Car books...

[mk11]

Many of us interested in 1:1 and scale cars had certain influences that steered us into these hobbies like friends, car novels and books. I seem to remember an editorial a few years back in R&T (I think) where the gent recalled the influence of 'The Red Car' on his choice of career. Here's a pic of some I have. There's a few other racing related stories I read as a teen but  danged if I can remember the titles and authors. Do any of you guys have or remember other titles?  

Edited February 13, 2020 by mk11

[webestang]

These 2 are my favorite car books. I got them when I was 10 (1974). Any one who loves VW Bugs should read Small Wonder. And the Sports car book is a buying guide written in 1958. 

 

[paul alflen]

I had the book 'Hot Rod Road' , excellent read. My brother had "Road Race' I think we got them from school -Scholastic books would solicit from all the school members. Then the teacher would put in a group order. Then we would wait for them to ship! Ah, the days of 50 cent books are gone!!!

[Richard Bartrop]

I enjoyed this one quite a bit when I was younger.

This was the first book in a series, including titles lie "The Black Tiger at Le Mans", and "The Black Tiger at Indianapolis"

As a kid, I'd basically devour any book having to do with cars.

[mk11]

Black tiger at Indy is a good one; got it here somewhere too along with another hardcover 'drag strip danger'.

[CapSat 6]

Cannonball! The world's Greatest Outlaw Race by Brock Yates. Great read. I consider this one of my favorites.

https://www.amazon.com/Cannonball-Brock-Yates/dp/0760316333

Almost anything about Stock Cars written by Greg Fielden:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=greg+fielden&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

I have read excerpts from this book and regret not buying it when it was available for a reasonable cost:

https://www.amazon.com/Muscle-Car-Confidential-Confessions-Driver/dp/0760328315/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=joe+oldham&qid=1581622170&s=books&sr=1-1

 

 

[64Comet404]

I have a copy of Felsen's Hot Rod, where you can tell the cover artist used a Monogram Black Widow for the inspiration; the details match right down to the bulges in the bed for the electric motor and gears (it's in storage now, so I can't post it). Read all of them over the years.

Other books I have or remember reading in years past are as follows:

Drag Strip (William Campbell Gault)-picked it up from the discard pile back when I was in High School, no cover art

Road Racer (W.E. Butterworth)-good book, will have to post pics of the cover later

The Fastest Funny Car-I found this one on the library shelves when I attended teachers college. A lot of the action in the book takes place along the route I take to get to NNL East, so I tend to flip through it every time I go back to campus.

And does anyone remember a series of books which followed the adventures of a young man who went from getting his first car to racing at the international level? I can't remember the name of the main character, but he started out with a '56 Chevy he found in the back of the business where he worked, then moved up to a demolition derby car (Buick wagon) and so forth. I haven't seen these books in 35 years, so the details are very fuzzy.

 

[stinkybritches]

5 hours ago, CapSat 6 said:

Cannonball! The world's Greatest Outlaw Race by Brock Yates. Great read. I consider this one of my favorites.

https://www.amazon.com/Cannonball-Brock-Yates/dp/0760316333

 

 

Yes. Very enjoyable book. 

[Oldcarfan27]

I remember a favorite car book when I was young, about two car owners - one took care of his car, the other one drove it hard. I recall the book compared both owners to the longevity of their cars.

I wish I could remember more details about the title, the author or even the cover, because I sure would like to see that book again. It was a book I checked out from the library, over and over again. I loved the illustrations and would draw them into my own "car crash" stories. 

I remember the cars kind of looking like 60s sports cars. Like Mercedes SL roadsters or MGs. Little two-seaters.

Anybody have any recollections?

[The Junkman]

"Ford: The Dust and The Glory" by Levine was my first "car" book.  I just thought cars raced and won or lost, not knowing the back stories.  Vol 1 was magnificent but the later Vol 2 was not a worthy successor.  Also add "Ken Purdy's Book of Automobiles"

Edited February 15, 2020 by The Junkman

[mk11]

Butterworth had an interesting life, writing under many different pseudonyms; including Griffin, Douglas and Williams. Those names definitely ring a bell in my memory as authors of books I've read. Now the search for them begins   

Thanks for the input!

Edited February 15, 2020 by mk11

[Snake45]

Only old car book I have is a little paperback called The Complete Book of Stock-Bodied Drag Racing. I don't remember when or where I got it but it seems to cover things up through about 1967. Pro Stock hadn't been invented yet but there's a lot of cool information on stockers, /MPs, and Gassers. 

Lately I've bought quite a few car books from Motorbooks (I think it is). The dedicated books on Bill Jenkins, Sox & Martin, Dick Landy, and Don Nicholson, plus books on COPO Chevies, two on musclecars, one or two on Motion Performance, Match Race Madness, and a cool "Then and Now" book on restored drag cars. 

[von Zipper]

Here's a couple of my favorites,  I got this from my dad - Ford Motor Company had it printed for the 50th anniversary in 1953

Custom Cars from 1951

One of my all time favorites i got in High School auto shop class , a collaboration between Disney and General Motors....good 'Ol Primative Pete

[Straightliner59]

The best book on the  history of drag racing is "High Performance" by Dr. Robert Post, hands-down!

