This 500-page volume is a deep, slow wade through the cars, the people and the company's activities. It tells the story in microscopic detail, making the bigger picture difficult to hold on to amid the quotations, technical descriptions and all the facts.

Early chapters show the birth of the firm and cartoons of players such as SF Edge, Henry Deasy and JD Siddeley spice up the historic car images and advertising, though it's through these that the bullishness of the company shows. The book is peppered with car numbers, but doesn't include every chassis, and isn't logically tabulated.

Military production takes two chapters, and the full history of how this manufacturer became a car club that owns its own name and heritage is told in intricate detail. Not a casual read, but automotive historians will love it.