When the Wheels Come Off

Brian Cunningham's popular first book, Under the Bonnet, was a colourful and humorous collection of memories of his time as a car mechanic in the 1970s and '80s. When he wrote it, he was sure he had put everything of interest down, but it turns out there were quite a few escapades he'd forgotten to mention. Time, then, for part two . . . When the Wheels Come Off is a joyous return, covering what he missed first time round: cars fixed and some broken, fads and crazes, crashes and scrapes and near misses, evolutionary dead-ends in technology, underhanded practices and downright skulduggery, run-ins with management, the tools used, the cars 'stolen' and scrapyards visited. A lively and engaging trip back to the workshop.

Brian Cunningham worked as a car mechanic until his thirties, then continued a career in the car industry, in training, management and sales distribution. Since retirement he has worked in finance and retail, and spends his free time with his 5 grandchildren, as well as writing, fishing and playing chess. He previously wrote Under the Bonnet for The History Press. He lives in Norwich.