CANSTRUCTION VW PEAS BUS

How awesome is this Canstruction VW Bus? Encompassing more than 8,500 grocery items, including peas, beans, applesauce, evaporated milk, bottled water, noodles and jello. Better still, the creation of these sculptures built of food, are later disassembled to feed the hungry! More information on canstruction.org

Anyone looking to buy a real VW Bus should check out Veloce's Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone app. Available now on the iTunes App Store!

MAVERICK FLYING CAR AT OSHKOSH

ART DECO AND BRITISH CAR DESIGN REVIEWED

Thanks to Classic & Sports Car for this thumbs up of new Veloce book Art Deco and British Car Design by Barrie Down.

Click here for more info about the book.

BEETLE SOFA AT MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY

The official unveiling of the �The Major and the Beetle� exhibition and new permanent exhibit, is celebrated with a historic Volkswagen car show and a �meet up� for Volkswagen enthusiasts, all dedicated to the memory of Major Ivan Hirst, REME



The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and Volkswagen have a long history together from the end of the Second World War when the intervention of a young British Army officer changed the future of the fledgling giant of European motoring.



Sent by the Control Commission to �sit on� the bombed remains of the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg in August 1945, the 29 year old Major Ivan Hirst REME and his team decided to restart production instead. Major Hirst then secured an order for 20,000 Beetles from the Military Government; meeting this order would take all the management and engineering skill he had.



Post-war Wolfsburg suffered shortages of food, skilled workers, housing and work materials. Major Ivan Hirst�s engineering and management skills together with his people skills, his open door policy and his will to succeed, turned the Volkswagen Factory around and ensured its survival.



Part of the exhibition is a video display and a unique �Beetle sofa�. Created from half a Beetle, it incorporates a seat and built-in audio facility so visitors can sit in a piece of history and learn about it simultaneously.





Get the app! VW Beetle - The Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone app

Your marque experts: Ken Cservenka & Richard Copping



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

3,500 BHP MINI � FROM CUMMINS! GOODWOOD�S ODDEST EXHIBIT UNVEILED

Visitors to this week�s Goodwood Festival of Speed will have some amazing machinery on which to feast their eyes but none more unusual than the exhibit which greets them on the stand of Cummins, the world�s largest independent maker of diesel engines.

The Cummins centrepiece emerged after a previous show when the company showed off its largest engine (and the largest diesel engine made in the UK). The QSK78 engine weighs in at over 11 tonnes and some wag asked if it could be fitted to his Mini.

Steve Nendick, Cummins� Communications Director - Europe, Middle East, Africa and CIS, takes up the story: �We never like to let a challenge go by unanswered so we got to thinking maybe we could fit the QSK78 into an original Austin Mini. It proved to be a bit tricky to fit under the bonnet but our engineers came up with a more creative solution. �We�re certain that the Goodwood crowd will have difficulty believing what they are seeing�, he said.

The QSK78, which is used to power mining industry dump trucks capable of carrying 360 tonnes, is a V18 monster with a capacity of 78 litres and uses no less than 12 turbochargers to develop 3,500 bhp and getting on for 14,000 Nm of torque (the original Mini made do with just 80!).

Visitors should go to Stand 16 and be prepared to be amazed!

Source: Cummins

NISSAN LEAF - THE �NEW CAR� EXPERIENCE

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (NML) has invited nearly 500 people to experience the world's first mass-production, 100% electric, zero-emission car - Nissan LEAF - at the company's Oppama test track in a world-exclusive preview from June 11-19, 2010.



Media, Nissan shareholders, government officials, analysts and some of the first customers to place reservations for Nissan LEAF will get the chance to experience the benefits of this practical, affordable and fun to drive all-electric car when they get behind the wheel of the first production test units.



Nissan LEAF is a �new car' in every sense of the word and redefines the driving experience, setting new standards in handling, acceleration and comfort in its class. Nissan LEAF officially goes on sale beginning in December.



Since the 100% electric, zero-emission concept vehicle was unveiled last August at the grand opening of the new Nissan Global Headquarters, the company has been continually refining Nissan LEAF for the October start of production.



