If you’ve ever wrenched on a car, then you’ve probably used a Haynes repair manual. The iconic Haynes books, which feature colorful covers and often detailed cutaway drawings, have been a boon to do-it-yourselfers since they first appeared on shelves more than 50 years ago. With step-by-step instructions complete with photos and exploded diagrams, Haynes manuals have helped show many of us here at MotorTrend that it’s possible to fix almost anything on your own. We’re sad to report that the founder of Haynes Publishing and the author of the very first Haynes manual, John Haynes, has died at the age of 80.
As Haynes Publishing wrote in its obituary, John Harold Haynes fell in love with cars early in life. Born on March 25, 1938, in British Ceylon, Haynes enjoyed riding in his father’s Morris 8 sedan as a child. He moved to the U.K. when he was 12 to attend boarding school with his brother. There, he convinced his Head Master to let him skip rugby so he could tinker with an Austin 7. Eventually he modified it into what is known as an Austin 7 “Special,” and his design proved so popular that he decided to write a booklet detailing how to build one. The first 250 printed copies of that booklet, titled Building a 750 Special, reportedly sold out in 10 days.