Archive for Items Categorized 'Automobiles', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

Sir William Lyons on Jaguar

The Legend Explained In his Own Words

by Giles Chapman

Never previously published in book form, this 1969 speech by the company founder offers his perspective on its creation and place in the world. He gave few interviews in his lifetime and this speech was published only 40 years after his death.

The Automotive Alchemist

by Andy Saunders

Andy Saunders Creative Cars dreams up custom cars that are found on show fields and in galleries and in private collections, and in his own driveway. He has many more cars to “get out of his system”—this book showcases several decades of work.

Automobili Lamborghini: Past, Present, Future

by Simonluca Pini 

Made you look! Those green lines are not random but you have to know Lambos to recognize the shape. Or study this nice book with its excellent photos.

Luca: Seeing Red

presented by Chris Harris

Is this documentary film about a key Ferrari leader a biopic or a bromance? In its own words it’s a love letter to the greatest car boss ever. Watch it anyway—there’s good archival footage. And it’s well lit. Being a film, this matters.

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale: The Courage to Dream

by Cristiano Fioiro et al

This lavish book is about the reinvention of an icon, showcasing early sketches and photos of the prototype and featuring insights from the CEO, designers, and engineers.

BMW 3-Series 50 Years

by Tony Lewin

Every new iteration of this iconic car causes great soul-searching among road testers and journalists: is it still the quintessential Ultimate Driving Machine? More than 20 million paying customers have voted with their wallets so something must be right. This book puts it all into context.

Chrome Colossus, General Motors and Its Times

by Ed Cray

The author was a journalism professor not an auto industry expert so he examines GM through the lens of “accountability” vis-à-vis, for instance, planned obsolescence, resisting regulation, and opposing imports. The book is over 40 years old—and still not obsolete.

Ferrari: The Monopostos of 1948–52

by John Starkey

Enzo Ferrari wants to go back racing but the war has scattered the workforce, materials are in short supply, and spare money even more so. But Ferrari became a dominant player, so the right things must have happened. This book shines a light on some of them.

Superveloce: How Italian Cars Conquered the World 

by Peter Grimsdale

Just what is it about Italian cars that gets the blood flowing so? That question never seems to get old—even if a definitive answer remains elusive. There’s food for thought here, but it’s not the last word.

Wayne Carini, Steering Through Life

by Wayne Carini

This automotive memoir by a classic car expert and TV host talks about his life, influences, lessons learned, and of course the finding, collecting, and repair of cars.

Whitney Straight – Racing Driver, War Hero, Industrialist

by Paul Kenny

Born into a prominent family, he hated being referred to as the “Boy Millionaire Race Track Idol”—but he was all that and more, and on his own merits. He would have been more still if he hadn’t died young, at 66. And then this fine book would have had to be even longer!

Spada, The Long Story of a Short Tail

by Bart Lenaerts & Lies de Mol

The title sort of gives it away: Ercole Spada’s design career got underway with his interpretation of the truncated tail. Others did it too, he did it differently. At last there’s an entire—and supremely well designed—book about him.