The Car's the Star

Almost 50 years after the first model rolled off the production line, the Land Rover enjoys instant recognition all over the world. Quentin Wilson charts the history of this British success story.

With its seductive curves, stylish body, and two-tone paint, the Triumph Herald was regarded as a chic fashion statement by the 1960s middle classes. Thirty-five years on it's enjoying renewed cult status. Quentin Willson meets Harry Webster , who co-designed the original 1959 model with Giovanni Michelotti , and talks to some owners - including magician Fay Presto who has a Herald convertible 1200 - to find out why this car has such enduring appeal.

The Big Healeys. The Austin Healey was the stylish British sports car of the 50s and 60s. But, as Quentin Willson discovers, what is now regarded as a design classic was actually hard to drive.

The must-have car of the 80s is now viewed as a classic. Quentin Willson profiles the Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf GTi.

It may not have attitude, but its fans pay tribute to the design of Dante Giacosa as "a happy car" which is a lot of fun to drive. Quentin Willson admits it has all the performance of a stone snail, a speedomete rthe size of a pocket watch and luggage space fora toothbrush or two. But where other cars are about image and power, the Fiat 500 seems to engender genuine affection among owners past and present. What is the appeal of this matiest of four-wheelers?

Back in 1955 when it was launched, few vehicles could command the absolute authority of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Each car weighed two tons and took three months to build. With an interior like a stateroom and a bonnet like a croquet pitch, it was the closest you could get to a car in the style of a country house. But the Silver Cloud was never the sole preserve of the aristocracy. Quentin Willson meets some of its famous owners, including Barbara Cartland and Jimmy Saville.