The latest reads and miniatures

By Nick Hull, £45, veloce.co.uk, ISBN 978 1 845849 86 3 This book, an in-depth history of Ford’s Dunton design operations, is long overdue. Author Nick Hull – a car designer by trade with aspects of the Jaguar XJ220 to his name – hasn’t merely produced a catalogue, but a vital document made possible by his extensive car-design connections.

Classic designs like the Capri and Escort finally have their authors identified, early struggles for autonomy with Ford’s American management are remembered, and everyone involved is interviewed.

It’s the sheer richness of the previously untold stories that makes the book. The Zephyr MKIV was very nearly a four-door Mustang; the sporty ‘XR’ programme began with the Cargo HGV; the bug-eyed Scorpio was deliberately intended to court controversy; Ford had a Stratos rival planned had the Escort not succeeded as a rally car – it’s all here.

The quality and depth of Hull’s storytelling is superb, and it’s illustrated beautifully throughout with previously-unseen photos. We’ve already used it several times for research, which says an awful lot. Erich Strenger By Mats Kubiak, £35, delius-klasing. de, ISBN 978 3 667 11023 7 The work of a graphic designer who specialised in car brochures would usually be an odd subject for a 190page hardback, but Erich Strenger was unique – he created the public face of Porsche.

tells the story of Porsche in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies from an unusual angle. It succeeds as an art book as much as one about cars, consisting largely of full-page illustrations. A leftfield take on Porsche’s early history, or a celebration of an artist – you decide.