The mythical F40 was in its time the fastest production car ever built and the object of all desires.
In this unique 324-page book (that is to say one page per kilometer/hour reached), more than 40 testimonials from personalities who collaborated in the creation of the F40 such as designers, draftsmen from Pininfarina, test drivers, but also many people who have promoted the image of the F40, such as owners, drivers, stars, artists, presidents of Ferrari Clubs, importers, distributors, technicians etc.
The author makes us share in a tour of the world all his memories, meetings and correspondences.
In more than 30 years, the F40 still leaves us with so many strong emotions, desired by Enzo Ferrari during his lifetime.
Participated: Nicola Materazzi, Oscar Scaglietti, Leonardo Fioravanti, Aldo Brovarone, Pietro Camardella, Mario Vernacchia, Dario Benuzzi, Luca Picco, Brenda Vernor, Paolo Pininfarina, Sergio Cassano, Paolo Cavalieri, Giorgio E. Cavalieri, Manuel de Miguel-Mornet, Fede Garcia, Giuseppe Greco, Ed Gilbertson, Chuck Queener, Christian Philippsen, Patrick Tambay, Jean Alesi, Jean Berchon, Philippe Gardette, Pierre Daverat, Dominique Bardini, Pascal Papazyan, Philippe Bouvard, Yan Denes, Rossano Candrini, Mauro Raccanello, Luca Fornetti , Junichiro Hiramatsu, Hideki Yoshida, Albert Seyler, John Pogson, Dimitrios Spyropoulos, Nikolay Panuli, Blaise Zuchuat, Tiziano and Fabrizio Carugati, Roger Imboden etc. and many others.
A celebration of aesthetic pleasure
A leading figure in the sector of car design (with important roles in the Peugeot-Citroën Group and at Pininfarina), the author draws his inspiration from the fundamental role that aesthetic gratification has always played in the relationship between man and the automobile.
Among the topics addressed, the birth and evolution of the profession of automotive designer, with extensive historical references, linked to the great ‘coachbuilders’ of the 1920-1960s period and to the evolution of the last 30 years, which led to the creation of the Style Centres of the major manufacturers, no longer integrated and therefore subordinate to technical management.
Starting from personal experience, considerable space is dedicated to the problems and choices that a car designer must inevitably face, reconciling the artistic side with the industrial context in which he operates. Concepts and rules that allow you to see the birth of a model that will be mass-produced, starting from the first sketches on a white sheet of paper. With concrete examples, referring to cars from Citroën, Peugeot, Maserati and Pininfarina.
The book also includes an appendix, dedicated to the most famous car designers of yesterday and today, which allows you to find out who created the style of famous cars, in many cases generically attributed to the manufacturer or the coachbuilder, where the designer himself was working…
This is a photographic history of Citroen in motor sport from 1948 to 1980. It contains hundreds of period photos. Beside the photographs, short captions provide valuable information to the reader. Thanks to its chronological order, the book offers a pleasant mix of rallying, hill climb and racing.
Technical details:
Foreword: Claudine Bouchet-Trautmann,Marlene Cotton-Wolsgensinger,Jean-Peirre Hanrioud,Claude Laurent,Jean-Paul Luc,Bob Neyret,Jean-Claude Ogier,Lucette Pointet,Christian Tiilber,Patrick Vanson
Author: Maurice Louche
Format: 23 x 27 cm, Hardcover
Pages: 224
Illustrations: 554 in colour and B&W
Language: French
This is a photographic history of Alfa Romeo in motor sport from 1950 to 1975. It contains hundreds of period photos. Beside the photographs, short captions provide valuable information to the reader. Thanks to its chronological order, the book offers a pleasant mix of rallying, hill climb and racing.
Technical details:
Foreword: Bernard Consten, Nanni Galli, Jean-Claude Gamet, Jacques Laffite
Author: Maurice Louche
Format: 23 x 27 cm, Hardcover
Pages: 232
Illustrations: 571 in colour and B&W
Language: French
The history of the brand Lancia is closely connected to motor sport. For this pictorial Maurice Louche delved into is giant archive and selected the best images of the Italian brand. While the majority of the pictures are from Rallies also the racing activities are shown. The journey starts in 1948 and goes from the beautiful Aurelia to the successes of the Fulvia right to the unforgotten Stratos and the Group B cars 037 and Delta S4 – not forgetting the Group 5 and Group C race cars.
french text
This book is a pictorial history of Alpine cars. It contains hundreds of B&W and colour pictures from 1955 to 1976. Beside the photographs, short captions provide valuable information about each photo. Thanks to its chronological order, the book offers a pleasant mix of rallying and racing.
