Archive for Author 'Sabu Advani', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

Wheels Within Wheels, An Unconventional Life

by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu

The name of Beaulieu looms large in British history, and not just in a motoring context although the clever book title so obviously alludes to it. His life would have been unconventional even without the law he changed, not as a lawmaker but as a defendant.

Ferrari F40

by Gaetano Derosa

At a cost five times higher than its predecessor and offered only to VIP customers, the Ferrari Forty would seem to have limited appeal. Instead, bidding wars ensued and the order book swelled. This book draws on a lot of Ferrari publicity material to explain why the car is so special.

Ronny Bar Profiles: German Fighters of the Great War Vol 1

by Ronny Bar

If you deal with World War I aviation you will have seen Bar’s artwork before. He was a modeler before he became an artist so he knows what level of detail and realism to show. There are only six aircraft makers covered in this book but in dozens of variations.

Auto-Opium: A Social History of American Automobile Design

by David Gartman

Mass production gives rise to social conflict, social conflict is reflected in the aesthetic qualities of vehicles. All clear? How’s this: working Americans demand beautiful, stylish, and constantly improving cars to compensate them for the deprivations of mass production. Not an easy book, this!

Ferrari F40 

by Keith Bluemel

It was among the most expensive cars of its time, yet the company sold three times as many as they had forecast. It changed the way other makers looked at supercars and it also changed how Ferrari thought about its own cars. See why here.

A History of Auto Racing in New England

Dick Berggren, editor

Unless you live there you probably had no idea how long ago racing started in that region. This excellent book connects many dots that extend far beyond those six states.

Norbert Singer – My Racing Life with Porsche 1970–2004

by Norbert Singer & Wilfried Müller

He almost became a rocket scientist. He almost went to Opel instead of Porsche. His very first assignment helped win Le Mans at a crucial time. No looking back now—his entire career was spent at Porsche, which would go on to win 16 overall race victories with cars in which he played a key role.

The Lotus Book Type 1-74 & The Ian Walker Racing Elans

by Colin Pitt

Covering this many cars in one single book of not even 200 pages can only be accomplished one way: keep it light and tight. This isn’t so much an emulation of the Lotus credo but the author/publisher’s default writing style.

Lancia Flaminia and Flavia

by Colin Pitt

All roads lead to Rome, and the Flaminia is named after one of them. There are practically no books about these models; this one is hardly comprehensive but it’ll have to do.

Triumph Cars: 100 Years

by Ross Alkureishi

A really good look at the cars and the people who made them, spiced with plenty of well-deserved criticism of the politics that drove this fine marque into the ground.

Rolex: Special Edition Wristwatches

by Braun, Häussermann, Niemann, Wimmer-Olbort

Auction house Christie’s says Rolexes gain value faster and more steadily than any other brand so even if you don’t want one on the wrist, you may want to put one in the safe—but read the book first. It covers all the bases, from history to manufacture to values.

The Art of NASA: The Illustrations That Sold the Missions

by Piers Bizony

Picture a time when no one outside the professional community thought much about space—except that it mustn’t fall to the Russians. So, if we really need to go there, how would we do it? And how do we get the taxpaying public excited about the newest frontier? More than two hundred illustrations tell that story.