[Richard Bartrop]

As for old car books I currently own, I have an original copy of "Duesenberg:  The Mightiest American Motorcar", by J. E. Elbert.  It's an interesting snapshot of the time before the cars because multi million dollar museum pieces, especially the photos of "updated" Duesies.

[Roadrunner]

No books as such, but I did regularly buy copies of Model Car Science magazine.

[Tom Geiger]

Roadster:  How, And Especially Why, A Mechanical Novice Built A Car From A Kit  -   Chris Goodrich

Interesting read,  he built a Lotus 7,  and a lot of interesting asides and philosophy...

Blue Highways, A Journey Into America -  William Least Heat Moon

Recommended to me by Dean Milano, he wrote a song about this.  A story about a journey across America in an old Ford Van.

The Critical Path: Inventing An Automobile and Reinventing A Corporation, Brock Yates

An inside view of the development of the third generation (1996) Chrysler Minivan.

 

 

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, Tom Geiger said:

Blue Highways, A Journey Into America -  William Least Heat Moon

Great book! So is his "Water Horse".

[Lizard Racing]

Wilbur Shaw's Gentlemen Start Your Engines was unofficial required reading when I was in Jr. High.

A good insight book is the Unfair Advantage by the late great Mark Donohue.

Many of the above titles sound familiar. I enjoyed the Black Tiger series.

Great memories.

[sjordan2]

Favorites from my teen years. Still have them about 60 years later.

 

 

[Richard Bartrop]

I remember both those books well.  I  picked up a copy of Ralph Stein's book in a used book store.

[Bugatti Fan]

I have a copy of Ralph Stein's book The Great Cars that I bought new way back  when. It was the first of many reference books I have acquired over the years. A book I have that I would recommend is titled 'Inside 100 Cars'. The whole book is devoted to cutaway drawings by well known technical illustrators.

[Mike999]

I could go on and on...but here's a link to Autobooks/Aerobooks in Burbank, CA.  That should cost you several hours of browsing time and maybe some $$$. Along with the usual stuff from Motorbooks etc., the store carries locally-published car books, including fiction.  If you're ever in the L.A. area, make sure you stop by.  You might run into Jay Leno browsing the bookshelves.  Saw him in there more than once when I lived in L.A.  He pulled up to the store once in his 1910 Baker Electric car.

https://www.autobooks-aerobooks.com/

The "Ford At Fifty" book reminded me of the 2003 book Ford commissioned for its 100th birthday: "Wheels for the World" by Douglas Brinkley.  A great read, and NOT a puff-piece or Ford propaganda. More a "warts and all" history.

One of my favorite stories in it:  when Ford installed its first robots, it invited UAW president Walter Reuther for a factory tour.  Ford wanted to make a point with the union.  The Ford PR flack escorting him said:  "Just look at that, Mr. Reuther.  Not one of those robots will ever call in sick or go out on strike!"

Reuther replied:  "You know what else those robots will never do?  Buy a Ford car."

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Mike999
goof

[sjordan2]

On 2/18/2020 at 6:20 AM, Bugatti Fan said:

I have a copy of Ralph Stein's book The Great Cars that I bought new way back  when. It was the first of many reference books I have acquired over the years. A book I have that I would recommend is titled 'Inside 100 Cars'. The whole book is devoted to cutaway drawings by well known technical illustrators.

I have that one, too. Also recommend Classic Cars/36 gatefolds, and the beautiful book on Ralph Lauren's collection, "Speed, Style and Beauty."

[PeeBee]

I had Felsen's books "Hot Rod" and "Street Rod."  Yep, ordered through Scholastic.  Loved the cover art on both.  Wasn't Hot Rod the book where the kid decided to paint the car pink?

I have hundreds of car books from the early '60s to present, many mentioned in this string (Elbert's "Duesenberg...", Donohue's "The Unfair Advantage," etc.).  One of my aunts gave me Stein's "The Great Cars" for Christmas when I was 10-years-old (52 years ago!).  Still have it and still one of my favorites.

I actually received "Speed, Style and Beauty" from my wife this Christmas.  Beautiful book.  Lauren's collection is right down the street from me; I passed his '58 250 TR traveling in the opposite direction a couple years ago.  From afar I though it was an AC Cobra.  Imagine my surprise when the Ferrari got up next to me. We were in light traffic, so I got a good look at it.

Other favorite titles include Rasmussen's "European Sports Cars of the Fifties;"  Ludvigsen's "The Mercedes Benz Racing Cars," "Corvette: America's Star Spangled Sports Car" and "Classic Grand Prix Cars;" Hugh Conway's "Bugatti: Le Pur-sang des Automobiles" and "The Amazing Bugattis;" Mark Christensen's "So-Cal Speed Shop;" oh, and Tad Burness's "Auto Album," of course (another Scholastic acquisition).

Currently reading Harley Earl's biography on my Kindle.

Well, I could keep going, but I have to get back to work.

PB.