The 1970s saw some ground-breaking new metal in British showrooms: the
Renault 5 established the new 'supermini' class, the Volkswagen Golf
gave the average family car a hatchback and top quality, the Ford Capri
made sporty cars available to everyone and, despite all of this, that
old favourite the Ford Cortina continued to rule the sales charts. It
was a funny old time to be a driver, and Britain started to experience a
love/hate relationship with the four-wheeled machine that previously
symbolised nothing but speed and freedom. The economic rollercoaster
sent fuel prices soaring, while the country's roads left something to be
desire, and then there was the issue of those cars themselves: it seemed
British manufacturers, beset by striking workers and falling quality
standards, were stalling as Japan's Datsuns and Toyotas cruised off with
contented customers. Giles Chapman documents the whole turbulent decade
stunningly illustrated book, from the cars that dominated our motoring
lives to the much-maligned Morris Marina and Reliant Robin actually
helped drivers out of a jam.