Journallist and broadcaster Andrew Marriott writes with a light and humorous touch about a multi-faceted career covering some six decades.
He reckons he was the youngest ever person to report a Formula 1 race for a national publication and now the oldest person to regularly report from the pit lanes of Le Mans, Daytona and Silverstone.
He has covered every aspect of car and bike racing from Formula 1 to NASCAR as well as World Championship motorcycle racing plus inshore and offshore powerboat racing. Along the way he has interviewed thousands of competitors and, indeed, show business personalities . He says that he has interviewed or worked with every Formula 1 World Champion bar Farina, Ascari and Hawthorn.
He has been driven across Buenos Aires by Fangio, starred in a hilarious TV blooper episode with Mario Andretti, judged competitions with James Hunt, provided a flat floor for Jody Scheckter to sleep on, played charades with Jochen Rindt, persuaded Denny Hulme to go truck racing, covered up for Alan Jones after an altercation with a van driver and door-stepped Alain Prost as he came out of a Monaco portaloo. Ayrton Senna secretly signed his Lotus contract in front of Andrew but subsequently stood him up when the Brazilian decided that taking a ride in F16 jet was a better option than a Marriott interview.
Add to that ghosting road tests and much more from motor cycle world champion Barry Sheene, working with George Harrison on a sponsorship deal and for 25 years interviewing the Le Mans 24 Hour winners at the end of the great race. He says he is not sure how many times he has covered the French classic but at least 50 and he has worked at over 130 different race tracks. He came up with the idea of a feature film about Steve McQueen which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is currently working on a follow-up.
Add to this a career in sports management and sponsorship embracing such events as the Hong Kong-Beijing Rally, various major Truck Races and the Birmingham Superprix. He has launched racing cars everywhere from London’s Albert Hall to a former carpet warehouse in Didcot. Add to that a brief career as a rally co-driver which included winning internationals in South Africa and the UK and finishing up stuck in a mud hole in Paraguay.
So he has plenty to write about and he says he has enjoyed nearly all of it all but as the title suggests – Is There Much More of This?
This wonderfully illustrated, up-to-date guide to the natural, cultural, and historical gems hidden just off the legendary Route 66 outlines 30 trips for curious travelers.
Route 66 is arguably the
world’s most famous highway (more than 60% of Route 66 adventurers are from overseas!)—its motels, diners, and roadside attractions comprising a time capsule of America’s love affair with the automobile. While many of the road’s
iconic attractions have disappeared with time (along with large stretches of the road itself), others are as enduring as ever.
In this completely revised and updated version of The Backroads of Route 66, author and Route 66 expert Jim Hinckley is your guide from the lowlands of the American Plains to the high plateaus of New Mexico and Arizona, from the Great Lakes to the mighty Pacific Ocean, and through major metropolises and remote country towns.
But rather than take the road oft traveled and the sites most photographed, Hinckley encourages you to branch off the Mother Road and discover the hidden gems beyond today’s familiar motels and tourist traps—quaint frontier communities that date to westward expansion; the legacy of native cultures; and the awe-inspiring natural wonders that have graced these lands since time immemorial. There to be explored within a few hours’ drive from the path of Route 66, discover:
- Outdoor attractions
- Museums
- Historic sites
- And much more
The thirty trips in The Backroads of Route 66 offer new travel opportunities for you and the thousands of road-trippers who follow this legendary route, looking for something more.
Mike Spence was one of the most liked and respected drivers of grand prix racing in the 1960s. A loyal friend and team-mate of Jim Clark, Mike also raced for BRM and Emeryson in Formula One and in sports car racing, he drove the iconic Chaparral 2F. He forged a reputation as being an outstanding development driver with real mechanical sympathy.
He was at his peak and was on the cusp of winning both the Indianapolis 500 and becoming a winner in grand prix racing when he was killed in a practice accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 7 May 1968.
