March 2004
Maserati: A Racing History
By Anthony Pritchard
This new book, by noted author and historian Anthony Pritchard, chronicles the design, development and competition history of one of the most venerable names in motorsport history—Maserati. Starting with the brothers Maserati’s first racing entry in the 1926 Targa Florio road race and culminating in Maserati’s final factory race effort at Le Mans in 1965, Pritchard paints a detailed picture of the growth and evolution of Maserati’s Grand Prix and competition sports cars.
Utilizing 230 nicely reproduced black- and-white photos, as well as a gallery of 20 rare color photographs, this well-illustrated book not only covers the cars thoroughly, but also investigates the many personalities that contributed to the marque’s many successes, including Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Tazio Nuvolari, and Luigi Villoresi.
This book will be a welcome addition to the collection of any Maserati fan. Available in the U.S. from Classic Motorbooks for $49.95 at (800) 826-6600 (www.motorbooks.com) or directly from the publisher (Haynes) in the U.K. for £35 at 01963 442080 (www.haynes.co.uk)
Reviewed by Casey Annis
Our Rating: 4 stars
Corvette Thunder: 50 Years of Corvette Racing
By Dave Friedman
Every now and again, a book comes our way that pleasantly catches us off guard…this is one of those books. Well-known and respected photographer Dave Friedman has teamed up with famous Corvette racer and tuner Dick Guldstrand to create an unbelievably rich photographic history of the last 50 years of Corvette racing.
From the first documented race entered by a Corvette in 1954 (the Carrera Panamericana) to Corvette’s 2nd place GTS finish in the 2003 24-Hours of Le Mans, Friedman chronicles every aspect of the Corvette’s long racing pedigree with more than 600 photographs spanning some 400 pages.
Organized in a photo album format with 1 to 2 large pictures per page and accompanying in-depth captions, one of the most pleasant surprises of this book is the large format and ultra-high quality reproduction of the photographs. This is truly a coffee table–quality book that will stand up to the highest standards of any art history text…and lets face it, this is not a standard usually associated with Corvette books!
From amateur SCCA and drag racing to professional endurance racing and even land speed record attempts, if a Corvette competed in it, it is sure to be included in this wonderfully presented work. Avail- able with a slip case and autographed by Dave Friedman and Dick Guldstrand, for $75 (U.S.) at (818) 840-6789 or online at www.corvettethunder.com.
Reviewed by Casey Annis
Our Rating: 4 Stars