Among the enhancements to the test units is the "Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians" system, which also will be used in the Nissan Fuga hybrid, slated for sale in autumn 2010.



Press release & image: Nissan



Coming soon! The Efficient Driver�s Handbook � Your guide to fuel efficient driving techniques and car choice

By Dave Moss



This book describes in a clear, friendly manner everything today�s driver needs to know about choosing and using a car in an economical and eco-efficient way.



More info.

ICONIC BATMOBILE TRIBUTE AT AUCTION

A tribute to one of the most iconic and distinctive film cars of all time, the Batmobile, will be a focus of attention at the inaugural Historics at Brooklands auction in Surrey on June 2, when a faithfully re-created car goes under the hammer alongside a prestige portfolio of more traditional, first-class classic motor cars.

For one of Historics� investors, Mark Perkins, the Lot holds particular significance, as he has owned the car since 1988 and is reluctantly parting with it.

One of only three existing steel-bodied versions, Perkins� Batmobile � complete with dashboard-mounted television, rear parachute pod and Batphone � is accompanied by an extensive clippings file, having made numerous promotional appearances, including the Batman stage show in the United Arab Emirates in 1993, and a number of showings alongside Adam West, star of the original Batman TV show.

Based on a Lincoln Continental chassis and built to a similar specification as the original car in the Sixties, the car was finally completed in 1988, following input from renowned custom coachbuilder, Bill Chaplin. The car is extremely reliable and frequently driven, and is offered with a full year�s MoT test certificate as well as a UK V5 registration document.

Mark Perkins explained his reluctance to let the car go; �Classic cars, and this one in particular, should be driven to be enjoyed, and I�ve loved taking it on the road over the years. However, my work with Historics at Brooklands will leave me little time to do so in the future, and so sadly it�s time someone else derived pleasure of ownership.�

For more information, and to attend the Historics at Brooklands auction on the evening of June 2, call 0800 988 3838, e-mail: auctions@historics.co.uk, or see the website, www.historics.co.uk. Entry by catalogue only, available prior to, or on the evening.

Press release & image source: Historics at Brooklands

If you like classic cars in TV & film you'll love Motor Movies � The Posters!

"Be warned: a peek and you could be hooked. �Motor Movies � The Posters!� is a collector�s delight, any way you choose." � Overdrive

More info.

POCKET ROCKET

The Mitsubishi i MiEV SPORT AIR Concept will be premiered at the forthcoming 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Not a great deal of thought has been given by mainstream manufacturers to the proposition of a proper sports car as an electric vehicle (EV)� until now.


Taking a step beyond being merely �green�, this all-electric zero CO2 emission sports concept builds upon the fundamentals of the EV by marrying: the powerful acceleration and high torque inherent to electric motors and the safe driving dynamics that stem from i MiEV�s lithium-ion battery pack located within its long wheelbase and the low centre of gravity.
The i MiEV SPORT �AIR� is a new-age �pocket rocket� and signals the direction in which the Mitsubishi sports EV may take in the future.
Source:newspress

PERAVES MONOTRACER

Found this on a great website called Your Car of the Day, which sends a free daily email bringing you the "hippest, kookiest, most sublime and outrageous automotive moments ever captured on the internet and beyond."
Well worth a look!
Click here for more info about the Peraves Monotracer.

ADRIAN DEWEY'S WORK IN MAX POWER MAGAZINE

Look out for the forthcoming Veloce book written and illustrated by Adrian Dewey -
How to illustrate and design Concept Cars

This book provides an easy to follow guide on how to draw cars like the professional design studios. Covers materials used from pencils to markers, airbrushes to computer generated drawings. The book features clear and concise step-by-step guides to drawing all external components of a car, and teaches how to render them in order to bring them to life. It also showcases work that demonstrates how these techniques produce great car art and design. Click here for more info about the forthcoming book.

PROJECT SPLITWHEEL

World First - New Caterham To Be Created Online by the public.

A chance to be part of automotive history, people can join �Project Splitwheel' at www.splitwheel.com. From here, members from all over the globe are able to submit ideas and concepts for every single aspect of the new Caterham and discuss and debate them with other users, before ultimately voting on what makes it to the final vehicle.

