In an age of unbridled American enthusiasm and towering industrial might, the GM Motorama was a dazzling and elegant show that was unlike any automotive event before it or since. General Motors staged extravagant and elaborate Motorama shows that rivaled some fashion shows. It showcased some of the most revolutionary and innovative prototype and dream cars ever built. And it captured the imagination of the car-buying public from 1950 to 1961.
Motorama expert and experienced author David Temple has comprehensively researched the show, the cars, and the personalities to create a fascinating new story with many new photos of these magnificent cars. Because television was in its infancy, GM’s President Alfred Sloan believed that the Motorama was the most effective way to market GM products and design prowess. Legendary stylist Harley Earl led a talented group of designers and engineers to dream up, style, and develop some of the most remarkable prototype cars of all time. While current production Buick, Chevy, Cadillac, and Pontiac cars were showcased, the bold, radical, awe-inspiring prototype and dream cars stole the show. These included the GM Le Sabre, replete with aerospace design and an aluminum engine; the fiberglass-bodied Corvette dream car, which went into production after overwhelmingly positive response; and the jet engine-powered Firebird. Temple goes into fascinating detail on the body, frame, engine, drivetrain, and all the special features of each model. He has also retraced the ownership histories of some of these cars.
Within the pages of this volume, you get to relive this glorious era of automotive history and revisit the advanced show cars that inspired so many new models. This book features fascinating period photography of Motorama cars at the show, in development, and at different locales. No other automotive show rivaled the Motorama for stunning productions and awe-inspiring cars, which makes this a must-have book.
Domination. No other word so accurately describes the Offenhauser engine’s six-decade reign over American auto racing. On small urban tracks, state fair dirt circuits, and Indy’s brick oval, “Offy” was synonymous with “winner circle.”
At the height of its power in the 1950s, entire Indy grids were composed of Offenhauser-powered roadsters. Neither the rear-engined revolution of the mid-1960s nor the entry of major players like Ford would knock Offy from its throne. When the “little four with the big punch” finally ceased being competitive in the early 1980s, it was a victim of the rule book more than any engineering shortcoming.
Offenhauser: The Legendary Racing Engine and the Men Who Built It traces the glorious history of the most renowned American racing engine of all time. Author Gordon Eliot White has thoroughly researched this story from the early days of Harry Miller, through Fred Offenhauser, to the final days under Meyer & Drake ownership. More than 250 historical black-and-white photographs and a special color section accompany White’s fascinating narrative. With over 18,000 copies sold, this book tells the definitive story of the designers, machinists, and drivers who created the Offenhauser legend. Essential reading for the racing historian and fan, White’s book captures the human, technical, and political aspects of Offenhauser’s unforgettable story.
In over 50 years as a renowned motoring journalist and racing driver, Jeremy Walton has driven many, many hundreds of performance cars, but Fords have always been prominent among them and particularly close to his heart.
He was on the scene when fast Fords arrived in the early sixties alongside the Blue Oval becoming serious about motorsport. He has tested almost every significant performance derivative ever since, many straight from Ford’s competitions department. From Cortinas to Capris, Escorts and Sierras, via the epic GT40s to extraordinary Transit Supervans and into the new Millennium with Mondeo, Focus and Fiesta, Walton was there.
- Populars and Anglias: the ‘Berpop’ club racing special; Harry Potter boosts Anglia’s global fame; future Grand Prix talent within Roger Williamson’s Anglia; World Champion Graham Hill’s speedy Goodwood endurance week.
- Cortinas in all their variety: from the ex-Jim Clark British Saloon Car Championship winner to the author’s later BRM-tuned Cortina Lotus, plus three Uren-modified Savage V6 legends.
- Ford GT40s: driving experiences of two factory-owned examples, a pair of modern tributes and a privately owned example in Gulf colours.
- Supervans: Ford’s three generations of ludicrously fast Transits, variously with GT40 and Cosworth V8 engines.
- Rear-drive Escorts: numerous competition versions, including internationally celebrated RS1600s raced by John Fitzpatrick and rallied by Timo Mäkinen.
