“Rolls-Royce—The Elegance Continues”

By Lawrence Dalton. 264 pp. 9 1/4 in. x 7 1/8 in. (Dalton Watson Ltd., 76, Wardour Street, London W1V 4AN. £5.25.).

This remarkable and beautiful book continues Mr. Dalton’s painstaking record of special coachwork on Rolls-Royce chassis. It follows his earlier unique work, this volume covering the period 1946 to 1971.

There is plenty to include, even though the Second World War took a sad toll of the great coachbuilders and within a decade most of them ceased their craft, until, today, only one remains in England, possibly the only one to build elegant bodies for Rolls-Royce.

Yet this book is full of elegant pictures—photographic side views, two or three to a glossy page, supported by colour plates, coachbuilders’ drawings and interior views. To this fascinating collection of pictorial data is added the lists of bodies made by different coachbuilders, with bodynumber, design number, chassis type, chassis number, type of body and remarks—Rolls-Royce is undoubtedly the best documented car of its span. This remarkable data is listed under the headings of the different coachbuilders—Freestone & Webb, Hooper, H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward, H. J. Mulliner-Park Ward, James Young, and those from Chaperon to Windovers. It is supplemented by information on the Rolls-Royce types involved, from Silver Wrath to Corniche.

This very English book proves that elegance and quality is not confined to pre-war cars. It will be essential to all true R-R followers and is available in America from Classic Motorbooks. A nice touch—the end papers depict the various coachbuilders’ nameplates.—W.B.