Haynes: The Classic Cutaways

Foreword by John Haynes OBE

RRP: £25.00
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 1 84425 570 0

The iconic cutaway illustrations on the front covers of Haynes car manuals have been an unmistakable identifying feature for more than 40 years. Nowadays the cutaways are produced electronically from a series of digital photographs, but for 20 years they were all hand-drawn in pen and ink, with nothing more than the traditional instruments - mostly by one man, with an attention to intricate detail which would have justified a far larger image than the manual cover allowed.

Now this collection of 100 classic cutaways has been assembled in Haynes: The Classic Cutaways, allowing the full quality of the drawings to be appreciated for the first time. The selection reflects the make-up of the British car population in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and will bring back memories for many readers.

Each cutaway is presented on a double-page spread, along with specifications, a brief history and interesting facts about the model featured. Did you know why the Triumph Toledo's design was changed from front- to rear-wheel drive at the eleventh hour, or what the Citroën GS has in common with the Toyota Prius? Haynes: The Classic Cutaways is a fascinating book for enthusiasts and casual browsers alike.

The featured cars are mainly British, ranging from family saloons such as the Austin Allegro, Ford Cortina and Morris Minor to sports cars such as the Jaguar E-type, MGB and Triumph Spitfire. But there are also continental classics such as the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, BMW 2002, Porsche 911 and VW Beetle, not to mention some of the more eccentric offerings of car manufacturers worldwide.

Many of the cars depicted have all but vanished from UK roads now, but this collection of drawings keeps their memory alive. There are already literally millions of manuals in circulation bearing these drawings, and the latter are now being enjoyed by a whole new young generation, the cool retro images can be seen gracing T-shirts, wallets, mugs, fridge magnets, bags, notebooks, key rings, clocks to even bedding - and, of course, Haynes: The Classic Cutaways.

Terry Davey, who drew all the cutaways in this book, worked for Haynes from 1972 until 1991 as the manual illustrator. Terry had a unique (and largely self taught) ability to visualise the internal workings of complicated mechanical assemblies and to draw accurate representations of how they would look from any perspective: sectioned, or in three dimensions, or when partly stripped of their casings. His raw materials were model photographs, sales brochures and technical literature, supplemented in the Haynes tradition by personal inspection. He was a frequent visitor to the project vehicle workshop, taking photographs and making sketches of the component parts of whatever model was being dismantled that week. During his time with Haynes he produced over 400 cover cutaways, and several thousand other technical illustrations. Other cutaway artists have come and gone, but Terry's style remains uniquely identifiable.