International Race Engine Directory

by Ian Bamsey. 144pp. 12″ x 8½”. (GT Foulis & Co, Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ. £19.95).

This book describes in much detail, and illustrates with big photographs, drawings and cut-aways, the construction of modern F1, Indy, Group C, GTP and F3000 racing engines.

It is the intention to update the information every three years, so it could be important to obtain this first edition, in which 50 leading racing engines, from Alfa Romeo to Zakspeed, are fully dissected — some, it is claimed, for the first time. Indeed, the publishers have it that “specialist magazines offer precious little technical information on racing cars and rarely venture beyond brief chassis notes.” Be that as it may, Bamsey has the space in this book to expand on that fascinating subject, the science of motor racing. WB

Ian Bamsey has been at it again, providing via Foulis of Yeovil, Super Sports — The 220mph Le Mans Cars, which runs to 192 very large pages, magnificently illustrated. The subject-matter is self-explanatory, but the publisher seems a trifle ashamed of promoting a book about such super-fast sports-racing cars, for the Press release gives the book’s title as covering 200 mph projectiles!

The descriptions are of mid-engined Sarthe-burners, the coupes which have given the Le Mans marathon its thrills and appeal for the past 25 years. Bamsey, who used to toil for Motoring News, has enlisted John Allen, Gordon Jones, Alan Lis, Ronnie Spain and Allan Staniforth to help him cover the start of these ultra-quick coupes, wings and monocoques, the spyder years, turbos and venturis, and so on. Not that all the cars described could do this 220 mph business, but if you can afford £24.95 for another specialised book, and if you love Le Mans, go for this tide. WB.

Shire Publications has employed Nick Baldwin, who has had four Land Rovers of his own and who worked for Rover in the 1960s, to compile its Shire Album on these and 4WD vehicles in general. The 32-page paperback costs £1.25. WB