Isle of Wight Transport Books by Chine Publishing

Chine Publishing was established in 2012 to produce high quality transport history books about the Isle of Wight.

Our first book “Independent Bus Services on the Isle of Wight” is now out of print. A few copies are still available from Ryde Bookshop and Dimbola Museum giftshop in Freshwater Bay.

Our second title “DL: Isle of Wight motor vehicles 1896 – 1939” by Mark Chessell tells the fascinating story of vintage cars, motorcycles, lorries, buses and charabancs on the Island. This hardback coffee table book has 144 pages and is profusely illustrated with over 160 superb images, most of which contain a distinctive DL registration number. There are photographs of many makes of vehicle including LIFU, De Dion Bouton, Milnes Daimler, Humber, Lanchester, Morgan, Alldays and Onions, Dennis, Leyland, Star, Oldsmobile, Ford, Austin, Morris, Rover, Vauxhall, Rolls Royce, Armstrong Siddeley, Triumph, Henderson and ABC Skootamota. In addition the book contains a number of pre-war pictures of buses and coaches operated by Isle of Wight Express Motor Syndicate Ltd., Creeth of Nettlestone, Colson Brothers, Enterprise Bus Service, Shotters Ltd. and Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Ltd.

The latest Chine Publishing book “DL – The Classic Years” continues the DL story by looking at motor vehicles which were registered on the Isle of Wight between 1939 and 1964. Following extensive research the author has assembled a fine selection of almost 200 images of a wide range of vehicles that were in use on the Island during the Second World War and the early post-war period. Many motor manufacturers are represented, including examples of some very rare vehicles such as the Austin A90 Atlantic, Jowett Jupiter, Austin Healey 100 and Paramount roadster.  “DL – The Classic Years” also contains several technical appendices, including an illustrated section on Isle of Wight garages from that period. This book evokes many nostalgic memories of childhood holidays on the Isle of Wight and British cars owned by parents and grandparents.