Inside the Machine: An Engineer's Tale of the Modern Automotive Industry

This book tells the story of the modern car industry from the inside. What is it really like to work for the carmakers – the industrial giants that influence the daily lives of millions? How are mass-production cars really designed, engineered, and manufactured? What does it take to engineer a successful vehicle?

The story is told through the author's own journey around the globe – starting as a young graduate engineer working for Nissan in the UK, to working for Nissan in Japan and, finally, for Renault in France as Chief Engineer of its ‘halo' sports-car, designed to relaunch the Alpine brand.

It tells the behind-the-scenes story of three well-known vehicles, whose development teams were led by the author – the Nissan Qashqai, the Renault ZOE, and the Alpine A110 – revealing some of the fascinating stories of how these vehicles came into being.

The book seeks to show the real work that goes on behind the glamour of the Motor Shows and the well-honed corporate press releases – work that is sometimes exciting, but often grindingly difficult.