Book reviews, June 1986, June 1986

“Lamborghinl Countach” by Jean-Francois Marchet and Peter Coltrin (Osprey AutoHistory. 1214 Long Acre, London WC2. £7.95) It is an astounding 15 years since

the Countach burst on to the stage at the 1971 Geneva Show, and since then more than 1,000 have been built. The car remains the epitome of the supercar. perhaps challenged finally by the new Ferrari Testarossa, but unlikely ever to be surpassed in its chisel profile. In that time there have been several versions, and this volume is an updated edition which now includes the LP5000 and the Ouattrovalvole. The text traces the different models through the very difficult ownership disputes in the late Seventies, looks at the factory, and includes two Road and Track road tests in their entirety, although even the later of these is still three models out of date.

The book is heavily illustrated, to the point where it is difficult to read the text, ard the author seems lobe pushed for caption material at times. Nevertheless, it is a useful summary of the Countach’s career, and with its eight pages of colour pictures, is not bad value at £8. G.C

Latest Super Profile Irvin the Haynes Publishing Group is one covering the Porsche 917. by John Allen. Here, in text, tables, colour and black and white illustrations the endurance-racing Porsche model is dealt with in the standard layout of these attractive books, by an author who has attended every Le Mans race since 1968. Al £5.95 you cannot grumble at the information

David Piper’s views, specifications. chapters on the 917’s history and evolution, and two reproduced track tests by Ray Hutton and Jose Rosinski, respectively from a 1974 Autocar and as a translated report from a 1970 Sport-Auto. Add to that, details of Clubs and other books to read and you should not be disappointed. — W.B.

Those readers whose interests embrace commercial vehicles as well as cars will be interested to know that Alan Townsin has written another of those excellent books for the Transport Publishing Company of Glossop’s -The Best of British Buses’ series, This one about the Leyland Titans 01 1945-1984, no 9 in the list, is priced at £8.95 — W.B.

A book with an unusual approach Ic a subject which must be of some interest to those who fettle their own cars is “Through the Hangar Doors” by F. J. Adkin, who looks at the work of RAF Ground Crews since 1945 and how it was carried out, with plenty of illustrations. This, with a very comprehensive study of “Acrobatic Teams of the World” by Adrian M. Balch, are the two latest Airlile titles, priced, respec. lively, at £12.95 and £13.95. Vintage Tyre Supplies Ltd of 12

Dalston Gardens, Honeypot Lane. Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 1BY has come up with a facsimile of a little 36-page 1920s instruction booklet called “The Care of Cord Tyres”, which should prove useful to those running on the older size covers. It is available for £1.75, post free, — W.B. Following the success of his French Leave books which I recently praised, Francophile Richard Binns has finally been discovered by one of the big publishers. Corgi has just issued the first paperback edition of French Leave 3, in my opinion the best £4.95 that anyone who enjoys driving and eating can take to France, plus two other slim guides at £3.95: France H a Carte and Hidden France. The former devotes individual pages to particular interests, be it chateaux, spas, or “roads that go nowhere’. and includes Monte Carlo Rally Country and Motoring Mementoes, which may lead MOTOR SPORT readers to the wonderful open road Charade circuit near Clermont

Ferrand, while the latter selects 25 less-visited areas of the country and describes the delights to be found there. The fourth book is Best of Britain (also £3.95), in which Binns illustrates that we are not as far behind as believed, deflates the reputations of some of London’s more expensive restaurants, and points the reader towards excellent eating up and down the country. His forceful style, critical and enthusiastic by turns, makes all four books enjoyable reading, and many small maps help the navigation. — G.C.

Since reviewing the Porsche book above, two more of Haynes, Super Profiles have been issued, also at £5.95 each, about the Ford Consul Zephyr Six Zephyr Zodiac Mk. 1. by Michael Allen, and on the Ferrari Daytona. by Nathan Beehl Their brief but wide coverage renders these one-make miniencyclopaedias excellent reference works and ideal for starting a motoring library — W.B