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

Sunshine, Speed and a Surprise: The 1959 Grand Prix of The United States

by Joel E. Finn

Expository writing: somewhere here or in the hereafter there is a school teacher who takes pride in their former student, Joel Finn, for his clarity of expression. He marshals data, and interweaves anecdotes and his first-person observations into a compelling narrative of the first US Grand Prix.

The Forerunners of Jaguar in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia

by John Clucas & Terry McGrath

British Jaguar expert Paul Skilleter, who is the publisher of this book, introduces it on the flyleaf by stating “If you thought you knew all about the forerunners of Jaguar, think again. . . . Extraordinarily comprehensive and full of fascinating new details.”

W.O. Bentley: The Man Behind The Marque

by Malcolm Bobbitt

Bentley is one of the most storied marques in British history. Despite its racing successes, more precisely because of them and their drain on the corporate coffers, Bentley did not survive the Great Depression as an independent marque but rather found itself the neglected stepchild in the Rolls-Royce family.

Pistons to Blades
: Small Gas Turbine Developments 
by the Rover Company

by Mark C S Barnard

A gas turbine-powered Bentley in the late 1940s? Could have happened! The background to this book is the swap of Rover’s jet engine work for Rolls-Royce’s Meteor tank engine program in 1943.

Carriages Without Horses

J. Frank Duryea and the Birth of the American Automobile Industry

by Richard P. Scharchburg

This small hardcover history book focuses on which of the Duryea brothers, Charles or Frank, contributed the most to the design and construction of the first US car put into series production. Charles always claimed credit for the design of the car, thanking his younger brother Frank for being “his indispensable helper.”

Corvair Affair

by Mike Knepper

If you wanted but one book in your collection on the Chevrolet Corvair, Mike Knepper’s book would be a wise and logical choice. It is obvious that Knepper is a seasoned, professional automotive journalist, and it is equally obvious that his flair for language goes beyond many informative but dull books all too often found.

My Life and My Cars

by W.O. Bentley

The autobiography ends with a gathering of the Bentley Drivers Club at Bentley’s home in Shamely Green, in 1959; he then was in retirement and had kept close ties with the BDC. The last paragraph of the book is nearly wistful—that of a man looking back over an exciting and distinguished career. There seems to be a smile on his face.

The Last Hero: The Gallant Story of Donald Campbell and The Land Speed Record, 1964

by John Pearson

In 1964, Campbell set a record of 403.10 mph for a four-wheeled vehicle. John Pearson spent time with him during the preparations for the assault on the LSR—and through many of the long days and months of frustration, delays, inaction, and impatience waiting for the salt.

Avanti (Bonsall)

by Thomas E. Bonsall

Originally published in 1979 and long hailed as the ultimate book on the Avanti, this updated and revised edition is a must for every Avanti enthusiast. The legacy of the Avanti in the pony car era is all but ignored while lesser marques from the Big Three are eulogized for their contribution to the art.

Damn Few Died in Bed: Memories of a Life in American Automobile Racing

by Andy Dunlop

Before the days of even rudimentary safety features, brave and talented men raced brutally fast open-wheeled automobiles on the exciting dirt tracks of Middle America. Dunlop gives us a new appreciation of the lives of the people that crisscrossed the heartland on two-lane highways to compete in America’s bull rings on weekends.

Bentley: 3½ and 4¼ Litre 1933–40 In Detail

by Nick Walker

At the time period this book covers, Bentleys were built by Rolls-Royce which had taken over Bentley in 1931 in an attempt to thwart the competition and prevent Bentley from going to Napier which would have constituted an even more formidable challenge to Rolls-Royce.

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business

by Bob Lutz

Lutz is the last of the Motor City’s “bad boys.” Not bad like a De Lorean though the two of them shared a passion for cars but rather in the sense of being cut from the same cloth as a Lee Iacocca—a guy with gasoline in his veins who evaluates cars based on whether or not they’ll sell rather than how much they’ll cost to build.

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