Jaguar passenger cars: books - history and types (3/5)

Jaguar in Coventry : Building the Legend

Since 1928 Jaguar has played an important role in the working life of Coventry. This illustrated history offers a fascinating insight into the company and the city. It tells the story of the fluctuating fortunes of the company at Browns Lane, and offers a revealing account of car production techniques and processes at Jaguar as they have evolved over the years.
The book also offers an intimate portrait of the local people who have depended on Jaguar for their livelihoods, for generations.

Jaguar from the shop floor : Foleshill Road and Browns Lane 1949 to 1978

In "Jaguar from the Shop Floor", Brian Martin tells the story of his life as a long-time employee at Jaguar, giving a first-hand account of the development and production processes, and the ups and downs of factory life through the eyes of someone who was actually there.

In this part-autobiographical and part-historical account, the author tells of his childhood in a typical working family of the depression era, and then describes his career from starting at the Jaguar factory in 1949, through a spell doing national service in the RAF and then going back to Jaguar.
He left briefly in 1972 to try other jobs, but returned to the factory in the mid-1970s.

Providing a fascinating insight into the Jaguar production process, the book also covers the development of the XK120, Mk V, Mk VII, MK X, the Mark 1 and 2 saloons, the XKSS, E1A, E2A, lightweight E-types, XJ6, XJ12, and XJS.

A Life in Car Design - Jaguar, Lotus, TVR

Gives a unique insight into design and project work for a number of leading companies in the motor industry, including Jaguar, Lotus, TVR and General Motors.
The book recounts the author's experiences from within the industry, tracing the changes in the design process over a period of nearly 50 years, and follows his career at home and around the world.

It shows how the change from imperial to metric measurements and the growing use of computers revolutionised the quality and accuracy of modern vehicles. It also covers the issues and challenges of meeting project targets, and some of the issues that can deflect those efforts. It features previously untold stories, and is thoughtfully illustrated with historical engineering drawings and photographs.
As well as informing automobile enthusiasts it is also hoped that this book will inspire upcoming generations to consider a career in the creative field.

Features:
- A personal and in-depth look at car design from inside the industry
- Oliver Winterbottom's experience working for talented industry leaders Sir William Lyons, Jaguar; Colin Chapman, Lotus, and Martin Lilley, TVR
- The author's work with Guigiaro at ItalDesign, Turin, observing the design processes
- An account of working with Chinese companies to develop a new cultural understanding
- Producing new designs to severe time and cost restraints
- How the author developed suitable project processes for low volume built cars at GM USA
- An account of the privilege of working with Toyota Japan, and learning their approach to the motor industry
- The author's experience of extensive development projects for car safety and airbags.