Blower Bentley: Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged

by Michael Hay

If there is such a thing as a “definitive” history of this model, this book is it. As a racecar the Blower did not set the world on fire but it was important for any number of reasons.

Sound Barrier: The Rocky Road to Mach 1.0+

by Peter Caygill

Shake, rattle, and roll—that’s the sound barrier at around 500 mph. This book explains how and why it happens, and how this difficult obstacle was overcome.

Street Rod

by Henry Gregor Felsen

Boy builds car, wins trophy, loses car. In print continuously since 1953, this novel just doesn’t seem to lose its appeal.

Ferrari / Les Plus Belles Ferrari

by Larry Edsall

From specs to trivia, this introductory book profiles 42 important Ferraris. The photos are the main draw here.

Frank Lockhart, American Speed King

by Sarah Morgan-Wu, James O’Keefe

Had he lived longer, who knows what heights he might have reached. His racing career lasted only five short years but showed such promise that the authors re-affirm Lockhart as “the greatest racing driver of his day.”

Formula One at Watkins Glen: 20 Years of the United States Grand Prix, 1961–1980

by Michael Argetsinger

The author’s father brought F1 to The Glen and racing is the “family businesss.” This should be the book that has the best story to tell. It doesn’t.

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

by Earl Berlin

Meet Old Shaky, the primary heavy-lift military transport aircraft during the 1950s and ‘60s. Not sexy but very, very useful.

Inside the Paddock: Racing Car Transporters at Work

by David Cross with Bjørn Kjer

Racecars don’t make good road cars. And if you think about it, except for when it actually races, a racecar is just a bunch of loose parts waiting to be put together. How does all this get from race to race? Wonder no more.

The Seaplane Years

by Tim Mason

Ever skipped a stone across water? Ever noticed the “suction” effect when lifting a flat-bottomed object out of water? Float and seaplanes have to overcome these and other problems, and this book explains how they were tested.

II PY

by Edward Evans 

A crime caper revolving around a vintage Rolls-Royce. More of a hair-puller than a nail-biter . . .

Heuliez, carrossier et constructeur: un siècle d’histoire

by Yves Dubernard

In Europe, trucks and buses with a Heuliez body tag are everywhere—but they’ve done a lot more and this book brings it all together.

Mille Miglia: The World’s Greatest Road Race

by Anthony Pritchard

Anyone could race here, just for the fun of it, and many did. Amateur drivers next to pro racers, Isetta bubble cars next to fire-belching sports cars—all on public, everyday roads. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.