Inside the machine: An engineer’s tale of the modern automotive industry

by David Twohig

Inside the Machine tells the story of the modern car industry from the inside. What is it really like to work for the car-makers – 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 their ‘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 finally the Alpine A110 – revealing some of the fascinating stories of how these vehicles came into being. The book will seek 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.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published April 13, 2019

Reviews

[Vivek Shah]

One might think that a book by a car engineer, about how cars are made, will be exceedingly boring, dull and only for car enthusiasts.

Nothing could be further from the truth. David Twohig goes into entertaining detail retelling stories about the insane pressure and internal politics that occur at the massive industrial giants of Nissan and Renault. Just as importantly, however, he details the significant cultural differences between these companies, that stem from their Japanese and French origins, and how he managed to bridge the divide and work successfully at both.

A must read not just for car guys and girls, but also for anyone interested in the importance of corporate culture (especially Japanese and French culture) and how critical it can be to define the success and failure of a product.

[Tom Verkooijen]

This was a great read. Highly entertaining way of looking at the design and (pre)manufacturing process of (very significant) new car models. Having been exposed to the author's writing on The Intercooler, I was quick to order his first book and wasn't disappointed.

Whilst I am not an engineer (in the slightest), his way of writing, sharing anecdotes about his life, providing great content about the processes and the cars, all whilst not taking himself too serious, makes it a very entertaining read for virtually anybody who has a bit of petrol running down their veins.

I have since bought more copies and shared them with friends, who all were equally positive about it.

In summary: highly recommendable!

[Shaun Briers]

Thankfully not a memoir, but instead a chronological and reflective re-telling of David's career thus far, and, most interestingly, a real insight into how cars are engineered and desiged, from mere ideas to post-release. David goes into meticulous detail without resorting to solely engineering facts, jargon, and reminiscing, making this a truly worthwhile and accessible read for those interested in the automotive industry.

[Ciarán Murray]

Great book for someone starting in the automotive industry. Taught me to have an appreciation of the design of automotive and how if you truly want to know how a car works you need to understand the systems

[Daniel Pys]

Great and easy read, fascinating for an engineer, providing insight into car development and big companies. However, the most important thing is that it made my obsession with Alpine A110 even bigger

[Gonzalo Mollá]

A great insight into one of the most complex industries in the world. The ‘industry of industries.’
Brief and fluid to read.
Highly recommended.