The fascinating world of Alfa Romeo is recounted in this history of the legendary automaker, while showcasing its finest models.
Recognized for their sleek and sexy design, high performance, and innovative technology, Alfa Romeo cars have been admired for over a century. The famous exclamation by Henry Ford “When I see an Alfa Romeo go by, I tip my hat!” underlines the prestigious tradition and the legendary stories that make Alfa Romeo one of the major players in the automobile world.
Beginning with the history of the Alfa Romeo company itself, this lavish book includes rare archival material, some published here for the first time, along with historical posters and advertisements for Alfa Romeo, many of which were designed by famous artists and illustrators.
Alfa Romeo was one of the first brands to be collected by vintage car fans and even today its models are highly renowned. The latter half of the book features an overview of eighty models belonging to private collections, from 1910 to the present day. An impressive selection of vintage photographs is accompanied by brief, informative texts that focus on the chief characteristics of each of the vehicles illustrated. Featuring a preface by Mario Andretti, this book is essential for any rare automobile aficionado.
GTPurely Porsche Magazine
Alan Bramson
A fearless pioneer and a versatile and gifted driver, Paula Murphy was the first woman to pilot a jet car to a Bonneville Salt Flats speed record, the first woman to make laps at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the first woman to secure an NHRA Funny Car license. Throw in driving a Pontiac Sunbird literally around the world, nearly dying at the helm of a rocket car, and scoring closed-course speed records at NASCAR’s famed Talladega Superspeedway behind the wheel of cars driven by both Richard Petty and Fred Lorenzen, and you might be starting to scratch the surface of her incredible life.
Author Erik Arneson worked directly with Murphy and some of the biggest names in motor sports to dive deep into her story and relay to the world the impact this single mother from Ohio had on the world of racing. If you find the list of feats above impressive, add the Baja 1000, Mobil Economy Runs, Monaco, Union/Pure Oil Performance Trials, as well as high-speed stunts on horses, sailboats and a snowmobile and you’re starting to get close. Jump in—The Fastest Woman on Wheels is one hell of a ride.
Hesketh Racing was a Grand Prix phenomenon. In a time of increasing commercialisation and cars that had forsaken national racing colours in favour of sponsors’ logos, the team was privately funded by Lord Hesketh – a patriotic 22-year-old who was determined to take his promising young driver, James Hunt, to World Championship glory. Their car stood out on the track thanks to its pure white livery – and the team stood out in the paddock thanks to its lavish hospitality, its helicopter and yachts, and its infectious sense of fun.
But behind the playboy image was a highly professional team, expertly organised by Bubbles Horsley and including talents such as designer Harvey Postlethwaite, engineer Nigel Stroud and chief mechanic Dave ‘Beaky’ Sims. Having arrived in Formula 1 in 1973 with a rented March, Hesketh Racing then set about building its own car. It won the 1974 International Trophy at Silverstone and the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort – putting James Hunt on the road to superstardom.
This new book from Porter Press International is the first to tell the amazing full story of Hesketh Racing. ‘The biggest little team in the world’ captured the imagination of enthusiasts all around the world thanks to its unique approach and its famous teddy bear logo, and it continues to be one of the most evocative and charismatic names in Formula 1 history.
A sports car for race tracks and everyday life: This holds true since the 1984 triumph of legendary four-by-four 911 at the Paris-Dakar rally, the world’s toughest long-distance race. The now re-issued off-road Porsche manages the balancing act of road/sports car and cross-country vehicle better than any other 911 before. In eight chapters the richly illustrated car book depicts the development of the first genuine off-road 911. From the historic genes at the Porsche development center in Weissach to the extensive test drives of the sports car on various continents – a piece of living automobile history.
- Ideal gift for car lovers: High-quality illustrated book on the Porsche 911 Dakar
- Exclusive photos by Porsche photographer Christoph Bauer
- For off-road and motorsport fans: Glimpses behind the scene of vehicle development
- History of the Porsche 911 Dakar: From the first idea to the test drives
- Official Porsche book from the Christophorus edition
Impressive pictures document the development of this special 911 model, limited to 2,500 cars. Christoph Bauer, long-standing Porsche photographer, took the brilliant photos for this volume. Bauer followed the whole process of development – all the time close to the designers. Thus he was able to take spectacular Porsche photos, just for this illustrated car book. Pure Porsche design!
In the late 1920s hot rodders began to gravitate to the various dry lake beds near Los Angeles to engage in straightaway time trials. By the late 1930s the sport had become formalized and was booming. It’s a purely American activity, and one that continues to this day.
Flat Out: California Dry Lake Trials 1930-1950 is the definitive history of the sport during the Golden Age of dry lake competition. It covers the beginnings, Muroc Racing Association, SCTA, the “bootleg races” during WWII and the postwar period. 300 photos of almost every notable dry lake car.
When Drake started this book, almost nothing was written about dry lake competition during the years 1930-1948 (when Hot Rod Magazine began). This book contains information that would otherwise be lost.
The book has 300 photographs, showing almost every notable dry lakes car, and many “typical” cars. It captures the spirit of the times–what it must’ve been like to have been a rodder during those two decades.
Chapters on: Hollywood Folks, Wrecks, Behemoths, Streamlining, Timing, Organizational Activities, Souping the Four Barrel, the V-8 and more.
Lambretta D/LD 125/150 tells the industrial and technical history of the Lambretta D/LD series, the classic Lambretta par excellence, the model that has represented the purest essence of the scooter “made in Italy,” as told through invaluable archive materials.
