Book reviews, April 1952, April 1952

“Continental Sports Cars”, by W Boddy (Foulis, 7, Milford Lane, WC2) will soon appear in revised, enlarged form, errors in the first edition corrected and additional information added, notably under such headings as Alfa-Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, Pegaso, Talbot, etc., and the complete list of known Bugatti types brought up to date. Servicing data is included, in some cases for rare vintage sports cars. The attractive dust-jacket of car badges is retained. The price is 15s.

Temple Press Ltd., Bowling Green Lane. EC1, recently issued the third edition of No 5 in their Modern Car Easy Guide series, “Carburetters and the Fuel System,” by EP Willoughby BSc, MI Mech E, CAE. It is an excellant means of understanding this aspect of your car and how modern Zenith, Solex, SU and Stromberg carburetters function. Petrol guages, air silencers and cleaners, petrol pumps, economisers, reserve supplies etc are clearly dealt with.–and the price is only 2s.

Not many of our readers will dread taking the driving-test but their wives or girl-friends or kid-brothers may. In this case the comprehensive book, “The Driving Test Fully Explained,” by FS Hollidge, also in its third edition, and from the aforementioned publisher, is “just the job.” Its price is 5s.

A book which I have enjoyed particularly is “Traction Engines Worth Modelling”, by WJ Hughs (Percival Marshall & Co Ltd, 23 Great Queen Street, 160 pp 12s 6d). Traction engines may be far removed from motor sport (although the racing of them is a recent development), but as so many of our readers enjoy studying the historical aspect of road transport, and as the author includes anecdotes that strike a parallel with those told at gatherings of vintage car enthusiasts, we are glad to refer to this book, the many illustrations in which will be a source of pleasure to those who appreciate road transport of an age long past.–WB.

So many people dwell in caravans in this twentieth century that all manner of vans are offered for sale, and choice is consequently baffling. To the aid of those in this predicament comes “The Motor Trailer Trades Directory and Year Book” (Trailer Publications Ltd, 1s 6d). It lists caravans under three headings, gives the addresses of the manufacturers and subsidiary firms, and contains an index to sites, personalities, the law and kindred relevant subjects. You will even find a GP Bugatti therein–that of PJ Stubberfeld, AM Inst, BE, who is managing director of a caravan company.

Faber and Faber have published another of the beautifully-produced and illustrated 12s 6d, Shell Guides, this one dealing comprehensively with Gloucestershire.