Now that the summer looks like a washout,has anyone got any good recommendations for petrol heads?
Two from me are: A Passion for Porsches (formerly Porsche Past and Present) by Denis Jenkinson (so much more than just a car book: brilliant travelogue as well)
Drive on! by LJK Setright: Not Clarkson/Hammond lite but rewards perseverance as absolutely fascinating.
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Another LJK Setright book, 'Bristol Cars and Engines' is interesting.
Are there any proper motoring writers left? I mean the likes of LJK Setright, Bill Boddy, John Bolster, Bunny Tubbs etc...? I believe Bill Boddy is still going, in his 90's.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 01/08/2009 at 14:12
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I'd love that Bristol book Sofa but it's about £300 aargh!
Yeah I think there are still a few lurking about: Karl Ludwigsen is brilliant as is Doug Nye and I think they are still about. As for the mags, very few indeed come across as real experts, there are exceptions though, especially in the classic press: Martin Buckley is particularly notable.
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You just can't beat an evening curled up by the fire with a Haynes Manual.
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I agree that Karl Ludvigsen's books are always top-notch and have beautiful and nostalgic photos and drawings. But they are not general purpose, and you need to be interested in the specific subject matter to get best value out of them. The sort of books you want to keep for ever.
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Back Fire by Alan Clark and Ferrari by Richard Williams
alfalfa
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auto trader used to be my book to curl up with
now its a quick look through ebay
the same old lies,just newer faces telling them
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I'm not a reader of car polish and "exotica" books, but find a real understanding of what makes everything work absolutely compelling.
For me, the one car book which stands head and shoulders above others is the Bosch Automotive Handbook. If you fully understood all of the information contained in this modest volume, you know quite a bit about vehicles. (Not all though, there's no substitute for an analysis of failures in the field and designing a satisfactory resolution).
The Bosch book is a tribute to its authors and demonstrates the profound technical ability of this Company. (No connections - I used to work for a rival).
659.
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>>I'm not a reader of car polish and "exotica" books, but find a real understanding of what makes everything work absolutely compelling.
I'm in the same boat 659.
I was recently suckered by "Jaguar, The Engineering Story" by Jeff Daniels. Considering the title, and that Daniels was an engineer, I thought it would be an interesting and enlightening read - alas not - it's a coffee table book.
I agree with your endorsement of the Bosch Automotive Handbook.
What other books would you recommend?
As you know, I frequently suggest that people should have a look at books like;
Gillespie - Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics
Kiencke & Nielsen - Automotive Control Systems
Heisler - any of his automotive books
As I think they offer good explanations of complex vehicle behaviour and systems which go a little further than the types of explanations you get in Haynes manuals, and can be understood even if any accompanying mathematics isn't appreciated.
Are there any good books that you've found which fit into a similar category?
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The best motoring book I ever read was 'Motoring My Way' by the late Stanley Sedgwick, former president of the Bentley Drivers' Club and expert par excellence.
If you are into the sport of yesteryear, 'Mon Ami Mate', the tale of world champion Mike Hawthorn and his great pal and fellow Ferrari driver Peter Collins, is brilliant. Pricey now though if you can find one.
'All Arms and Elbows', the 1967 autobiography of grand prix driver and bon viveur Innes Ireland, is excellent too, but try to avoid the recent re-issue - the re-printed original text is fine but the extra bits are embarrassingly badly done. Pictures are good though. Sadly not cheap now either - but I've got mine...
Anything you can acquire by L J K Setright is excellent as well, of course. His last work, the autobiographical 'Long Lane With Turnings' says it all - a shame he died before he finished his own story.
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smart thinking: the little car that made it big.
Product Description
The story of smart is an epic tale of genius, inspiration, hope, disappointment, disaster and ultimate triumph. Funky, stylish and fun, smart is the youngest and most exciting brand of car on the market - and it has revolutionised the way we think about cars and the way we use them. It has put much-needed fun back into driving, and even city motorists smile when they're at the wheel of a smart. But it nearly didn't happen at all. The revolutionary design was the product of the genius who invented the Swatch watch, saving the near-bankrupt Swiss watch industry in the process. The sensational story of smart traces the decadelong history of this ambitious project, talking to key figures from every stage of the programme and building a vivid picture of an idea ahead of its time.
Ive read this book a few times and each time I still find new stuff about the smart car :)
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Thanks Mike I'll have to get hold of a copy of Motoring My Way as looks like a book I would enjoy. I have several Setright titles and love the mixture of history and engineering. The guy must have had a phenomenal intellect. His unfinished autobiography that you mention is good too. His writing style in that is much more warm and personal and I'm glad they published what he had finished. Other good books include My life full of cars by Paul Frere, Into the Red by Mark Hales and Nick Mason. Jenks the collected writings of Denis Jenkinson is good too along with The Road to Muckle Flugga by Phil Llewellin: which contains a lot of his driving adventures. I followed him right through to his writings in Diesel Car and wish he was still around. I picked up that mag the other week and they had a drive story in a Porsche Cayenne in South Wales that was as thin as turps: yes I miss the old guard!
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