UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Following 15 years of research by author Davide Bassoli, the book covers the history of Rolls-Royce and Bentley at the Earls Court Motor Show from 1937 to 1976. In those years, the London Motor Show held at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre was the most important International Motor Show in the world, with visitors coming from every corner of the globe to attend it.
Rolls-Royce and Bentley stands were among the most sought-after, and every visitor to the Show wanted to pay them a visit. For most of them it was just a short moment to admire those dream cars, but also to see important customers or Royalty visiting the stands, or to see the pretty young models near the cars! This is what is told in this book: cars are the stars, but also those moments of euphoria experienced by the visitors to the stands over the years are described.
If you had the chance to attend one of those Motor Shows, this book will give you a chance to remember your visit to the stands. If you didn’t because of your age or where you lived, this book will provide you with the opportunity to live again those years through the pictures and the information you will find in the book. The majority of the pictures accompanying the text are taken at the stands, and when not available, period pictures of the actual cars displayed on the stands have been used.
This book is of great interest to every Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiast because through the peculiar point of view of the 633 cars displayed on the stands over the years, it provides the reader with a detailed description of the models offered by the two brands in forty years, allowing the reader to evaluate their evolution from historical, technical, and stylistic points of view.
The features of the book include:
Two volumes
624 pages in total
441 pictures (407 duotone – 37 colour)
All 633 cars that appeared in 40 years of the Motor Shows are identified by chassis number, and described in every detail: coachbuilder, body style, body construction, paintwork, upholstery, equipment/extras, price, and notes about the car’s history
Every stand in every year is accompanied by a floor plan of the Exhibition Centre showing where it was positioned
A specific chapter dedicated to the 1939 Motor Show, cancelled a few weeks before the opening because of the outbreak of war.