Archive for Author 'Paul Lea', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

Citroën DS Decapotable: Eclipse of the Sun-Goddess

by Stuart Ager

A feat of (re)engineering, the roofless French “goddess” debuted in 1960 only to be suddenly withdrawn from the UK market in 1967 and in mainland Europe by 1972. Why? Big story, much bigger than the car that found itself a victim of social and cultural forces.

An Illustrated Guide to the McLaren F1

by Joel Fletcher

None other than the designer of the car thinks this book is “pure genius” so how could you resist? The designer of the book didn’t initially mean to also write it but then did so that this visual guide to all 106 cars built would be in one voice.

27: Patrick Tambay – The Ferrari Years

by Massimo Burbi with Patrick Tambay

Cosmopolitan, debonair, often described as an old-school gentleman and one of the most genuinely charming personalities in F1, this Frenchman took over the car and race number of his deceased friend and drove himself into the history books.

Spreading My Wings

One of Britain’s Top Women Pilots Tells Her Remarkable Story from Pre-War Flying to Breaking the Sound Barrier

by Diana Barnato Walker

The subtitle tells you all you need to know. She flew 80 different types and delivered more than 260 Spitfires to the front. Her father was Bentley Boy Woolf Barnato, her partner in life Whitney Straight. A very worthy read.

The Last Train to Basel: Schlumpf, Bugatti and the French President

by Stuart Ager

The Schlumpf Affair of the 1970s involving the secret accumulation of some 500 historic cars by two wealthy industrialist brothers diverting company funds was a big deal in its day and never really, fully explained. Some files are still sealed but this account connects new dots.

Citroën SM: Accidental Death of an Icon

by Stuart Ager

How come an “icon” has a lifespan of only four years? The title implies something went wrong. Original research by a marque expert sheds new light on a complex story.

Formula 1 Champions Car by Car

Every F1 World Championship Car Since 1950

by Stuart Codling

A good driver would be great with a better car, right? Right? Well, there are many more moving parts to this question, but the driver/car combination is what this book examines. Spoiler alert: not every championship-winner driver has a championship-winning car.

Brooklands Belles: The Women Racers Who Took on The Men

by T.J. Hartwell

It took decades to break down the barriers barring women from competing in early motorsports on equal terms with men. Brooklands was the world’s first purpose built motor-racing circuit so if not here, where?

Bloody Dangerous: Fifty Missions Over Germany

The Last First-Hand Account From World War II

by Flt Lt Colin Bell, DFC

Chew on that subtitle for a moment: the last first-hand? Sure, you’ve seen a pile of war biographies already … but this author is a centenarian. And he rappelled down the side of a building at 102. Bloody dangerous all over again.

Formula 1’s Unsung Pioneers

The Story of the British Racing Partnership and How it Launched Motorsport into the Modern Era

by Ian Wagstaff

Best known for its association with Stirling Moss but for the worst reason, there are other factors noteworthy about BRP such as being the first fully sponsored F1 team.

Games Without Frontiers: Volume 1, 1966–1974

Matra – Alpine – Ligier – Simca – Renault – Alpine

by Stuart Ager

You can deduce from the cover illustration that this will be one unusual story. This book goes into a lot of behind-the-scenes material—and will require two more volumes to button it all up.