Technical details:
Foreword: Mauro Bianchi, Jean-Pierre Hanrioud, Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Jean-Luc Thérier, Jean Vinatier
Author: Maurice Louche
Format: 23 x 27 cm, Hardcover
Pages: 232
Language: French
The 8C Competizione was launched in 2008, a synthesis of the new “Alfa Romeo philosophy”, the marque’s strategy to reaffirm its uniqueness and ability to bring together emotion, engineering and aerodynamic efficiency and the exaltation of driving pleasure.
From the concept car to the version produced in just 500 examples, just a very few modifications were made by the “Centro Stile” at Arese; this supercar struck an immediate chord and relaunched the image of the marque among the world’s most important collectors. This success was to be repeated with the 8C Spider – also produced in a limited series – which the Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson defined as the world’s most beautiful car.
The Supercars series could hardly not feature a title dedicated to these two bespoke Alfas. Ample space is dedicated to the history and stylistic evolution of the two models, including an examination of the original Frau interior trim specifications.
There are also chapters devoted to the technical history of the cars and the driving impressions of those who have tested them on track.
The book comes with a foreword by Carlo Di Giusto, journalist of the Italian magazine Quattroruote (Four Wheels) and leading expert on driving and road tests of both small cars and supercars
The particularly rich illustrations have largely been drawn from the archives of the magazine Quattroruote.
71st YEAR – First published in 1951 – The longest running motor racing yearbook. Independent and authoritative editorial combined with the sport’s finest photography Despite the pandemic, AUTOCOURSE celebrated its 70th year of publication in 2020, a year turned on its head by Covid-19. Thanks to the FIA and racing’s management, F1 was rescued, with a compelling 17-race championship spanning Europe and the Middle East. For 2021 a record 22-race schedule was planned, and despite changes to venues, the F1 championship was very much up and running by March 2021. Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton – now the winningest driver in history – broke more records. The Briton smashed through the 100 pole-position barrier, and moved inexorably toward a century of Grand Prix wins in the face of a real championship challenge from Max Verstappen. Red Bull Racing and Honda seemed to have all but matched Mercedes to provide the fans with a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle, which would end up with some controversial collisions as the season reached boiling point. Authors Tony Dodgins and Maurice Hamilton, combining almost 80 years of F1 expertise, examine each round in depth. Full race reports are backed by detailed results, including lap charts and tyre strategies. The nuances of F1’s designs and development are analysed team by team by the much-respected Mark Hughes, enhanced by Adrian Dean’s handsome F1 car illustrations. Motor racing’s other major categories are also fully covered: Toyota’s WEC and Le Mans sports car successes; the closely-fought F2 and Formula 3 championships, featuring emerging young talent from around all continents the world; and Nick de Vries emerging victorious in the tight fought Formula E series for electric powered single seaters. AUTOCOURSE includes all the hectic action from the top Touring Car series – the World Touring Car Cup and the British Touring Car Championships as well as the reconfigured DTM Series now running GT cars from Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Ferrari. From America, Gordon Kirby recounts a thrilling Indycar series, featuring a mix of youthful talent such as Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward, both of who were vying to overturn the established veterans who have dominated proceedings over the past decade. In an emotional return, Helio Castroneves took record equalling fourth Indy 500 victory, whilst an appreciation is made to paid to the legendary three-time Indy 500 winner the late Bobby Unser. The ever-popular NASCAR stock car series ran from February to November with barely a weekend’s break, to feature more than forty races before the final championship play-off round at Phoenix, Arizona. In a single essential volume, AUTOCOURSE provides the most comprehensive record of world motor sport, complete with full results not found anywhere in a single volume. It is required reading for all motor sport fans worldwide
The material appeal of the automobile junkyard goes beyond the search for second-hand parts.
What happens to automobiles after they are retired but before they are processed as scrap? In this fascinating history, David N. Lucsko takes readers on a tour of salvage yards and wrecked or otherwise out-of-service cars in the United States from the point of view of gearheads―the hot rodders, restoration hobbyists, street rodders, and classic car devotees who reuse, repurpose, and restore junked cars.