- Capris in profusion: all generations tested and raced, including the unique story of a 3-litre driven by Royalty and a triple World Champion; tales from the British Touring Car Championship, infamous ‘celebrity’ events and Belgium’s classic Spa 24 Hours.
- Front-drive Escorts: more racing experiences, Princess Diana’s immensely valuable Escort RS, plus a trio of wild rides in 550bhp turbocharged four-wheel-drive rallycross versions, setting records for electronically timed 0–60mph sprints.
- Sierras of many shades: from XR4i and XR 4×4 to Cosworth and RS500, including extensive racing, plus a winning factory World Rally Championship RS and the inevitable stolen road-test Cosworth RS.
- Works Escort Cosworth and Mondeo: still testing Ford’s finest into the 1990s, including two generations of Focus RS and Fiesta ST.
- American hearts: experiences with V8 Mustangs, Falcons and Thunderbirds, including a thundering NASCAR ‘T-Bird’ track test.
- American hearts: experiences with V8 Mustangs, Falcons and Thunderbirds, including a thundering NASCAR ‘T-Bird’ track test.
Presenting his extraordinary expertise and experience in his trade-mark colourful writing style, he puts the reader in the driving seat for a rollercoaster of exciting rides. Any enthusiast who has ever enjoyed a fast Ford will love this entertaining feast of nostalgia.
Bentley Speed 8 – Limited Edition
Motorsport Book of the Year Award 2023 (Royal Automobile Club)
Limited to 550 numbered copies
Exactly 20 years ago, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the sixth time. Just three years earlier, the project was born from within the brand. The later Bentley Motorsport Director Brian Gush secured the internal support of the corporate siblings VW and Audi and rolled out the Speed 8 project. There, where Bentley had established its motorsport heritage between 1924 and 1930, the aim was to revive the brand and make a clear statement. Already in the first year 2001 a small sensation was achieved with a podium finish, in 2003 the legendary double victory followed after intensive development and test work.
In this comprehensive book, former team members, engineers and drivers have their say and quite a few of them contributed their photos. Starting with wind tunnel tests, the construction of the eleven chassis, test drives and races, author Andrew Cotton covers the entire development and racing history of Bentley’s Le Mans winner of the modern era. In the course of his research he had access to all e-mails, documents and drawings of the team and he interviewed all important contemporary witnesses who were involved in the project. This standard work on perhaps one of the most beautifully designed sports cars of the modern era is rounded off with the chassis history of every Bentley Speed 8 built.
Hardcover in slipcase
Text in English
Experience the legendary history of Formula 1 in this new edition of the definitive illustrated book.
Fully revised and updated, Formula 1: The Official History is an electrifying account of the F1 phenomenon, telling the complete story of one of the world’s most popular, thrilling, and glamorous sports. Bringing together a superbly written account of the history of the sport by acclaimed author Maurice Hamilton, and an exceptional selection of stunning images from across seven decades of F1 racing, the book charts the FIA Formula One World Championship, decade by decade, from its first race at Silverstone in May 1950 right through to end of last season’s championship.
Each chapter tells the fascinating stories behind the greatest drivers and teams, important personnel, famous and infamous incidents, as well as key changes to the rules on design, safety and competitiveness. These tales are accompanied by more than 250 exceptional photographs featuring icons past and present, including Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Accessible and entertaining for any F1 fan, and with a foreword by Ross Brawn, Managing Director of the FIA Formula One World Championship, this is the definitive visual history of the sport.
Contrary to popular belief, ‘Fluxie’ did not enter the world on full opposite-lock, nor did he have a cigarette in one hand and a pint in the other. Destined to race, he never got the biggest breaks but he did become one of motorsport’s most colourful and best-loved characters, someone who has always lived life to the full.
Ian Flux’s autobiography tells it how it was, covering not only the highs — including five championship titles — but also the many setbacks. Along the way we laugh with him about much of it, particularly the pranks, but also learn about some dark times that he has never previously divulged.
- Early days: growing up on a farm, first kart aged 6, muddling through in the classroom, lots of laughs — but also sexual abuse from a schoolmaster and an early racing mentor.
