Kahn News presents: Great car books
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Published: May 5, 2009
If you’re looking to give those petrol headed loved ones something to read, Kahn news.com has rounded up some of the best books around.
Do you agree with the list below?
Send in your own list of books to:
Aston Martin – Power Beauty and Soul
David Dowsey
Publisher Peleus
Price, £35
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to press the start button of a modern Aston Martin, you’d have noticed the words Power, Beauty and Soul flash up on the display.
The display is also the starting point for Australian author Dowsey’s examination of 64 Aston Martin cars built by the company while under the stewardship of Ford. Dowsey’s book is impeccable, not only does he provide the reader with everything they need to know about production models, but he has also managed to get access to photos and information on some of the custom-built vehicles Aston has made for special customers, aftermarket conversions by styling houses and the company’s racing cars. A real treat for Aston fans.
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British Auto Legends
Michael Zumbrunn and Richard Heseltine
Publisher: Mereell
Price: £29.95
Following on from Auto Legends and Italian Auto Legends photographer Michael Zumbrunn and writer Richard Heseltine have pulled together a selection of some of the British car industry’s greatest hits.
And some if the key word; one of the most notable aspects of the book is the cars that have not been featured. No McLaren F1, no Aston Martin DB6 and no TVRs at all. Yet they’ve found room for the somewhat obscure Gilbern Invader!
Nevertheless, the cars look stunning, the text is informative and not too lengthy, and it would be the perfect addition to any car fan’s book collection.
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Ferrari 1947-2007
Leonardo Acrebi and Luciano Greggio,
Publisher: Haynes
Price: £50
Ferrari
John Lamm
Publisher: Motorbooks
Price: £40
It’s no surprise that a few enterprising publishers have brought out books celebrating the Italian car maker.
Acrebi and Greggio’s book is a chronological account, with a separate chapter for the 60 plus years of Ferrari’s history, describing the events, motorsport victories, human interest stories and new cars. It’s a very visual book, with plenty of pictures, drawings, plans, all captioned fully. It’s a bit pricey at £50, but a mere bagatelle for a Ferrari owner.
Lamm’s book, subtitled Stories from Those Who Lived The Legend, also takes a chronological approach and features a timeline at the top of each page. However, in this case the Maranello Marque’s story is told through interviews with the likes of Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Caroll Shelby, Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto Guigaro. As befits Lamm’s background as a photographer and writer, the accompanying images are stunning, making it another ideal book for discerning fans.
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Chapman’s Car Compendium
Giles Chapman
Publisher: Merrell
Price: £9.95
A real miscellaneous book for car enthusiasts, Chapman’s Car Compendium is a mine of useful/useless information from the world of cars. Want to know what dictators drive, where the world’s biggest car park is (and no, it’s not the M25), who the 50 most powerful people in the car industry are? They’re all here, along with so much motoring and motorsport trivia that even the best-informed petrol head is guaranteed to learn something new. And at under a tenner, it’s perfect.
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Motor Movies –The Posters
Paul Veysey
Publisher: Veloce
Price: £34.99
Do you like cars?
Do you like movies?
Do you like cars in movies?
Then this is certainly the book for you!
Veysey has gathered together film posters from all over the world that feature cars and succinctly comments on them to make for an amusing, visually arresting book. There are all the usual suspects – Vanishing Point, Two-Lane Blacktop, Le-Mans – plus some surprising, obscure and rather strange posters, whose only justification for inclusion is the use of a car on the poster to publicise the film.
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Subaru Impreza –Road Car & WRC Story
Brian Long
Publisher: Veloce
Price: £19.99
With the old Impreza speeding off into the sunset this year, followed by the arrival of the new version; it’s a good time to take stock of a car that has become an icon among enthusiasts.
The author managed to gain the full cooperation of Subaru when writing the book, which is reflected in the wealth of contemporary source material, including ads from all around the world and promotional brochures. Although the book is comprehensive, looking at the model from the earliest concept, the one criticism is that it hasn’t been revised to incorporate the end of the older model. Despite this, there will be plenty of Scooby owners who will love this affectionate telling of their cars.
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Nodding Dogs and Vinyl Roofs
Stephen Vokins
Publisher: Haynes
Price: £7.99
They may not make our Top 10 techno gimmicks, but some of the car accessories contained in this book will certainly raise an eyebrow. Author Vokins not only chronicles important developments such as the three-point seat belt, pop-up spoiler and rear view mirror, but also delves deep into motoring arcane to uncover the origins of exhaust pipe mascots, in-car record players, mechanical hand-signallers and the titular nodding dogs and vinyl roofs. It’s a funny old world.
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The Volkswagen Bus Book
Malcolm Bobbit
Publisher: Veloce
Price: £19.99
VW Bus – Forty years of Spitfires, Bays and Wedges
Richard Copping
Publisher: Veloce
Price: £24.99
There are hundreds and thousands of VW enthusiasts all around the world, so these two books have a ready audience.
Bobbit’s book is a complete in-depth history of the VW Bus, and a must for owners and fans. Copping takes a different approach, telling the story of the motoring icon through contemporary sales brochure images and other promotional materials of the time. They’re a bit pricey, but a great gift for all those VW enthusiasts world-wide.
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The Official Formula 1 Season Review
Publisher: Veloce
Price: £19.99
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Grand Prix – Driver by Driver
Philip Raby
Publisher: Green Umbrella
Price: £16.99
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Michael Schumacher
Christopher Hilton
Publisher: Haynes
Price: £30
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Lewis Hamilton
Andrew van de Burgt
Publisher: Haynes
Price: £14.99
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As we’re talking about Formula one here, we thought we’d get into the spirit of the championship and cheat a bit, lumping four books into one choice. Our defence is that these reference books are the perfect way for F1 fans to pass the time in-between races.
The official Formula 1 Review is the full inside story of one of the most controversial championships in years, told by the drivers, team managers and organisers. When you add some fantastic pictures, it’s a formidable package.
Raby’s book is a compendium of every driver ever to have raced in Grand Prix since 1950. Jam-packed full of facts and featuring some superb photography, it’s also a great resource.
And finally, two books covering racing drivers ancient and modern, as it were; the Schumacher book is something of a hagiography and, at £30, is perhaps one for dedicated Schuey fans only. The Hamilton book is an obvious cash-in, charting his rise to F1 and his momentous career.
If you’re looking to give those petrol headed loved ones something to read, Kahn News has rounded up some of the best books around.
Do you agree with the list below?
Send in your own list of books to:
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kahn@kahndesign.com
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Tagged with: Books