Junkyards, Gearheads, and Rust is a nuanced exploration of the business of dismantling wrecks and selling second-hand parts. It examines the reinterpretation of these cars and parts by artists as well as their restoration by enthusiasts. It also surveys the origin and evolution of gearhead-oriented yards that specialize in specific types of automobiles; dissects the material and emotional appeal of the salvage yard and its contents among enthusiasts; and examines how zoning and nuisance ordinances have affected both salvage businesses and hobbyists.
Lucsko concludes with an analysis of efforts during the last twenty-five years to hasten vehicular obsolescence at the expense of salvage yards, mechanics, and enthusiasts. By examining how cars are salvaged, repurposed, and restored, this book demonstrates that the history of the automobile is much more than a running catalog of showroom novelties.
Born in 1926, an introduction to the Meyers family, and stories of Bruce’s young life and his fascination with the sea and boats follow him from an impish young surfer to joining the Merchant Marines and eventually the Navy, surviving a Kamikaze attack in World War II. After the Navy, not tired of the sea, it beckons to him once more reuniting with the Merchant Marines to see the world. Still fascinated by adventure and sailing, travel with him to the South Seas on a square-rigged schooner to build a trading post on a coral atoll. With sailing in his blood, he came home to building boats and creating some of the first tooling for building large fiberglass sailboats. Returning to Tahiti in a self-built 47ft catamaran continued to be his dream, where you will share his emotions at the results.
As a design object beyond its practical purpose, the automobile has left an indelible mark on the world we live in. There is scarcely another everyday item which has been designed in a more sophisticated and inventive manner and which offers a larger projection area. This can be seen with particular clarity in the sports car of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, which are fast, beautiful, eccentric, and innovative. In recent decades, these coveted collector’s items have attained cult status, and have come to be widely regarded as dream cars for eternity. In an exciting journey through time, this volume pays homage to a selection of exclusive sports cars by legendary manufacturers—including Porsche, Ferrari, and Jaguar—showing them to be artworks in their own right. Essays, biographies, and brilliant color photographs shed light on the sports car’s unparalleled unity of form, technology, design, and emotions.
Everything there is to know about the iconic car: from technology to design, lifestyle, film, celebrities, and history
• The classic car from every angle: how a small car became a huge legend
• A new perspective and a sense of nostalgia: the perfect gift, not just for classic car fans
A classic, an icon, and much more than just a car. For many owners, the VW Beetle was practically a member of the family. For 65 years, the favorite car with its friendly exterior was a major part of the history of mobility. This fascinating book is a wonderful journey through time: emotional, nostalgic, and fascinating. From the very first model in 1938 to the final Beetle to roll off the production line in Mexico in 2003, from Herbie the iconic movie Beetle to quirky design variations, from the Beetle amphibious vehicle to the Beetle police convertible, we all associate this iconic car with a host of memories and even more emotions. And if you spend enough time leafing through this volume, you might just hear the distinctive sound of the boxer engine…
• The ultimate insider’s guide to the VW Bus
• Features interesting and unusual stories about the popular car model
• Fully illustrated with 111 full-page color photographs
The VW Bus is not just a car. It is sentimental, a part of the family. A way of life on wheels. That’s why most of them have names. And almost everyone has some sort of connection to the VW Bus. This book offers fascinating stories about one of the most popular automobiles of all time and the most successful camper van in the world – a kaleidoscope from the world of VW Buses. In 111 chapters, you will learn interesting, funny, surprising and emotional things about a vehicle that was originally intended as a simple delivery van and then made history as a multifunctional vehicle concept. Author Christian Schlueter, himself a passionate fan of the car, tells endearing, detailed and exciting stories about these legendary vans. He presents models with their production history and special features, introduces visionaries and gives an insight into the car industry. He reports on world records and adventure trips, as well as freedom and nostalgia. A wonderful compendium with photos about the world’s fascination with the VW Bus – a must for every fan and lover of this cult car.
Paul Griffin’s ‘The Past and The Spurious – The Case of Legitimacy in Historic Cars’ marks a new turning in the literature of historic cars. Building on the excellent writings of others over many decades now, this book reviews the evidence and, for the first time, provides answers to the perplexing questions of originality, authenticity and identity which circle around historic cars.
By reference to more than thirty cases and other examples, Paul Griffin unfolds the stories of the cars and characters that have shaped what is today’s thriving historic car sector. He also suggests the reasons why historic cars have become heritage assets having such powerful effects on emotions and passions all over the world.
