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

Watkins Glen, the Street Years 1948–1952

by Phillipe Defechereux

People who like round numbers will know that the year this book was published—2011—was the 50th anniversary of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. That was 1961, by which time The Glen had been successfully hosting races for over a decade.

Steve McQueen: A Passion for Speed

by Frédéric Brun

To an American reader a book written from a foreigner’s perspective about a quintessential American icon is often as revealing as it is disconcerting—the two being different sides of the same coin.

Engines and Enterprise: The Life and Work of Sir Harry Ricardo

by John Reynolds

Ricardo’s education at the privileged schools of Rugby and Cambridge, coupled with his undying love for all things mechanical, propelled him on a career path to become one of world’s leading authorities in engine research and development.

Sports Car Racing in the South: Texas to Florida, 1957–1958

by Willem Oosthoek

To the serious student of racing in the US, this book and its two future companions will be inevitable purchases. To the more casual reader it won’t be the hard data so much as the abundance of photos that will make this acquisition worthwhile.

Bugatti (Hawley)

by Hawley, des Cordes, Mishne

From stone masonry to automobiles this catalog of a museum show looks at the artistic output of the entire Bugatti clan across three generations.

Porsche: The Sports Racing Cars 1953–72

by Anthony Pritchard

This book covers Porsche’s air-cooled, rear-engined competition models from the 550 to the 917. It also includes F2 and 1 cars because of their connection to the cars in the WSC Championship and GT Prototype classes but it excludes the 911 (except for the 911R) because it is not a dedicated competition model.

Bandini

by Franco Fabbri & Cesare Sangiorgi

Ilario, that is, not Lorenzo, the ill-fated Ferrari pilot. Ilario (1911–1992), known as “Lili” to his close friends, was a remarkable man who during the course of some 30 years created the jewel-like Bandini sports racers.

Mustang Boss 302: From Racing Legend to Modern Muscle Car

by Donald Farr

Ford Motor Co. did intend to drum up public awareness for its reintroduction of the street version of a storied model after a 40-year absence by accompanying the summer 2011 launch of the 2012 Ford Boss 302 Mustang with a book just like this, but written by someone else.

Delage, Styling and Design

by Richard S. Adatto and Diana E. Meredith

The most challenging aspect of this book is keeping one’s attention focused on the words that are printed on the pages. That’s simply because the images keep pulling you back to look some more. Few can resist the visual feast of those lush, lovely sculpted lines created by the fabled French coachbuilders.

Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul

by David Dowsey

Unlike the mostly premium-priced Aston Martin cars, this refreshingly cheap Aston Martin book leaves the buyer with the distinct satisfaction of having received great value for money (unless you must have the 2007 first edition which will set you back a pretty penny). And like the cars, this book is upscale, in presentation as much as in content.

The Ambulance: A History

by Ryan Corbett Bell

Bell surveys the critical moments in ambulance history “from the dusty byways of Byzantium to our modern asphalt boulevards.” reaches deeper than merely describing the vehicular aspects of ambulances but aims to explain their origin, purpose, and development in the larger context of advances in medical care and societal growth.

Art of the Muscle Car

by David Newhardt & Peter Harhold

This book surveys 47 some of the more emblematic specimens along with a few surprises. Philosophically, muscle cars of course harken back to hot rods: small car/BIG engine. You may recall a book with a similar title and done by the same photographer but one is very different in scope.

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