- The spark ignites: starting to race in 1970 with a Formula 6 kart, then onwards to Formula Vee; brushing shoulders with Formula 1 working for the Token and Graham Hill teams.
- Grabbing the chances: a Formula Vee title in 1975 leads to Formula 3 and Formula Atlantic, but still with various jobs to make ends meet, including as mechanic to motorcycle racing legend Giacomo Agostini for his four-wheel efforts.
- Diversifying into sports cars: successful adventures in Sports 2000 and Thundersports, winning championships in both, plus Thundersaloons.
- A true all-rounder: going into the British Touring Car Championship from 1988 in a wide range of tin-tops; racing a Jaguar XJR-15 in the big-money 1991 series held at Grand Prix races, including Monaco.
- Championship double in 1996: the ‘golden year’ in the TVR Tuscan Challenge and the British GT Championship, the latter with a McLaren F1 GTR.
- So much else: racing on into recent times, notching up nearly 50 years on track; testing competition cars for Motorsport News; driver tuition and track-day demonstrations.
This is a very different kind of racing driver’s memoir, with lots of laughs along the way together with searing personal honesty.
The remarkable story of everything Sydney Herbert Allard achieved in motor sport and motor car manufacture is framed in an up-to-date commentary co-authored by his own son. This is a tribute unswayed by legend, but based on the facts and achievements of his eponymous company. With contributions from the Allard Owners’ Club and Allard Register, this book contains painstaking research of Allard history from 1929 to present day.
The aim of this innovative series is to provide model makers and car enthusiasts with a new standard of primarily visual reference of both full-size cars and their scale models.
The aim of this innovative series is to provide model makers and car enthusiasts with a new standard of primarily visual reference of both full-size cars and their scale models. Each book contains detailed technical information imparted through drawings and photographs while the meticulously researched full-color profiles provides a complete reference for paint schemes and markings. In addition, every volume of the CarCraft series features summaries of design histories and operational careers, and reviews of available kits.
Recognized as one of the most important sports cars in the history of the automobile, Porsche’s 911 represents a vital story in the annals of the design and driving of the motor car. This new book delivers an innovative format to the car enthusiast by covering the engineering, design, and modeling of Porsche’s 911 series.
A true icon, 911 is the designer legend – and a driving tool par excellence: the 911 stemmed from the Porsche 356 yet created a new era and a new international definition of style amid a global motor sport record of success across race and rally events
Here in CarCraft title Number Two, experienced automotive writer, industrial designer and Porsche enthusiast Lance Cole pays tribute to the car in a detailed yet engaging commentary. New photography, the design story, and full coverage of the modeling options in synthetic materials and die cast metals, create a narrative of vital interest.
The third book in the new CarCraft series, Jaguar E-Type, frames the legend of what many call the world’s most beautiful car design.
The aim of this innovative series is to provide model makers and car enthusiasts with a new standard of primarily visual reference of both full-size cars and their scale models. Each book contains detailed technical information imparted through drawings and photographs while the meticulously researched full-color profiles provides a complete reference for paint schemes and markings. In addition, every volume of the CarCraft series features summaries of design histories and operational careers, and reviews of available kits.
The third book in the new CarCraft series, Jaguar E-Type, frames the legend of what many call the world’s most beautiful car design. Sir William Lyons and Malcolm Sayer carved automotive history with this car across its 1960s-1970s incarnations from roadster to coupé amid the fitting of Straight-Six, to V12 engines.
With its new definition of sculptural styling, performance, handling and innovative style, the E-Type or XKE series in the USA, created a car of global impact that remains a great classic of all time.
Here, experienced automotive writer, and industrial designer, Lance Cole pays tribute to the car in a detailed yet engaging commentary. New photography, the design story, and full coverage of the modeling options in synthetic materials and die cast metals, create a narrative of vital interest.
Explore more than 25 legendary F1 race tracks in high-definition satellite photography.