The Splitwheel.com website will use a combination of articles, blogs, forum discussion, a Wikipedia-style user-edited knowledge base and a comprehensive voting system to turn user input into a workable vehicle design. Along with acting as a liaison with Caterham's engineering team, Project Splitwheel will also provide guidance and input from automotive industry experts as required.

Starting from a blank sheet of paper and with very few restrictions in place, the result should be an exciting and truly unique performance vehicle.

On the subject of designing cars, there is an exciting book on the way from Veloce. Next year will see the release of How to illustrate and design Concept Cars by Adrian Dewey.
The automobile seems to be as popular now as it ever was. Posters of cars still adorn many a child�s bedroom wall, and school exercise books are full of doodles of cars. This book takes those notebook sketches and teaches you how to develop them into the car designs you see in magazines.

Using simple to follow step-by-step drawings it guides you from pencil sketch to marker rendering, from doodle to highly visual computer generated artwork.

Adrian Dewey has worked on designs as diverse as small sports cars to double decker buses, modified motors to concept Formula 1 cars, using various techniques and styles. In this book, he uses his knowledge of the different styles to guide the reader in creating great artwork and designs of their own. The book shows in detail how to use different materials and how to get the most out of each one, whether it be a great pencil sketch or a photo realistic vector illustration.
Why not join the new group on Facebook to discuss car design, concepts and techniques!

click here for more info about the book. click here to visit the facebook group. click here to visit Adrian's auto-concept site.

WE'VE SEEN PANDAS, NOW WE HAVE.....BAMGOO

An electric car with a body made out of bamboo.





Researchers at Kyoto University have made this car from bamboo because of its light weight and toughness. Named BamGoo, the electric car only weighs 60Kg, which is lighter than most drivers and the battery will run for 30 miles.

WAGON WHEEL

Artist Matthew Harrison today unveils his latest project entitled �Hummer� at the fifth Zoo Art Fair (17-20 October) - a HUMMER H3 complete with wooden wagon wheels, the iconic installation will be parked on Old Burlington Road, opposite the Royal Academy of Arts for the duration of the fair. Harrison has combined the legendary off-road vehicle with �Wild West� wooden wheels to create a sculpture that is a mixture of art, engineering and motoring.

4 x 4 x 4 x 4 MINI CROSSOVER CONCEPT

This new design concept has a recurring central theme; the number four. With four doors, four drive wheels, four single seats and at four metres in the length. By combining versatility with style this design study is set to tempt new target groups into the world of MINI.





Look out for these two forthcoming Veloce books about Minis!



Mini � The Essential Buyer�s Guide by By Mark Paxton







Maximum Mini By Jeroen Booij

A CADDY WITH A BOAT DECK!

Nautical-themed wooden decking on new VW concept.

The VW Caddy Topos Sail Concept will be on show at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stand at Europe�s largest recreational vehicle show, which starts in D�sseldorf, Germany this weekend. The design features a wooden sun deck on the roof, accessed via a set of steps on the back of the vehicle. This is complemented by wooden trim along the side of the Caddy and on the rear bumper.
Although the Caddy is very unlikely to float, it could be parked up down by the docks, and once climbed aboard, bring the boating life to land.

This isn't the first time wooden panelling has been incorporated in the design of vehicles. Wooden-bodied shooting brakes, station wagons and estate cars, collectively known as Woodies, were the original SUVs (sports utility vehicles).
New! British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s by Colin Peck.

