Maserati 250F

Owners’ Workshop Manual
Ian Wagstaff

By now calling these historical diversions ‘owners’ manuals is an old joke, but the format works well, offering more technical information on the subject vehicle than a conventional history. This one is particularly rich in content, combining a compact but useful run through the evolution with drivers’ opinions of this Fifties favourite. It has input from people who worked on or with them, such as Tony Robinson – who looked after Stirling Moss’s car – and the late Ken Gregory, who went to Modena to buy it. It also includes experiences of those running or racing the cars today. Photos of part-dismantled 250Fs maintain the ‘manual’ image, together with a lovely Tony Matthews cutaway. There are some previously unseen photos and the many privateer racers get their share of attention. Wagstaff has spoken to many relevant people, including Warwick Banks and Richard Attwood, who discuss the 1965 race when these important cars went from being out-of-date racers to valued historics. Period programmes and posters liven the pages, while a chassis listing and race history complete a busy package. GC

Published by Haynes ISBN 978 0 85733 313 1, £21.99