From the glamor of Monaco and Yas Marina, to the heritage of Silverstone, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps, Formula One Circuits from Above showcases more than 25 legendary F1 race tracks as you’ve never seen them before. Powered by unique Google™ Earth photography, this stunning illustrated book highlights the signature properties of iconic circuits including Monza, Interlagos and the Nurburgring in incredible detail, providing an unparalleled insight into the unique strengths and challenges of each.
This insightful commentary is accompanied by fascinating details on the history of each circuit, as well as the outstanding drivers and unforgettable moments that have defined them: the rivalries, the controversies and the spectacular feats of driving skill. Whether you’re a seasoned F1 fan or a newcomer to the sport, Formula One Circuits from Above captures the color, drama, history and excitement of Formula One.
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
Brumos: An American Racing Icon, by Sean Cridland covers the entire history of the Brumos team, going back to its roots in the early days of the 20th century, all the way up to the opening of the Brumos Collection in January 2020…and everything in between! The three volume set contains 1,500 pages with over 2,000 images, many never before seen.
Volume 1 Chronicles the historical events that led to the creation and development of one of the world’s most legendary teams.
Volume 2 Describes the explosive 1970s when Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood, Jack Atkinson, and Porsche owned American GT racing.
Volume 3 Examines the challenges and victories of Brumos in the post-Peter Gregg era, from early 1981 until 2020.
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.
There’s something for every enthusiast in Corvette 70 Years, from the classic early-generation models, to the legendary race cars, to the latest stunning mid-engine C8. Climb in and fasten your seat belt.
Chevrolet’s Corvette is one of the most influential and iconic American automobiles in history, holding the mantle of America’s sports car across seven decades. In Corvette 70 Years: The One and Only, author Richard Prince offers a richly illustrated and detailed book that captures the full story of one of these legendary automobiles. Beautiful, contemporary photos and rare historical images accompany in-depth analyses of milestone cars and events. Notably, the story is told through the lens of the three dozen most influential Corvettes representing all eight generations, including the:
- The 1953 car that started it all
- New performance heights in 1957 with fuel-injected V8
- Early design and engineering specials , including the 1957 SS, CERV I, Mako Shark II
- Landmark 1963 split-window coupe
- The first of the revolutionary styled C3s
- All-new 1984 C4 and powerful Callaway twin-turbos and ZR1s
- World-class 1997 C5
- Ultra-high-performance C5, C6, and C7 Z06 and ZR1
- Revolutionary mid-engine C8 Corvette introduced in 2020
- Corvette racecars
Created with the cooperation of General Motors, the book brings to light the engineering and design stories behind one of GM’s most famous cars, as well as its key players. Comprising a unique perspective on a motoring legend, Corvette 70 Years truly is the one and only.
PINK PIG PORSCHE The Truffle Hunter of Zuffenhausen is a thorough photo narrative of the Pink Pig’s motorsports history which includes over 125 legendary images, many of which are exclusively from the Porsche Archive and from other unpublished photography sources.
Renowned Porsche historian and author Lee Raskin conveys a wonderful tale about the legendary Pink Pig Porsche and its unique livery — which continues to span beyond five decades.
Built especially for the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, Porsche AG created the special-bodied TYP 917/20-001 that would be uniquely painted pink along with thirteen German butcher-cut names covering its body — that instantly became known as the Le Mans Pink Pig by the motorsports media.
In recent years, tens of thousands of Porsche enthusiasts have visited the Porsche Museum at Stuttgart-Zufenhausen to meet this legendary 917/20 Pink Pig.
Today, Pink Pig memorabilia has become extremely popular — in the form of designer clothing, model racing cars, ‘Piggy’ banks, coffee and beer mugs, cookies, and dynamic Pink Pig posters and collectible art work.
Pehaps the most exciting Pink Pig news of the day is the acquisition and reinvention of the original Porky’s Pig by the renowned motorsports artist, Kelly Telfer…who has created a very unique Pink Pig display for worldwide Porsche-related events, such as the annual Porsche Club of America’s Porsche Parade, and Werks; as well as the famed Amelia Island event.
The complete motorsports story is included in PINK PIG PORSCHE: The Truffle Hunter of Zuffenhausen.
