minute to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of the legendary DFV F1 engine.