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

Rallying to Monte Carlo

by W.M. (Mike) Couper

Often humorous and exciting, the anecdotes of rally preparation and racing as an independent in 1939 and as a factory-supported driver in Rolls-Royces and Bentleys 1949–1955 still end up rather monotonous—there are only so many icy S-curves, near misses, mechanical problems, hastily eaten meals and cabin repartee that one can bear patiently.

Veteranos y Clásicos

by Josep Vert i Planas

“Vert Carrocerias” produced passenger and commercial vehicles but it was after WWII that their interest in classic cars developed into a sideline that specialized in the restoration of what was left after the war had taken its toll.

Mustang Genesis: The Creation of the Pony Car

by Robert A. Fria

Fria has the distinction of owning since 1997 the first Ford Mustang hardtop with a factory-issued VIN (5F07U100002) and fully restored it. That alone does not make him an expert, it’s the 10 years of research and the tracking down and interviewing many of the surviving players in the Mustang story.

Motor Racing: The Pursuit of Victory 1930–1962

by Anthony Carter

Slightly smaller than its 2005/2007 predecessor—and also slightly cheaper; not at all to be taken for granted—this new book dials the clock farther back, to the 1930s. More specifically, the 1933–1939 racing years and then, interrupted by the war and its aftermath, the 1950–1962 era.

The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story, Part 1: The First Forty Years

by Peter Pugh

If you associate the name “Harold Nockolds” with a book of this title you are making the right connections but this is not a re-edition of Nockolds’ 1938 classic that covered the first 34 years of Rolls-Royce history.

Engine Revolutions: The Autobiography of Max Bentele

by Max Bentele

This German mechanical engineer/scientist used extensive hands-on testing and mathematical analysis of the resulting data to systematically track down problems in engines and to analyze the viability of proposed new engine concepts. He became an expert in gas sealing, starting his jet engine education by solving the exploding blade problem.

American Road Racing — The 1930s

American Road Racing – the 1930s

by Joel E Finn
Finn has produced an epic work with this brilliantly written coffee table book is. It is, however, even more remarkable for its exhaustive research. The book covers the rebirth of American road racing which had become dormant after the early years of the twentieth century.

‘40 Ford: Evolution, Design, Racing, Hot Rodding

by Joseph P Cabadas

One can only wish that readers don’t pass this book by, thinking it’s about a model—iconic as it is—or a marque, or a period they’re not really interested in. There’s a whole lot more to this book, which is no surprise if you consider it in the context of the author’s previous work.

Sleeping Beauties USA: Abandoned Classic Cars & Trucks

by Bjoern Marek

Adding to the growing literature of photo documentaries about junked cars is this look at American (except for two) cars on—if not sometimes in—American soil. Written and partially photographed by a German journalist.

Bagheera: l’irrésistible panthère de Matra Simca

by André Dewael

Dewael founded the Belgian Matra Club in 1987 and so it is only natural that he embarked on the huge task of writing the definitive book on the futuristic Bagheera coupé—the “irresistible panther.” No stone was left unturned.

Art of the Hot Rod

by Ken Gross, with photos by Peter Harholdt

Once strictly a workingman’s pastime, today’s DIYer is joined by “checkbook rodders” bankrolling custom builds from specialized shops that offer the whole panoply of skills and services. The work done by the second generation of craftsmen, builders, and artists is showcased in this book.

The Winners Book: A Comprehensive Listing of Motor Racing Events 1895–2009

by James O’Keefe

Few of the customary book review parameters apply to a book full of names and numbers. If you follow any sort of racing with any sort of regularity it’s only a matter of time until you can’t recall “who’s on first” in a particular year or event.

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