Fast on the Sand: The Daytona Beach Land Speed Record Runs of 1928

by Aldo Zana

Record attempts in the early days of the automobile were hairy enough but to race on a surface that changes at least twice a day—the tide—and with unpredictable wind and rain (and glare and mist and shells cutting tires) made it even more dangerous. 1928 cost one of the contenders his life, and it’s still unclear why.

Trailblazer in Flight, Britain’s First Female Jet Airline Captain

by Yvonne Pope Sintes

“Airworthiness” of a different kind is the topic here: can—should—a woman be at the helm of a commercial airliner? You’ll shudder at some of the reactions in her time (1950s), and then you’ll shudder some more because glass ceilings are still very real today.

Astonishing Stories Pilots Tell

by Robert N. Pripps

You’ve heard it: flying is hours and hours of absolute boredom interspersed by moments of sheer panic. The author has written three dozen books about farm tractors but his heart has always been in the clouds. He earned his pilot’s license half a century ago—plenty long to have picked up a few tales.

Freestone & Webb, 1923–1958

by James Taylor

“Top Hat” and “Razor Edge” were just some of the clever ideas this coachbuilder had up their sleeve, they won gold medals nine years in a row, and were among the last five big remaining firms. But bespoke coachwork went the way of the dodo bird and it is little consolidation that F&W went out in a blaze of glory.

Concept Cars of the 1960s: Yesterday’s Future

by Richard Heseltine

Heseltine’s premise is that the 1960s were prime time for the concept car, and gives ample evidence of it. The future then posed different questions than it does today so the 200 cars discussed here cover the whole spectrum from of-the-moment practicality to science fiction.

Detroit Steel Artists

by Matthew Kilkenny

Ray Dietrich probably designed more custom and semi-custom cars than any other designer of the Classic Car Era. This is the book about Dietrich and others and those cars.

Adventures in Ferrari Land

by Edwin K. Niles

Was there really a time when used Ferraris were (relatively) cheap enough that even young people could afford them, use them as daily drivers, even race them without qualms? Yes! And Niles was the enabler—thanks to him so many Ferraris found their way to SoCal that they were easier to find there than in Italy.

Culture & Customisation: The Motor Scooter Story  

by Barry John

It’s not just nostalgia that keeps interest in scooters alive and well today. They are as practical as ever, economical to operate, take up little space, and now they even have zero-emissions electric motors. Plus, a brand-new racing series debuts this year, the eSkootr Championship.

Cobra Jet: The History of Ford’s Greatest High-Performance Muscle Cars

by Rob Kinnan & Diego Rosenberg

From its launch in 1968 to right now, Ford’s Cobra Jet has moved the needle and so does this fine book that separates the wheat from the chaff in a story that has been told too often for its own good.

MAX: The Dutch Master

by Andre Hoogeboom

Verstappen won the 2021 F1 World Championship and right away a book comes out. Coincidence? Yes, because it was started six years ago, a mere year after he had become the youngest driver to compete in F1.

Paper Money of the United States

by Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg

So you are a collector. Invest in a collectable—and you can only hope that you won’t lose money. Plus there will be upkeep. But invest in money and you’ll always at least break even no matter how old and crumpled the note is.

Legends & Lore Along California’s Highway 395

by Brian Clune

Have a need to visit  a house shaped like a lemon? Or, more sobering, the Manzanar Internment Camp? Or check if there really are 80,000 hubcaps in the hubcap capital of the world? Heck, that stop counts as a twofer because the 25-ft-tall woman lives here too. Go West, young wo/man!

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