Archive for Author 'Helen Hutchings', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

Fins

by William Knoedelseder

Either the cover car is really low or the fella really tall. It’s more the latter—and Earl towered not only over his department (“team” was not a word in his vocabulary) but his industry, and, for a while, the consumer. But tastes did change; Earl did not.

F1 Mavericks

by Pete Biro and George Levy

Motor racing regs change pretty much every year but the period captured here, 1958–82, saw especially sweeping core changes in F1. From designers and engineers to drivers and team personnel to, of course, cars and components, this photo book takes you there.

Motorola [Two books about_]

Those pesky batteries, always prone to run out when you need them most. Enter, Motorola. That was 1928. Motorola, Inc divided itself into two companies in 2011, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions, still run from longtime Chicago facilities. We look at two books.

The Automobile Book

by the editors of The Saturday Evening Post

This American magazine was founded in 1821 and became a weekly in 1897 reaching millions of homes. It covered current events—and the automobile and the people behind and around it were most certainly that. Here is a collection of ads, commentaries, poems, stories, essays, reminiscences, and illustrations.

The International Harvester Company

by Chaim M. Rosenberg

And you thought farm equipment is boring…! Well, it may be, to some, but this book isn’t about the machinery but the machinations of the people at the helm of one of America’s biggest firms.

America’s Round-Engine Airliners

by Craig Kodera and William Pearce

Vibration, noise, roughness, creature comforts—early air travel really was rudimentary. The radial or star engine opened a new chapter and, for a while, was the best technical solution. But in its very advantages (cooling) lay the roots of its obsolescence (drag).

Hubert Platt: Fast Fords of the “Georgia Shaker”

by Allen Platt

From moonshine runner to multiple Hall of Famer, Platt was a showman on and off the track. And if Chevrolet hadn’t pulled out of racing, the subtitle might well be reading differently. Written by one of his sons, who is himself a racer, the book explores an iconic career.

Jim Clark: Racing Hero

by Graham Gauld

When the unassuming and versatile Scotsman died at the age of only 32 at the wheel of a racecar, he had already won more GPs and GP poles than anyone. If he was a hero, he was a reluctant one

Mustang by Design

by Jimmy Dinsmore and James Halderman

With all the ink that has been spilled on the Mustang, there was still one book that was missing: this one. As the key designer of the model he initially dubbed “Cougar” Halderman is the ultimate insider’s insider.

Isky: Ed Iskenderian and the History of Hot Rodding

by Matt Stone

The biggest names in racing were running Isky cams and Ed “the Camfather” made sure the world knew it and so became a household name. He’ still hanging around “the drags” so read the book before you run into him!

Neil “Soapy” Castles

by Henry Neil “Soapy” Castles

Living life to its fullest could be Castles’ motto. From NASCAR legend, to Hollywood insider, to taking on Exxon for groundwater contamination (a contributing factor to his cancer) and prevailing over both, Castles tells his fast-paced story.

Reid Railton, Man of Speed

by Karl Ludvigsen

In its award presentation, the Royal Automobile Club called this book “magisterial.” No argument. A Railton obit referred to him as “an exceedingly capable engineer and designer.” No argument. Finally here’s a book to tell the full story.