The Autocar: Vol. XCII (July - December 1947), G. Geoffrey Smith (Ed.) — 1st Ed

Publication: London, Iliffe & Sons Ltd., 1947

Formatting: 4to, continuously paginated (pp. 559 onwards), bound without original wrappers.

Condition Report: Very Good. Bound in smart blue cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, the book presents exceptionally well for a heavy, utilitarian periodical of this age. The boards remain crisp and clean, exhibiting only minor scuffing and negligible shelf-wear to the extremities. The spine displays noticeable sunning, a common feature for volumes historically housed on sunlit reference shelves, yet the gilt titling remains perfectly legible and reasonably bright. Crucially for a bound volume of this size, the binding remains remarkably tight, square, and structurally robust, showing no signs of the sagging or hinge-splitting that frequently plagues heavy compendiums. The text-block edges are lightly age-toned but largely free from spotting. Internally, the pages are delightfully clean, bright, and crisp, bearing only the faintest age-related toning. As is customary for library or reference bindings of this era, the individual weekly paper wrappers have been omitted to streamline the text. Overall, a highly attractive and solidly preserved copy.

Catalogue Note: First edition thus; a highly desirable bound volume comprising the complete run of The Autocar magazine for the second half of 1947 (Volume XCII). Published weekly, this compendium gathers every issue from July 4th through to the end of December, offering an unbroken, primary-source chronicle of British motoring history during the pivotal post-war period.

Profusely illustrated with period photography, technical diagrams, and evocative advertisements, the volume serves as an immersive resource for the automotive historian. The book has been professionally bound in a durable blue cloth, omitting the outer paper wrappers of the individual magazines, a standard contemporary practice designed to create a streamlined, robust reference work for private collections or motoring clubs.

Complete, well-preserved half-year runs of The Autocar from the 1940s are increasingly scarce on the open market, particularly in such structurally sound condition, as many were historically subjected to heavy workshop or reference use. It stands as an indispensable artefact for the study of mid-twentieth-century motoring culture, technical innovation, and the early resurgence of motorsport.

Step back into the golden age of motoring with this original bound volume of The Autocar, charting the complete second half of 1947. Emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, the British automotive industry of 1947 was a hotbed of rapid development, restricted model ranges, and a fierce desire to return to the racetrack. This exceptional volume chronicles it all, from the latest showroom announcements and highly detailed technical deep-dives to thrilling, on-the-ground reports from the Grand Prix of Europe and regional seaside sprints. Packed with rich period photography, intricate engineering cutaways, and the palpable excitement of a world getting back on the road, it is a magnificent time capsule for any classic car aficionado or mechanical historian.