Many books on Ferraris are a criminal waste of trees,” says Doug Nye, historian, journalist and author of more than 70 motor racing books. So horrified was he by the quality of motoring books that GP Library, the photographic archive he co-owns with former racer Paul Vestey, has just published its first book, created, Nye says, “to set new standards”. A: Unfortunately, not. We perform many 1000s of valuations every day and it would be impractical to save each one of them. If you obtain a valuation, save the data on your own device so you can access it at a later date if need be. Q: Does Parkers still publish the monthly car price guide or Parkers Plus?

Once you’ve got your valuation, you’re free to choose! You might get more money if you sell your car privately (and you’ll reach a lot of car buyers on Auto Trader) – but it can take a bit of time and effort from you. Top publishers include Dalton Watson, Number One Press and Palawan Press, which was founded by Simon Draper, cousin of Richard Branson and former chairman of Virgin Music. After that company’s takeover by EMI in 1992 Draper went motor racing. The same year he published his first book, Aston Martin – The Compleat Car. “In its design and the quality of the paper and binding, it was a labour of love,” says Draper.

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A: We used to offer historic valuation data many years ago but as the uptake was very small, this was discontinued in 2011 Q: How much can options affect your valuation? When it comes to damage, because the amount of variables is so great, there is no fixed pricing structure or formula. For example, a car with panel damage, kerbed alloys etc will fall into the ‘Private Poor’ category. A car which has only minor damage [failed electric windows is a good example] should obtain a pricing level just below ‘Private Good’. Normally, a price somewhere in the middle ground between ‘Private Good’ and ‘Private Poor’ will be a good indication but ultimately, it’s down to the amount of damage or the amount of non-working items the car has. It doesn't necessarily have to be a compilation of cars themselves. It can just be a book detailing a great motoring story for readers to indulge in. One of the very best examples being 'Porsche 70 Years: There is no Substitute' outlined in our Porsche gift guide. It outlines a number of great stories from that marque whilst covering the brand too.

Generally, cars with higher mileages have lower resale values because they tend to have higher levels of wear and tear. Adding post-factory features like alloy wheels can add to a vehicles' value Things that can increase a car’s value The roadgoing McLaren F1 is one of the most legendary cars of all time, and has been endlessly documented and pictured. But if you’re a fan, this authoritative guide to its remarkable story is essential due to the access author Nye had to some of the key protagonists in the project.Several factors decide a car’s value, however. These include how well a car is looked after, any extra features included, and how rare or desirable colour or trim. A: Even though they can make a car more attractive to a potential buyer, not all added options fitted to a vehicle will guarantee an increase in value when you come to sell. Options such as body kits, cosmetic additions, LED headlamps, headlamp washers, uprated stereo and in some cases alloy wheels, don’t really enhance the price – but where they do, you’ll be given the chance to select them when performing a valuation. The added value of options reduces considerably as the car’s age increases. We'll very gladly nominate Norman Dewis thundering from Coventry to the 1961 Geneva Motorshow in E-Type '77 RW'. Just because it's the first one that came to our heads! Talking of Jaguar, we've created a gift guide for that marque too. Any post-factory features that you’ve added to the car that make it stand out, e.g. alloy wheels, multimedia systems, etc.

Handbooks and vehicle build sheets have always been in demand, but now people expect to find this kind of detail in books. Information that will help them buy, own and sell a special car, or satisfy a desire to get as close as possible to it, is what people crave.” Bauer Media Group consists of : Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Reading is one of the best ways to keep yourself in a calm state of mind, especially when it involves the best car books. CAR Magazine have been producing memorable stories and road tests since 1962, but nothing quite beats a good book. They're a perfect solution if you're struggling to get a car-related gift for a loved one. With Auto Trader, you can get an independent valuation that is only driven by data. Your valuation considers numerous factors such as your vehicle's age, mileage, spec and optional extras, to give you the most up to date valuation we possibly can.

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We look at millions of vehicles every day to ensure your valuation is accurate​. To ensure our prices are accurate, update our car valuations daily and combine data from: Subtitled ‘Prince Borghese’s Journey Across Two Continents in 1907’, this volume chronicles the Italian aristocrat’s success in an extraordinary race from China to France over two months 114 years ago. The book, says Ben, is an “all-time classic” and expertly paints a fascinating picture.