Traditional car books tend to be sleep-inducing for those uninterested in the automobile. How refreshing then that John Nikas’s new tome underpins the absorbing histories of Britain’s most famous sports car manufacturers by chronicling their invaluable role in reviving the country’s decimated post-war economy.
Rule Britannia conveys in fascinating detail how the national resolve created vehicles that not only earned desperately needed foreign currency, but established a humble yet exciting category of motorcar that continues to captivate the imagination of enthusiasts the world over.
Exhaustively researched and written in an easy-flowing but authoritative style, Rule Britannia is also lavishly illustrated with a delightful mix of carefully selected period images and stunning studio photography contributed by master lensman Michael Furman.
This is a book as alluring for anybody interested in Britain’s post-war social history, as those inspired by the indelible mark made on the world by AC, Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Jaguar, MG, the Mini, Morgan and Triumph.
Raised in an Anglophile household, John Nikas has been a lifelong student of the British motor industry, and owned and raced a variety of related marques. The director of ‘The British Sports Car Hall of Fame’ in Petersburg Virginia, he already has an impressive list of successful automotive titles to his name.
The book’s foreword was contributed by none other than the Earl of March and Kinrara, whose grandfather personally contributed much to Britain’s post-war motoring history, as well as establishing the Goodwood racing circuit that nowadays hosts two of the world’s finest historic motorsport events.
Rule Britannia would be a welcome addition to any thinking person’s library and the perfect Christmas present for many.