While they were initially created for a specific purpose, their versatility, adaptability and load-carrying abilities meant that they quickly found favour with British buyers from all walks of life. In their heyday, they were built on virtually every make of car and light commercial chassis, and could be seen on every road in Britain.
Sadly, today they are a rarity, due mostly to the fact that their wooden bodies were not built to last � and most didn�t! Thousands were built by hundreds of coachbuilders, both large and small, and with the passage of time it may never be possible to record all of their details with total accuracy.
The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted in this book, and illustrated with 99 rare and previously unpublished photos of these wooden wonders.

click here for more info about the book

Peugeot Design Competition 2008

The final straight of the competition has begun as all submissions are now in for the successor to the Flux project (pictured left), the last winner of this prestigious contest. This is the 5th Peugeot Design Competition which launched at the Beijing Motor Show on 20 April 2008 and invited young designers to imagine the Peugeot of the metropolises of tomorrow. This concept car should be designed to be driven in the large urban cities of the future, while exhibiting key values of the 21st century. Projects, while conveying Peugeot�s stylistic qualities, must incorporate four criteria specific to this design competition: environmental friendliness, social harmony, interactive mobility and economic efficiency.
From mid August 2008, Internet users will be able to log on to www.peugeot.com to discover all of the 30 projects selected for this 5th edition of the Design Competition.

Currently available from Veloce! Peugeot 205 T16 by Graham Robson.
Packed with illustrations, technical details, facts, figures and successes of the innovative Group B rally car

How low can you go?

VW parts gurus Just Kampers have made a leftfield style entrance into the record books this week after partnering with Turner Prize nominated artist Andy Saunders to create the World's Lowest VW Camper.

The 39.5� (1 metre) tall squashed VW camper, entitled "Vancake" is fully road legal and was created by Saunders and his team in just three days during the Bug Jam festival at the UK�s Santa Pod Raceway.

custom car...coffin!

source colourfulcoffins.com

A post about The Post-It Note Jaguar

The Post-It Note Jaguar,
originally uploaded by Scott Ableman.

Any Jaguar XJ-S enthusiasts don't forget to make a note of Veloce Publishing's latest Essential Buyer's Guide�


Jaguar XJ-S � The Essential Buyer's Guide
By Peter Crespin






Features

� Like having an XJ-S expert at your side
� Full coverage of all 6 and 12-cylinder models
� In-depth analysis of strengths and weaknesses
� Includes market and value data
� Advice on choosing the right model and condition
� How to avoid buying a wreck
� Quick check guide and also a fuller inspection plan
� Discussion of desirable upgrades as well as modifications to avoid
� Where and how to buy an XJ-S
� Details of club back-up and support organisations
Description

A practical and highly-illustrated hands-on guide, to take you step-by-step through examination and purchase of Jaguar�s longest-running production car of all � the legendary XJ-S Grand Tourer. Covering all engine and body configurations, this book shows what to look for, what to avoid, and whether the car is likely to suit your needs, plus relative values and the best places to buy. Also includes full details on back-up organisations and literature.


For more info click here


Also, why not take a look at other titles in The Essential Buyer's Guide� series available from Veloce Publishing.

Any One Fancy a Game?

Some would say it is a bit of a waste, but it is cool none the less. Into splitties? Well, you might like to have a look at VW Bus - 40 years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges by Richard Copping.

VW Bus - 40 years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges

By Richard Copping Click here for info.


Features Applies to over 6 million VW Buses!
Unique format and style of illustration
Dedicated to the classic VW of the moment, the Transporter
Re-lives the VW spirit through five decades
Contains much rarely seen and valuable archive material
Text compiled by a VW expert
Comprehensive in nature, ideal as a reference volume
Designed to appeal to all those with a general interest in Volkswagens, as well as Bus enthusiasts
A collectable treasure in its own right

Description

A unique volume dedicated to three generations of VW�s legendary Transporter making extensive use of the highly sought after artwork and photography of the age.

Synopsis

A methodical, yet lively record of VW�s Transporter over its first 40-years, which presents the vehicle in the same lavish formats of artistry and photography selected by Volkswagen over the decades. Model history and range development outlined, (including Campers) specifications, (including USA terminology) and performance discussed, with a particular emphasis on marketing and advertising strategies.

Independent Reviews

Review from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, June 2007
US magazine

"Volkswagen lovers will find this book a great addition to the shelf."

Few vehicles are as iconic as Volkswagen's vans, and few automakers have inspired the level of fanatic loyalty as has Volkswagen. While thousands of books have been written about the Sedan and its variants, the utilitarian Microbus and its descendants have been largely ignored. An excellent new volume, VW Bus: Forty Years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges, by Richard Copping, has arisen to fill the void and educate a new generation of VW van fans.