There are not too many two-time Formula One race winners that have not merited a published biography of any description, but at long last this modest, laconic and quiet man gets the focus that he deserves in what will be the definitive and only authorised biography of his life.
This was no mere ‘number two’ driver to Jim Clark, Phil Hill or Jackie Stewart; this was someone who worked in the shadows to achieve the optimum performance for everyone he raced for.
Award-winning author Richard Jenkins follows up from his debut book – Richie Ginther: Motor Racing’s Free Thinker – with all the same hallmarks that saw his first book win multiple awards: comprehensive research, a balanced, thoughtful, flowing and detailed narrative and numerous photos that have never been seen before, including some from Mike’s personal collection.
With contributions from Mike’s widow, his brother and his former long-time mechanic, there are unique personal insights into Mike as a person, It is testament to Mike’s reputation among his peers that the likes of Richard Attwood, Jim Hall, David Hobbs, Alan Rees and Sir Jackie Stewart, and many others, have been involved in helping to tell Mike’s story as he now comes out of the shadows into full focus.
Flying the “open cockpit convertible” Ercoupe
Fly-About Adventures and the Ercoupe offers real flying adventures in a wonderful classic convertible type Ercoupe airplane. Come fly with me to OshKosh, Sun-N-Fun, the Arkansas Picnic, and other cross country trips. Experience unique discovery and the unbelievable. Many events are supported with neat color photo’s. Words are good but nothing says so much as pictures. The book also provides insight to what it’s like to own such a fun filled open cockpit convertible aircraft. There are also photo’s of modifications by owners such as paint schemes, instrument panels, etc. Over 5,500 of these aircraft and 11 models were built by several companies between 1940 and 1970. 70 years after the first Ercoupe was built, there are thousands still airworthy, affordable, and being flown by pilots seeking their remembrance. With a bit of imagination, you have the opportunity to fulfill your dream of flying adventures too.
27,000 Miles in a Sports Car Named ‘Kermit’
There’s popping out for a quick pint, and then there’s this – a gloriously preposterous 27,000 mile journey across 25 countries to grab a beer in pubs (bars) at opposite ends of the world. We’re talking an epic adventure, from an abandoned Soviet mine 700 miles from the North Pole, to a remote pub at South America’s southernmost tip. A journey undertaken in a TVR sports car, a car that many might consider untrustworthy just to drive to the shops.
The journey packed a lot into its eight months. From braving the sheer drops of Bolivia’s Death Road, to drag racing the locals in Texas. From roaring across flooded salt flats, to sailing the straits of Magellan. From the highs of the planet’s best driving roads, to the lows of life in No-Man’s-Land, trapped between borders by red tape and bureaucracy. And from looking out for Polar Bears in the High Arctic, to dodging penguins in Tierra del Fuego. The story of the Pub2Pub Expedition is an inspirational account of where your dreams can take you if only you believe in them.
Chronicling the epic journey made by Ben Coombs in his TVR Chimaera, Pub2Pub is both an exciting adventure and a fascinating snapshot of the life and culture of the countries that he drove through.
Awarded the national Leicester B. Holland Prize for 2017 by the National Park Service and Library of Congress, professional draftsman and apprenticing architect Jean-Guy Dubé has researched and written about Southern Pacific depots since 1983. This book features 48 black and white blueprint drawings by Dubé, spanning many decades, styles and subject matter. Each blueprint, from the first tape measurement to the finished product took several months to complete. This is the first compilation of his drawings. While his work primarily includes standard and unique depots, this book also includes a handful of individual railroad built buildings and a few non-railroad buildings.
Each blueprint includes noted floor plans, elevations, some sections, and has an accompanying history. For a few, there are some previously unpublished black and white historical photos, and others come from various historical societies, museums, individuals and as well as the author.
This book is a wonderful representation of some of Dube’s drafting and research over the years. The book is 9″x 12″ landscape color laminated softcover, blueprint end papers, 116 pages. Contains 48 black and white blueprints and 33 black and white photos.