This is an attractive, high-quality book which tells its stories by reference to images from the world’s leading photographic libraries and automotive art collections.
Andy Saunders’ ‘Automotive Alchemist ’ is a roller-coaster ride through the highs and lows of this charismatic man’s life. From the early years of learning the basic skills of cutting and shaping metal then painting and airbrushing, to his mature creations, restorations and the inherent genius of his designs. Andy welcomes us into his workshop and his head: not afraid to express his emotions, as he deconstructs and then rebuilds each vehicle, he lays bare his motivations, inspirations, influences, and passions. Intertwined in the narrative is the work involved in the creation of 60 cars, described here with many detailed photographs.
Forty-two of Andy’s creations now reside in museums and private collections across the globe but the most unusual fate is that of Flat Out, the Guinness Book of Records acclaimed Lowest Car in the World, which is now a coffee table in the foyer of a huge Californian corporation.
The book is not a technical ‘how to create wild custom cars’ manual. Rather it is a celebration of Andy’s joy of creation and his design genius, though tempered by personal traumas and losses. He has, on many occasions, been referred to as the British George Barris, the American “King of Kustomizers.” Unlike many biographies, this book engages the reader with its honesty and humour.
Andy Saunders grew up in Poole on the south coast of England and developed an early relationship with the building and customising of cars. His first project was finished before he was old enough to hold a British driving license.
Since that first project, his journey to become Britain’s leading and most recognisable ‘Car Artist’ has evolved. With his painstaking attention to detail and his knowledge of the styling masters from bygone eras, his creations have always been unique and, occasionally, controversial.
Never shy of turning his ideas into reality or taking unexpected opportunities to fruition, Andy has, on occasions, thrown away the accepted rule book and created some truly amazing vehicles: making a Citroën CX into a road-legal alien craft; turning Ford’s 1958 X-2000 ‘car of the future’ model into a full-sized reality and creating a Cord coupe that the factory would have been proud to call their own.
Andy has three Guinness Book of Records certifications: twice for the ‘lowest car in the world’ and once for the ‘lowest van in the world’ which remains unbeaten and has been approached by film companies and undertaken commissions for major car manufacturers. But mostly he builds whatever has inspired his creative juices from lowriders, Incantation, to shortened Minis, Mini Ha Ha; from restyling a Bentley Mulsanne, which was acclaimed by the Rolls-Royce and Bentley Owners Club as “the most beautiful coachbuilt Bentley to have been built since WWII”, to a 2CV inspired by Picasso – Picasso’s Citroën; and from his drivable version of Bertone’s Lancia Stratos Zero to his Art Deco creation of a rare 1939 Peugeot, Metropolis, inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece of the same name.
During the past four decades Andy has restored Cord, Pontiac and Rolls Royce vehicles. Rescued and restored the unique and much-maligned 1957 Aurora Safety Sedan and realised an affinity with the great designer Alex Tremulis. Andy’s creations have appeared in exhibitions, on television and in magazines as far afield as Australia, Korea, America, the UK and Europe and many of his vehicles nowadays reside in museums and collections from California to Japan and from Europe to the Middle East.
And so to his latest masterpiece, Déjà: inspired by a 1930’s popular French girls name, some body panels he didn’t want or need and the pinnacle of French coachbuilding, Andy has created this Delahaye, a hand-built steel roadster. This beautiful cross between Joseph Figoni’s 165s and Jacques Saoutchik’s 175 somehow appears to be some eighty-five years late for her debut at the Paris Salon de l’Automobile.
- 464 pages
- Hard cover with dust jacket
The 1950s was a golden era for Detroit, reflecting the endless optimism and futuristic view in America following World War II. Car designers and stylists were inspired by current day fighter jets, space age technology, and chrome. Their creations sported great chrome grilles, bullet-nosed bumpers, enormous tail fins, cockpit-styled dashboards, and frames as big as aircraft carriers. The allure and emotional appeal of these cars has been well document in countless books over the years. But without exception all of these titles look fabulous 50s vehicles as the sum of their parts. None focus specifically on what many consider to be the most distinguishing aspect of many of the cars from the fabulous 50s their front grilles. Great Grilles of the 50s provides a close-up view, both visually and in narrative form, of the best and most dynamic grilles of the era. This 11 x 8.5 inch coffee table size book features 104 all color pages on acid free paper with library quality binding.