The book includes previously unpublished photos and official documents discovered in the Innocenti archives along with accurate texts by Vittorio Tessera, the leading expert on the historic scooter in Italy and the world. With this model, Innocenti proved capable of conquering the national and international markets; exported throughout the world, the D/LD was a great success, loved and appreciated by thousands of users. Chapters dedicated to advertising, to the famous people who fell in love with it and to the marketing of the D and DL series around the world complete this latest title in the series that also includes the volumes Lambretta LUI, Lambretta TV/LI Series I and Lambretta TV/LI Series 3.
HOT ROD DREAMS – Car Shows and Culture tells the sensational story of how indoor hot rod shows changed America and taught the world to love hot rods, customs and the people who built them.
There was a time – not long ago – when cars were much more than transportation. This was the era when people defined much of their public persona around cars. People felt they were what they drove, and many lusted after rides that would set them apart. Cars influenced art and entertainment, and a rapidly growing number of hot rod and custom car shows fed these appetites and fantasies.
During this era, Bob Larivee was the undisputed ringmaster of the greatest show on Earth – the indoor hot rod and custom car show. Driven by pure enthusiasm, and possessing a natural gift of knowing what would draw people, Larivee built an empire that showcased style, color, horsepower, pop culture and fantasy. For decades, his events helped define American car passion while fueling the dreams of millions around the world.
Hot Rod Dreams – Car Shows and Culture celebrates the people and stories of this not-so-long-ago era, while also exploring how popular culture inspires our concepts of personal identity. HOT ROD DREAMS features more than 350 photos, many of which have never been published.
The Leading Edge summarizes the aerodynamic design and construction issues of solar cars and ultralight land vehicles. Author Goro Tamai draws on his own experience in designing solar cars at MIT to produce a book for the ground-up streamlined land-vehicle designer or constructor, as well as for the solar/electric/ultralight vehicle enthusiast. As with any engineering problem, the “best” body shape for solar cars, HPVs, or Electrathoners is not the body of absolute lowest drag. The vehicle system, in-cluding the driver, chassis, and energy/drive system must work in concert to produce the maximum output. The Leading Edge will help designers quantify the trade-offs, and make logical decisions.
Technical highlights:
- Vehicles covered include solar cars, human-powered vehicles (HPV), solar bikes, electrathon racers, ground-up hybrid or pure electric vehicles, and fuel-economy record cars.
- Numerous examples using specific race cars and teams, and how designers solved problems.
- Full definition of terms, with equations and examples provided for determining key aerodynamic parameters.
- All design and construction issues, from body shape, to wheels, to canopy integration, to solar panel sizing.
- How to do in-the-field testing and diagnosis of aerodynamic performance.
- Special overview section reviews the history of ultra-streamlined land vehicle development.
Lifestyle journalist Thijs Demeulemeester takes you on a trip through some iconic houses and the unique cars that match them in elegance of design and construction.
“Life is too short to drive boring cars.” – Hanan Sobati, founder of Arabian Gazelles, the first female supercar club in the world.
“I only purchase and drive cars that represent thoughtful design, elegance and performance.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
This book about beautifully designed cars and international architecture has been curated with an eye for pure aesthetics. Although architecture and cars are theoretically miles apart, the sources of inspiration for their designers are often strikingly similar. Recalling a time when you could recognize an architect from his Saab or his Citroën DS, lifestyle journalist Thijs Demeulemeester shows that architects and luxury car makers are alike in their appreciation of elegance of design, attention to materials, and solid construction. This book takes you on a trip through some iconic houses and the unique cars that match them.
The sold-out first edition, printed in 1991, is included in its entirety, along with the addition of the next 13 years of Daytona 200 racing action. This two-part book provides an in-depth history of the race that goes beyond just the pure facts and figures. In Part One, the reader goes on a decade-by-decade trip through time, starting back before the first running of the Daytona 200 in 1937 up to 2003. Author Don Emde, himself a former Daytona 200 winner, shows you how the race has evolved from the days of racing on the sands of Daytona Beach to the banks of Daytona International Speedway. Part Two contains the most complete statistics section ever on the Daytona 200. This comprehensive section lists every rider who has ever competed in the race, top 20 finishes for each year, fastest qualifying times and much, much more!
The Daytona 200. The History of America’s Premier Motorcycle Race is a must-read for any motorcycle racing enthusiast!
This historic 382 page hardcover book contains over 450 photographs and illustrations, including a color section.
Born in a small garage, in a pure Steve Jobs style, Dallara is today one of the most important companies in the world for the design and construction of racing cars, a true masterpiece of Italian genius. The founder was the engineer Gian Paolo Dallara, a man inextricably linked to his land but able to face international challenges thanks to intuition, a mental form directed to innovation and an extraordinary technical skills. The volume tells a story out of the ordinary and a technologically advanced reality, which bases its success on the enthusiasm and passion of young engineers and on the curiosity of the founder. But it also speaks of the most significant moments and victories and how the future and tradition find a common field of action in the small town of Varano de’ Melegari.
When Ducati’s great engineer Fabio Taglioni designed the 750 Ducati in 1970 there was no way he could comprehend how important this model would be. His design was unlike any other before or since: a 90-degree V-twin with single overhead camshafts driven by a train of bevel gears. Taglioni soon developed his 750 into a Formula 750 racer, and in 1972 beat the rest of what the world had to offer at the Imola 200. With this victory, the desmodromic 750 became a legend.
Ducati responded by producing a hand-built limited production desmodromic Super Sport. They also continued to produce the touring 750 GT and sporting 750 Sport until legislation killed them at the end of 1974. Today, this triumvirate of 750s represents the end of an era; the era before cost accounting and government design requirements. These were amongst the last pure, unadulterated sporting motorcycles built and it is not surprising they have inspired a new generation of retro classics, the Sport Classic of 2005 and 2006.