When you open Strange 66, take a look beyond the all-American sheen to the seedy, creepy, and just plain weird stories behind America’s Mother Road.
Route 66 conjures images of an innocent golden age of car travel: shiny V8s powering down hot, two-lane blacktop, sucking 20-cent-a-gallon gasoline, and periodically depositing their occupants at mom-n-pop greasy spoons, neon-lit motels, and tourist traps. But America’s Mother Road wasn’t all about ruddy-cheeked, summer vacationers. Route 66 and the regions it traverses have a side more seldom seen, rich with weird tales (mimetic architecture, paranormal phenomena, and even cryptozoology) to the downright sordid and seedy (murder, mistreatment, and other assorted mayhem).
In Strange 66, bestselling Route 66 authority Michael Witzel explores the flip side of Route 66 to offer details on infamous Route 66 locations that once served as hideouts for the James Gang (Meramec Caverns), Bonnie and Clyde (Baxter Springs, Kansas), and Al Capone (Cicero, Illinois).
There are the stories of unspeakable crimes committed along 66, such as the Stafflebeck “murder bordello” in Galena, Kansas, and Ariziona’s “Orphan Maker of Route 66.” Witzel also explores the people that passed through the region, including the Dust Bowl exodus and the Trail of Tears tribute in Jerome, Missouri.
Then there are the lighter, though still strange stories, such as the Route 66 Great Transcontinental Footrace and the origins of various roadside colossi, like the Blue Whale of Catoosa and Giganticus Headicus in Walapai, Arizona. And speaking of heads, what about steak? Eat one as big as your head at the Big Texan in Amarillo—and it’s free!
All of these stories culminate in a look at Route 66 unlike any other, completely illustrated with modern and archival photography and written by an acknowledged authority on the Mother Road.
“Petty signs with Ford!” Those four words tore through the racing world like a hot knife through butter while loyalists threw their hands up in disbelief. King Richard’s defection was in part because Plymouth hadn’t built a Dodge Daytona counterpart for the NASCAR circuit, in addition to the fact that Petty Enterprises wanted to be the sole racing parts distributor for Plymouth at the time. Plymouth weathered the backlash publically while privately scurrying to create a car to lure Richard back to Plymouth. That car? The 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Production models languished on salesroom floors due in part to NASCAR having increased the homologation requirement from 500 units to 2,000. These cars were highly specialized, seen as being in excess in proportion to the hottest street cars of the period. Fast-forward to today, Superbirds are highly collectible and are the star attractions at car shows and auctions, pulling top dollar and generating real excitement. What a difference a few decades makes!
Each volume in the In Detail Series provides an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, and an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included are paint and option codes, VIN and build tag decoders, as well as production numbers.
It is a living, breathing time capsule. It is America’s longest attraction and the most famous highway in the world. It is the Main Street of America, iconic Route 66, a highway of dreams. It is a grand adventure and the ultimate American road trip. If you motor west (or east) on this storied old highway, there isn’t enough time to see it all, to sample all of the delightful restaurants, to explore all of the quirky museums, to take in all of the wonderful photo ops, or enjoy a restful night under the neon at all of the time capsule motels on just one trip. So, make the most of your adventure with this guide to 100 of the best stops on legendary Route 66.
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Originally paved in the 1920s, Route 66 has been a staple of the American Road Trip through the Great Depression and was a major method of the bootlegging operation. Spanning a total of 8 states and stretching from Chicago all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Route 66 was appropriately named the Motheroad. An icon of American Folklore, between the pages there are a slew of old gas stations, restaurants, diners, rest stops, and other attractions. Each must-see vestige is peppered with the history of the area.
Abandoned cars on America’s most iconic abandoned road. Sounds like a great idea for a road trip.
