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

As Old as the Industry: Riley, 1898–1969

by David G. Styles

When it first came out in 1982, this book was received with much acclaim and the prognostication—not just by the Riley world—that it couldn’t be improved upon. This despite the author’s insistence that it can neither be “complete” nor “100% accurate” given the source material it is able to draw on.

Alvis: The Story of the Red Triangle

by Kenneth Day

At different times, Alvis has been different things to different people. Cars, of course, since 1920, but also aero engines and armored vehicles. These three main activities mostly ran sequentially rather than concurrently, which conveniently lends this book thematic structure.

Corporate Power: American Democracy, and the Automobile Industry

by Stan Luger

The introduction to this book advises that it has grown out of a dissertation the author submitted to the University of New York. It is a scholarly study of the history of the power and influence of the automobile industry on governmental policies and the interactions of government and industry

Formula 5000 Motor Racing: Back Then . . . And Back Now

by Derek Lawson

Inspired by the success of the Can-Am series with its unlimited formula and powerful V8 engines this initially low-cost racing series for cars with a maximum engine capacity of 5L attracted many of the names we would recognize from the “big leagues.”

Joyaux Automobiles des Maharadjahs

by Gautam Sen

A clientele of wealthy Indian enthusiasts with incredibly deep pockets and remarkable eccentricities absorbed disproportionately large numbers of European and American cars, from bejeweled Rolls-Royces to more common fare such as Fiats and Fords.

Behind the Wheel: The Great Automobile Aficionados

by Robert Puyal

Puyal takes a cerebral approach to his subject. The lives of 54 people are enlisted to tell stories of wo/man’s relationship with the car through the ages.

Le Mans 1960–69: The Official History of the World’s Greatest Motor Race

by Quentin Spurring

Note the word “official”—this book is indeed published in association with l’Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the organizer. Thus Spurring had access to the ACO’s own archive of photographs and race data although it is not the first or the only book to have had that benefit.

China Clipper: Pan American Airways and Popular Culture

by Larry Weirather

People unfamiliar with the majestic Clippers may find the title contrived—flying boats and culture? The author likens their cultural impact to that of the moon landing. There really is not anything analogous nowadays so readers will have to allow the book to take them to a point they may well find odd at the beginning.

Can-Am Cars in Detail: Machines and Minds Racing Unrestrained

by Pete Lyons & Peter Harholdt

If you know your cars and you saw the cover photo without any text, you’d know right away you’re looking at a Can-Am car. Ain’t nothin’ like it. The subtitle says it all: Unrestrained. Unrestricted. Formula Libre. Anything goes.

Villiers: Everybody’s Engine

by Rob Carrick and Mick Walker

Villiers may have started building “everybody’s” engine way back in 1912 but unless you’re from the two-stroke small-engine world, chances are you do not know them. In which case you would do well to start with a look at Appendix 5 “Industrial Power Unit Users”.

Kept in the Dark

The Denial to Bomber Command of Vital Ultra and Other Intelligence During World War II

by John Stubbington

Even the casual reader will know that towards the end of WWII allied forces had the capability of intercepting coded German communications. Think Enigma and Lorenz machines, and Bletchley Park aka Station X, the UK’s main decryption establishment.

Woodward Avenue: Cruising the Legendary Strip

by Robert Genat

To anyone who has an affinity for car and youth culture in America, Woodward Avenue is an iconic name when it comes to cruising and street racing. “Detroit” is hardly synonymous with “hotbed of culture” and what happened on Woodward Ave. happened in a thousand other places but…

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