Silver Ghosts of Australia and New Zealand

by Ian L Irwin

Unlike books written “on spec” for commercial gain or a misguided yearning for immortality, this 2-volume opus is the proverbial labor of love of one enthusiast’s lifelong unwavering interest.

Hot Rod (Perry)

by David Perry & Barry Gifford

If, when browsing the magazine rack, you would automatically pass by Old Skool Rodz and Hot Rod Deluxe in favor of Classic Motorsports, Collectable Automobile or Road & Track—or even Rod & Custom (there is a fine line there, but it exits)—you would no doubt pass on this book also. There is a certain shame in that…

Rallying in a Royal Rolls-Royce

Preparations, Pitfalls and Passion on the 1997 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge

by Jeanne Eve

If you are a Rolls-Royce enthusiast seeking information on compression ratios and piston stroke, then this one may not be your cup of tea. However, if you have a pulse, if you have ever felt the call of the open road, and you don’t treat your car like a trailer queen, then you must read this!

A Reliable Car and a Woman Who Knows It: The First Coast-to-Coast Auto Trips by Women, 1899–1916

by Curt McConnell

McConnell’s two related earlier books about transcontinental trips are supplemented here by the story of pioneering women drivers who tackled great distances just to show it could be done. None of the three books makes reference to the others and we continue to be puzzled by this odd bit of marketing strategy.

Road Racing: Drivers of the 60’s and 70’s

by L. Weldon & J. Heimann

Once upon a time motor racing was purely a man’s sport. With rare exceptions, women weren’t allowed near the cars during the race. In photos from the ’30s it’s always raining and cold, and the men in the pits, invariably clad in long overcoats and ties, all seem to resemble Humphrey Bogart or Alfred Neubauer.

Ships and Shipbuilders: Pioneers of Design and Construction

by Fred M Walker

To the uninitiated, “Rina” may sound like the name of the girl next door but RINA, or rather the RINA, is really the venerable Royal Institution of Naval Architects which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2010, which occasioned this book.

David Molyneux: The Racer’s Edge, Memories of an Isle of Man TT Legend

by David Molyneux with Mathew Richardson

Who would have thought that when the first race on the Island was held in 1904 (because racing in Britain was forbidden and the 1903 introduction of a 20 mph speed limit) that more than a 100 years later the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy could lay claim to being the oldest circuit in the world still in use?

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.

The Detroiters

by Harold Livingston

Pulp fiction. After Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 acclaimed film, it is probable that this phrase conjures images that go far beyond the scope of its original essence—who can forget the indelible images of Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield? And although Livingston’s book has been described as pulp fiction, it really is not in the same league as the sexy crime thrillers.

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.

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