For a nation that loves the idea of the road, there is no more legendary ribbon of highway than the 2,451 miles comprising historic Route 66. Along the Mother Road lies the detritus of the automotive age: motels, roadside attractions, diners, service stations, drive-ins, and dives. Hidden in, around, and behind its buildings or abandoned along its roadside hide collector cars, lost trucks, and moldering motorcycles. How could there be a better destination for automotive archaeologist Tom Cotter?
In Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip Cotter and his BBF (best barn finder) pal Brian Barr jump on Route 66, just outside Chicago, seeking rusted gold in every state Route 66 passes through. Along the way, ace lensman Michael Alan Ross documents their finds, mishaps, and various adventures. Starting in the Midwest and barreling through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, the barn-find bunch continues on to Arizona before completing their quest in Santa Monica, California. You’ll never guess what automotive treasure they see peeking out from corroded garages and behind weary buildings along the way. You can bet every awesome barn find was investigated and recorded in Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip.
Whether you’ve only dreamed of retracing US 66 or are familiar with its path but never considered car hunting there, Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip will take you on the trip of a lifetime. Hop in; you can ride shotgun.
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COLLECTOR’S LIMITED EDITION OF 300 SIGNED SLIPCASE BOOKS
Forget the rule book and relive one of the most exciting race series ever with Can-Am 50th Anniversary!
The first rule of Can-Am: There are no rules. Or at least damn few rules. The bodywork had to enclose the wheels and there had to be something that loosely resembled a passenger seat–if your passenger was a badly misshapen human or perhaps a lab monkey. Otherwise, set your racing mind free. No limits to engine options or output, no restrictions on aerodynamic aids or body shape. It was as close to unrestricted road racing as racing had ever gotten or would ever get again. And it was fantastic.
From its introduction in 1966 to the end of its classic period in 1974, North America’s Can-Am series was the most exciting, technologically advanced, and star-studded racing series of the day. Its essentially rules-free formula attracted everyone from crazed backyard engineers to specialists like McLaren, Chaparral, Shadow, and Lola to manufacturers like Ford, Ferrari, Chevrolet, and Porsche. Top drivers including Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Parnelli Jones, Bruce McLaren, Denis Hulme, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Mark Donohue, Peter Revson, Jim Hall, Jody Scheckter, Chris Amon, George Follmer and John Surtees competed on tracks across the US and Canada taking time off from Formula One schedules and other duties to drive in Can-Am because the racing and the cars were so exciting.
Can-Am 50th Anniversary offers a heavily illustrated look back at what is arguably the greatest race series ever to grace the roadracing circuits of North America. Photographer Pete Biro was Goodyear Tire’s official photographer and followed the series throughout the entire run from 1966-’74. The vast majority of the book’s images are unpublished or long out of circulation. Biro brings his unique perspective and his close relationship with the drivers, team owners, and constructors to bear on the captions while former AutoWeek editor George Levy provides an exciting text reflecting the thrill of Can-Am racing.
The adventure of ownership, flying, and DIY maintenance of the classic Ercoupe aircraft. It addresses the FAA regulations and appropriate procedures that allow you to do much of your own maintenance. Descriptive color photographs and sketches aid in understanding the mechanical and pre-flight requirements for safe and affordable operations and ownership. The book is a study for the DIY who wants to do as much of the maintenance as the FAA will allow. Included are charts and tables about engine diagnostic analysis, torque value for bolts and nuts, landing gear maintenance, fuel system, etc. The book promotes safety for the pilot by encouraging an understanding of how things work and addresses some of the NO-NO’s which should be avoided. The objective is to enjoy and have fun owning a classic Ercoupe. In addition, there are adventure stories and color aerial photo’s submitted by Ercoupe Pilots sharing their cross country flying experience. For the wannabe pilot, here is an opportunity to preview what he/she can expect with that new license and a Fly-About (open or closed) convertible Ercoupe.
This book is a new look at the early history of the modern racing car. It explores the influences behind the first Coopers including V-twin engined record breaking motorcycles, hillclimb and sprint specials and dirt track speedway cars. The engine and chassis designs and the racing and hillclimbing of the early post-war years are described and illustrated by hundreds of previously unpublished photographs and drawings.
