04 Dec 06
The Lost Generation
David Tremayne
Haynes £30
That David Tremayne's been busy this year. Not only has he documented the JCB diesel land speed record adventure, he's also researched and written a fascinating book on a trio of British F1 drivers from the 70s.
Now F1 was different back in those days. For thing, it was actually interesting to watch: this may have been partly because there was a real sense of danger to the races and partly because the drivers possessed genuine charisma, unlike the PR-friendly automatons currently filling the cockpits of the top racing cars.
This book charts the lives and racing careers of Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Tom Pryce, three young drivers who all had the potential to be world champions, but all of whom died young within the space of four years. The book poignantly reveals the men's stories, helped by some great contemporary motorsport photographs and is a must for any F1 fan.
Velocity: Supercar Revolution
John Lamm
Motorbooks £35
Supercars have a fascination for all petrolheads, having a desirability beyond their impressive Top Trumps stats that's largely wrapped up with our modern aspirations.
So why do supercars exist? Are they just rich men's playthings, or are they the automotive embodiment of the human desire for pushing open the envelope?
Velocity: Supercar Revolution tells the story of the modern supercar from its earliest incarnations - the Lamborghini Miura and Ferrari Daytona - to the latest world beaters, the Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Lamm profiles and interviews the men responsible for designing and developing these icons, charting their history chronologically and by speed increase. As befits an author who is both writer and photographer, the book is sumptuously illustrated with pictures of the greatest cars of the last 40 years, making it this year's must-have automotive porn coffee table volume.
