Book Reviews
Reviews of the latest media that interest motoring enthusiasts.
Darlene’s Silver Streak and the Bradford Model T Girls
While most collectable cars have a story to tell, none are quite as unique as the Silver Streak. This 1926 Model T shuttled a host of young ladies around the country in the late 1930’s and early 40’s. It seems Darlene Dorgan of Bradford, Illinois had some serious wanderlust, loading up the Model T every summer with 4 or 5 friends and hitting the road. This… Read More
Driven to Delight
In a world where customer service is often severely lacking, Joseph A. Michelli makes a case in his book Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer Experience The Mercedes-Benz Way. Mercedes-Benz’s dedication to providing the ultimate ownership experience has been a major key to their success here in America. Of course they make a great product, as… Read More
Ford Total Performance
If you know that Ford Total Performance was Ford Motor Company’s 1960’s program that pumped major bucks into auto racing development, in order to rule the streets and tracks of America as well as Europe, then good for you! If you didn’t, you can learn all about it in Martyn L. Schorr’s Ford Total Performance: Ford’s Legendary High-Performance Street and Race… Read More
Never Tailgate on a Rainy Day
If you’ve got a teenager ready to get behind the wheel for the first time, you know how stressful it can be for both of you. And having raised that teenager, you’ll also know that many times they take advice from others better than from their seemingly-unwise parents. So, before they turn the key for the first time, give them a copy of Never Tailgate on a… Read More
Form Follows Function: The Art of the Supercar
While very few of us ever get to actually own a supercar, just about everyone can appreciate the often striking beauty of their design. Stuart Codling certainly does, and with the help of some exquisite photography by James Mann, he brings us the 20 supercars that he thinks are the finest ever, in his book Form Follows Function: The Art of the Supercar. From… Read More
Where the Writer Meets the Road
If you read Road & Track magazine or follow Formula 1 racing on television, you’ve no doubt read, heard, and seen the work of Sam Posey. Where the Writer Meets the Road is a Must Read collection of his works from those outlets, as well as many others, from the last 40 years. No stranger to the track himself, Sam’s 20-year racing career included starts in… Read More
Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic
If you’re watching this show, chances are you’ve spent some time wrenching on a car, and have had various levels of success for your efforts. Rob Siegel is one such shade tree mechanic, and he tells his story in Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic: How Fixing Broken BMW’s Helped Make Me Whole. It’s a good read, as Siegel takes a look back at his life through the many… Read More
Leanings 3
If you’re a car or motorcycle fan like us and have spent perhaps a little too much time flipping through car and motorcycle magazines, you’re probably familiar with writer Peter Egan. And if you’re not, Leanings 3 is a great place to start; a collection of his writings from Cycle World magazine from the years 2005 through 2013. Few writers do a better job of… Read More
Driven by Desire
Those of you who think women in auto racing begins and ends with Danica Patrick need to get an education! And a good place to start would be by turning the pages of driven by desire, the Desire Wilson story. Written by her husband, race track developer Alan Wilson, it chronicles this South African woman’s rise from beating the boys at the go-kart track at age… Read More
The Art of the Car
We can all agree that some cars are works of art. And we can also agree that some works of art are about cars. This collision of art and the automobile is never more apparent than in The Art of the Car photo book, with photography by Bob Paulding. You won’t see any beauty shots of complete cars here, just pages and pages of artful compositions of the louvres… Read More