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

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.

Mercedes-AMG: Race-Bred Performance

by Matt DeLorenzo

From the Red Pig to the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar to that other mega-dollar marvel, the Cigarette Racing powerboats, this book updates the almost 60-year-long story of the little tuner company that became an official part of the Mercedes universe.

This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web

by Tim Berners-Lee

Cloud services made headlines just this week, and not in a good way. But can you really explain how it, or anything on “the web” works? The author is known as the inventor of the World Wide Web so who better to tell its origin story!

John, George and the HWMs: The First Racing Team to Fly the Flag for Britain

by Simon Taylor

Underdogs. One a mechanical engineer, the other almost a household name as a quite good race driver. England is picking itself up after the war so they stood up a race team—because they could and because no one else was. They did well, but ask people today about “HWM” . . .

Joseph Figoni: Le Grand Couturier de la Carrosserie Automobile

by Peter M. Larsen and Ben Erickson

Brimming with extraordinary source material these three volumes explore the Bugatti period in this coachbuilder’s oeuvre, and present info on 113 chassis bodied 1925–1939. The press release says “brace yourself,” and it ain’t kidding: over 1100 pages!

100 Dream Cars: The Best of “My Ride”

by A.J. Baime

The title may not inspire much confidence but this book really has substance. And it’s beautifully made yet costs practically nothing. If you read the Wall Street Journal you already know what to expect, but the photos look waaaay better here, at large size on good paper!

Blue Bug: The Story of A Girl and A Car

by Ronald Sieber

That’s a Type 35 on the cover and the little girl obviously loves it and wants to own it one day. And then she meets an honest to goodness Bugatti-racing woman!

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