The Good, the Mad and the Ugly ... Not to Mention Jeremy Clarkson: The Golden Years of Motoring Journalism?

This book takes a light-hearted look at what the author considers to have been the golden age of motoring journalism – the last two decades of the 20th century. As a writer and tester for Motor magazine, founding Editor of Fast Lane magazine, and a freelance journalist with a weekly column in The Daily Telegraph, Peter Dron has many tales to tell. In these pages we meet industry moguls, unusual motoring journalists and various other passers-by. The reasons why it has all gone wrong, both for the motor industry and motoring journalism, are examined with candour. Although this book is essentially about cars and car people, the author ambitiously hopes that it may amuse, irritate or even inform people who are not interested in cars at all. If the readers are not amused, irritated or informed, the author does not mind in the least, provided they have bought the book with their own money rather than stolen it or acquired it by other means, fair or foul.

Table of Contents:
1 The not about Jeremy Clarkson chapter 2 A conspicuously successful man 3 The Rollerball Corporation 4 Public Enemy Number 1 5 An industry mogul follows my advice 6 Reference points 7 The good, the mad and the ugly 8 Cardinal Sin 9 BARGAIN OF THE WEEK!!! 10 Geneva as it was 11 Fiatboating 12 Whiteout in Provence 13 A memorably bad week 14 To Turin by Quattro - Part I 15 To Turin by Quattro - Part 2 16 Nobody messed with The Electric Carrot 17 The best laid plans 18 Up the hill with Hannu 19 My ego is bigger than yours 20 Answering questions nobody asked 21 Decline of the Routes Nationales 22 A splendid Anniversary 23 A cold day in the New Forest 24 Where Russian poets go to die 25 Not picking up the tab 26 An singular experience 27 Crashing into dustbins 28 "Let's go back to the hotel..." 29 Jabba and the Bleeptron 30 Frank and the Tardis 31 The training scheme 32 The man who shot Lord Haw-Haw 33 Just a second 34 Going to the wall 35 The subtle art of seduction 36 Crashing a motor caravan 37 Immediate and accurate correction 38 Testing, testing 39 Have you done this kind of thing often? 40 Look - no hands! 41 Brake fade 42 Insurance yarns 43 By Bentley around Europe 44 Asleep at the wheel 45 Dee-dah, dee-dah 46 What should I talk about? 47 Mr Plod takes a dip 48 Bernard 49 No way out, Jose 50 No escape, but in credit 51 Achtung! Take cover! 52 Purple haze 53 Scoop! 54 No survivors, it is claimed 55 EcotY? Phooey! 56 You're a cab 57 Countach! 58 Top speed controversy 59 Maxing the Lotus Carlton 60 A bit more sideways 61 Some enchanted evening 62 The nine-million-euro dream 63 Measure for measure 64 Testing, testing...like so, jawohl! 65 Missed opportunities and creative fibs 66 Polluted steering 67 The conversion of John 68 Plan A: a relaxing weekend in Paris 69 Drinking and driving 70 The mysteriously empty tureens 71 An inspector calls 72 Asymmetric, man 73 The High Priest of Asymmetry 74 Shadow boxing with Mr Bangle 75 It's The Pope, virtually 76 Avant-garde? Says who? 77 The real Mona Lisa, allegedly 78 The royal milk float 79 An adequate product solution 80 Sequiturs and bungarolas 81 Getting in a flap 82 Iron slugs 83 Wheeler dealer 84 Max Power 85 The largest pilot of all times 86 Telegraph times 87 V for Vette 88 The ghost of Mika Hakkinen 89 "What's the best car you have driven?" 90 "What's the best car you have owned?" 91 Retromania 92 Why I hate concours d'elegance 93 Stop the World... 94 Back to basics 95 From 3 to 4/4 96 Career advice 97 Crossing the finish line 98 The trouble with Uncle Harry 99 Last hominid at the wheel

About the Author :
Peter Dron’s writing career spans many years. In 1976 he joined Motor magazine, then Britain’s biggest-selling weekly motoring magazine, as a road tester, rising to Features Editor. In 1984, he became the launch Editor of the British monthly magazine Fast Lane, which had a circulation of over 50,000, where he remained until 1991. Peter also wrote for The Daily Telegraph as a columnist and contributor for 15 years. In addition, he has written for numerous other publications in Britain, the USA, France, Germany, Australia, South Africa, and more. During the 1980s he tested approximately 100 cars per year.

Review :
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of magazine road tests? If so, The Good, the Mad & the Ugly may be for you. Through 99 short essays, former Motor man Peter Dron tells a few truths, and reignites the old grudge, in his look back at what he claims to be the 'Golden Age' of motoring journalism. - Classic & Sports Car. Musings on motoring journalism throughout the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties. Very funny. - Classic Cars. Even if your interest in cars, or the motor journalistic scene, is minimal, you will find much to enjoy in this book, mainly because it is just a darned good read! – Iain P W Robertson.