The pedigree of the modern racing car is usually considered to have originated with the classic marques of Europe. In this book, the author suggests that the clearest line of descent started before World War 1 with the ‘boy’ racers of California and was developed between the wars by the ‘special’ builders of England. In building their first car in 1946, Charles and John Cooper were strongly influenced by these antecedents. When they mated their offspring with JAP motorcycle engines a new breed emerged. Motor racing was never to be the same again.
Power Without Glory is printed four-colour on 150gsm satin-coated paper and is hard-back bound with a laminated colour jacket. There are 352 pages, 254 x 203mm, and 300 colour or duotone racing, car, engine and document images. The photos have come from some of the very best photographers including the collections of Guy Griffiths, Louis Klemantaski, Autocar, Motor and Motor Sport.
Some records are made to be broken. Others stand for a lifetime. And sometimes the achievement of a lifetime is surpassed in days. In the world of motorsports, the one record that has proven the toughest to break is the motorcycle land speed record. Don Vesco rode a streamlined motorcycle to a record-breaking speed of 318 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1974. It was sixteen years before Dave Campos flew past that record at a speed of 322 miles per hour. And that record had stood for another sixteen years when, on Labor Day Weekend, 2006, a motorcycle daredevil and aspiring writer named Rocky Robinson rode a Suzuki-powered streamliner at an incredible 344 mph. How he got there–and how he faced his greatest challenge at his moment of triumph–is the story Robinson tells in Flat Out. Here is Robinsons epic decade-long quest to be the fastest motorcycle rider on earth, recounted in all its gritty detail–a compulsively readable account that captures the hard work, sacrifice, and dedication that go into being the worlds best, as well as the sheer terror of riding these two-wheeled rockets nearly six miles per minute.
Known as the Main Street of America and the Mother Road, U.S. Route 66 is the nation’s best known highway. Once the microcosm of a culture increasingly connected by automobiles, its sights and attractions are now a fascinating reflection of a nation on the move. Travel this iconic highway through the heart of America with Route 66 Backroads as your guide. This lavishly illustrated book steers you from Chicago to Los Angeles, traveling through the lowlands of the American Plains and the high plateaus of New Mexico and Arizona, from the Great Lakes to the mighty Pacific Ocean, and through major metropolises and remote country towns. Branch away from the Mother Road, and you encounter gems hidden beyond today’s standard motels and tourist traps—the quaint frontier communities that date back to the nation’s westward expansion; the legacy of ancient native cultures; and the awe-inspiring natural wonders that have graced these lands since time immemorial. State parks, wildlife refuges, museums, historic sites, literary landmarks, and much more are there to be explored within a few hours’ drive from the path of Route 66. The fifty trips included here offer new travel opportunities for the thousands of road-trippers who follow this legendary route, looking for something more.
This is a 104 page, full colored book featuring the 166 photographs from the traveling exhibit bearing the same name. The photographs were taken between February 17th and February 25th, 2002. These were selected from the 1,100 taken during those eight days and are arranged in chronological order beginning in California and ending in Illinois. This book is only a glimpse of what there is to see and experience along Route 66 – America’s Main Street.
Whether you’re looking to save the planet or just a couple of bucks, this book is for you. Electric cars are here. Trouble is, it seems many of the choices are high-dollar EVs from luxury manufacturers. At first blush, it appears the average car buyer is not necessarily invited to the EV party. Rest assured, there are more affordable models from mainstream manufacturers out there. This book will help you find them.
But, deciding if you should replace your old gas burner with a shiny new electric one depends on your answers to these questions: How far do you commute? Does the place you park at home or at work have access to electricity? Will an electric car be your primary or secondary vehicle? What about tax incentives? Can you really afford one? What will it be like to own an EV? Here’s your roadmap to making an informed decision that’s right for you and your wallet.
