John Harold Haynes, the man who created the first Haynes manual for home mechanics and ultimately founded a DIY publishing empire, has died.
Almost any handy motorcyclist is familiar with Haynes, even if they don’t own one of his manuals. Most common models from the 1970s through the early 2000s had a matching Haynes manual published, giving step-by-step breakdown and rebuilding instructions. They were often easier to understand than official factory manuals, being written for the home user and not a trained mechanic. That was Haynes’ strategy from the very start of his publishing career in the 1960s, when he started writing manuals for British sports cars after realizing the official how-to guides were insufficient. The branch into the motorcycle scene came later.
Haynes also founded the Haynes International Motor Museum in the UK, with a collection of more than 400 vintage and modern cars and motorcycles. Haynes also served as chairman of the Haynes Publishing Group until 2010.
John Harold Haynes, OBE, died February 8, 2019, at 80 years old. With more than 200 million Haynes manuals published over the decades, his influence on home mechanics everywhere is unimaginable. His full obituary is available at Haynes.com.
