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Acknowledgements
Mike Blundell
In developing my sections of this book I am indebted to my colleagues and
students at Coventry University who have provided encouragement
and material that I have been able to use. In particular I thank Barry Bolland
and Peter Griffiths for their input to Chapter 2 and Bryan Phillips for his
help with Chapter 5. I am also grateful to many within the vehicle dynamics
community who have made a contribution including David Crolla, Roger
Williams, Jim Forbes, Adrian Griffiths, Colin Lucas, John Janevic and
Grahame Walter. Finally I thank the staff at Elsevier Science for their patience
and help throughout the years it has taken to bring this book to print.
Damian Harty
Mike’s gracious invitation to join him and infectious enthusiasm for both
the topic and this project has kept me buoyed. Robin Sharp, Doug and Bill
Milliken keep me grounded and rigorous when it is tempting just to play in
cars and jump to conclusions. David Crolla has been an ever-present voice
of reason keeping this text focused on its raison d’être – the useful fusion
of practical and theoretical vehicle dynamics. Professional colleagues who
have used banter, barracking and sometimes even rational discussion to
help me progress my thinking are too numerous to mention – apart from
Duncan Riding, whom I have to single out as being exceptionally encouraging.
I hope I show my gratitude in person and on a regular basis to all of
them and invite them to kick me if I don’t. Someone who must be mentioned
is Isaac Newton; his original and definitive brilliance at describing
my world amazes me every day. As Mike, I thank the staff at Elsevier
Science for their saintly patience.
I owe the most thanks to the management of Prodrive. Their skill at allowing
me to thrive defies any succinct description but I am deeply and continuously
both aware of and grateful for it.
And finally, I’d just like to say I’m very sorry for all the cars I’ve damaged
while ‘testing’ them. I really am.