British Founder of Haynes Repair Manuals Dies

John Haynes, who founded the Haynes Repair Manuals for do-it-yourself enthusiasts, died this month at the age of 80 following a short illness.

The manuals have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide since the first instruction guide was issued in 1966. Haynes Publishing was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1979.

Born in Sri Lanka, Haynes was sent to a U.K. boarding school when he was 12. As a student, he converted an Austin 750 into a lightweight 750 Special, then published a booklet chronicling the process.

While serving in the Royal Air Force, Haynes helped repair an Austin-Healey Sprite and found the owner's manual to be lacking. This prompted him to create a detailed manual, with step-by-step instructions, enlarged diagrams and lots of photos. The first run of 3,000 copies sold out in three months.

Haynes later acquired several rival repair manual publishers, including Chilton Repair Manuals in the U.S. The company also branched out to publish technical manuals for a variety of other types of vehicles—including the Apollo 13 space capsule and the International Space Station—and fictional ships such as Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise and Hans Solo’s Millennium Falcon in Star Wars.

The Haynes International Motor Museum was opened in 1985. The collection, which began with 30 vehicles, now houses 400 vehicles and attracts 125,000 visitors per year.

Haynes served as chairman of the publishing group until 2010. But he continued to work unofficially with editors to create content and manuals for several more years.