Celebrating fifty seasons of the most spectacular motorsport, the World Rally Championship marries state-of-the-art technology with endurance and speed in a battle against both the clock and the elements of nature. Rallying is the mother of all motorsport. Mastering a car on gravel, snow and asphalt, in extreme heat, ice, rain, fog and darkness is the supreme discipline on four wheels. The World Rally Championship, which has been held since 1973, has entered its 50th season. Time to look back at these automotive and human legends from Alpine to Integrale, from Colin McRae to Sébastien Loeb, from the wild Group B cars to the technically fascinating Rally1 racers with hybrid drive. It’s all here in this book.
With hundreds of photos from the McKlein archive, of which many are unique to this book, it encapsulates the highs and lows of a half a century’s fight for the WRC crown: the technical development, the dramas, the heroic sagas and the curiosities. It’s an encyclopaedia of an era of enthusiastic drifting, through to the battle for tenths of a second with the fastest cars of all time travelling on a mixture of gravel roads. A book of stories and pictures about the most spectacular motorsport in the world.
Blast down the quarter mile in the first two generations of Ford’s legendary pony car across all drag racing classes in Quarter-Mile Mustangs!
Since first becoming a mass-market success in mid-1964, the Ford Mustang has made millions of passes down the quarter mile on sanctioned drag strips. With styling flared toward the youth, aftermarket parts manufacturers saw an enormous opportunity to produce go-fast components to aid in propelling Ford’s pony car down the 1320. The success of these cars was immediate.
In the hands of successful and seasoned pros, such as Gas Ronda, Bill Lawton, and Dick Brannan, Ford unleashed the devastatingly potent 1965 A/FX Mustang fastback, which was built by Blue Oval stalwarts Holman & Moody with the 427 SOHC (Cammer) engine that unleashed havoc on mother Mopar.
From those very first factory drag cars through the fabled 1968-1/2 Cobra Jets, drag racing historian Doug Boyce highlights the many successes of pioneers, such as “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Les Ritchey, Phil Bonner, Hubert Platt, and Al Joniec. However, it’s not just all doorslammers. As A/FX transitioned into Funny Car, a whole new chapter in Mustang drag racing was written with Mickey Thompson taking the reins and steering Mustangs to success throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The muscle car-era Mustangs joined the Mustang II and soldiered on the best they could as ever-changing rules hampered Ford’s new pony body, with drivers Bob Glidden and Nicholson trying to squeeze every bit of performance out of the diminutive pony.
Quarter-Mile Mustangs: The History of Ford’s Pony Car at the Drag Strip 1964-1/2-1978 brings forth the most in-depth coverage of these cars at the drag strip. Don’t get caught sleeping at the light!
Meet drag racing legend and pioneer Shirley Shahan, the Drag-On Lady!
As the first woman to win an NHRA national event when she was named Top Stock Eliminator at the 1966 Winternationals, Shahan blazed a trail for women in drag racing. During the golden era of drag racing, it was rare to find diversity in the sport. Shahan is what’s commonly known as a living legend.
In a career that spanned the 1950s and into the early 1970s, Shahan drove 1956 and 1958 Chevys and was one of the lucky few who was able to purchase one of the rare 1963 Chevrolet RPO Z11 Super Stockers. Later, when she was driving for Plymouth and Dodge, Shahan made the name Drag-On Lady both famous and feared. She then moved to American Motors and raced very successfully with the new SS/AMX.
From 1958 to 1972, Shahan set records and won numerous awards. She was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, Super Stock Magazine Hall of Fame, and Mopar Hall of Fame, and she was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Bakersfield racetrack. In addition, Shirley won the Top Stock category at the very first March Meet at the legendary the Famoso Raceway track near Bakersfield, California, which made her the first person (male or female) to do so. In 1966, she was the named one of Hot Rod magazine’s Top 10 Drivers.
She raced against the best drivers during the golden age of drag racing and more often than not blew off the doors of her opponents. She had a fierce passion for winning, and in this book, you’ll feel what it was like to be behind the wheel as she steers you through her illustrious career. Fasten your seat belt; it’s going to be a wild ride.