The title of the book refers to the popular nicknames of the three generations of these air-cooled rear-engine Volkswagens. 'Splitties', or split-windshield models, were the first Sedan spin-offs, conceived in 1948 to add another vehicle to the company lineup and built from 1950 to 1967. Despite their similar looks, the 1967-1979 'Bays' were completely redesigned and got their nickname from their curved, one-piece windshields. Volkswagen's final rear-engine vans, the angular 'Wedges' built from 1979 to 1990, were powered by both air- and water-cooled engines.

UK-based author Richard Copping has compiled a fantastic number of original VW brochures from markets around the world, and has used their artwork, texts and technical specifications to great benefit to illustrate the development and evolution of these hard-working vehicles; early Microbuses are seen in the beautiful drawings of Bernd Reuters, while newer models are seen through evocative period photography.
-

Review from Australian Classic Cars, February 2007

This new English publication tracks the first 40 years of the Transporter�s history but, unlike many publications, it does not rely on period and modern photos but uses brochures, advertisements and other promotional material to illustrate the text. Through Richard Copping�s interest in the marque and the collection of brochures, readers can follow the marketing and advertising strategies employed to present the Transporter to motorists. Extending beyond straightforward reproductions of the material, a narrative provides details not only on what the images represent but also on significant events in the history of Volkswagen and the Transporter.

If you�re interested in motor vehicle advertising and especially the very creative writing produced for Volkswagen, it makes great reading.
-

Review by Mark Holman for New Zealand Classic Car

Making copious use of original VW artwork and advertising campaigns, this delightful new book plots the story of the many variations of the VW bus from its 1100cc air-cooled beginnings in Germany�s austere post-war years to its demise in 1990 when you could get one with a water-cooled 2.1 litre motor and even 4-wheel drive.

The artwork by Reuters for the early models is delightful. Author Copping is editor of the VW Motoring magazine and has obviously gone to a deal of trouble to source original advertising and brochures to illustrate the book.

Throughout the book some of the very clever US advertising by Doyle Dane Berbach is featured � �the car that comes in a box�, �� the truck that picks you up more for less� and a super one with a Beetle painted on the side of the station wagon to show how compact it was.

The book ends with 35 pages on the various forms of camper vans, from the factory endorsed Westfalia to various UK and US conversions, with pop-up roofs and rear seats which feature �glove soft fabric backed vinyl�.

You are not likely to find a more entertaining or better-illustrated story of making and marketing these classic workhorses and early people movers than in this large soft-covered book.
-

Review from Practical Motorhome, September 2006

VW Bus � 40 Years of Splitties, Bays & Wedges is a 'coffee table' book to delight aficionados of VW campers. It's a labour of love by VW Motoring magazine editor Richard Copping.

The full-colour, 176-page paperback features 342 illustrations, including original brochures and promotional material.

The book traces five decades of classic VW campers, during which time over six million vehicles were produced. It is a fun flick-through read for those who love to look at classic campers, though Richard's training as an historian adds a dimension of detail for the enthusiast as a great deal of archive material has been hunted down for this book. The Reuters news agency images of the early VW buses from the 1950s are especially good and have been well reproduced thanks to the good quality of paper used throughout the book.
-

Review from Classic Car Mart, August 2006

This superb new title from classic VW guru Richard Copping is an all-encompassing tribute to the marque�s vast array of commercials and campers produced over the years.

Interest in the Type 2 Volkswagen (to give the �Splitties� and �Wedges� their official moniker) is at an all-time high these days, with hefty asking prices for the best examples and an incredibly loyal following worldwide. All of which means perfect timing for Veloce�s latest VW tome.

It�s the sheer nostalgia value of this title that appeals more than anything, with just about every incarnation of VW commercial and camper featured via its original promotional material, accompanied by informed and educational text from the renowned Mr Copping.

�Want to get away from it all? Then you should look into our Volkswagen Campmobile�, proclaims a 1962 ad for the US-built Westfalia camper. And that just about sums up this great book. If you want to indulge yourself in VW nostalgia, then you really should take a look inside this title