How the Atlas Has Changed Over the Years

Since it was first published in 1973 the Collins Road Atlas of Britain has changed beyond all recognition. In addition to the style and contents of the atlas, the way in which it has been produced has also changed dramatically over the last 35 years.

Below are a series of images to illustrate just how much the mapping has evolved - click on each year below to see samples from that year's atlas, and click on the images to view a larger version. (These will open in a new window.)

  • 1975
  • 1985
  • 1995
  • 2005
  • 2009
CRAB75 Cover   CRAB75 Cheltenham   CRAB75 London   CRAB75 Town
CRAB85 Cover   CRAB85 Cheltenham   CRAB85 London   CRAB85 Town
CRAB95 Cover   CRAB95 Cheltenham   CRAB95 London   CRAB95 Town
CRAB05 Cover   CRAB05 Cheltenham   CRAB05 London   CRAB05 Town
CRAB09 Cover   CRAB09 Cheltenham   CRAB09 London   CRAB09 Town
The list to the right highlights some of the changes the Collins road atlas has seen over the years - from new tourist attractions to changing in content specification.

"Since Collins published the first large format road atlas of Britain back in 1973, the atlases have been extended and improved and the range of formats and bindings has increased. For example, Collins atlases now include more large scale urban and city maps than any other comparable atlas on the market today. From a publishing perspective, we always look at new directions for our GB atlas range. Last year saw the launch of a brand new format - the Fold Out atlas, which has large pages folded into a neat glovebox-sized format, ideal for today’s smaller cars. And this year we've added the Sat Nav Buddy companion atlas to the range."

HELEN GORDON - Publishing Services Director