Book Reviews, May 1974, May 1974
“Autocourse-1973-74.” Edited by Mike Kettlewell. 199 pp. (Hayinarket Publishing Ltd., Craven House, 34, Fouberes Place, London, W1A 2HG. £4.25.)
The Autocourse record of 1973 motor racing comes in the well-liked format it has adopted over the years, with reports by P. Lyons on all the Grands Prix, with circuit diagrams, lap charts, starting grid positions, retirements and results, together with practice times. These reports are supplemented by coverage of all the other major aspects of the sport—F5000, F2, F3, Can-Am, USAC, NASCAR, Tasman, the World’s Sports Car Championship, 2-litre sports-car, Interserie, saloon-car and GT racing, and rallying.
In addition to such reportage, with a dozen colour plates and countless very clear blackand-white pictures, there is the usual rating of the top-grade drivers, this time putting Stewart first, Peterson second, Fittipaldi third, etc., articles by well-known journalists on racing politics, F1 mechanics, the Tyrrell team, the Hesketh F1 team, and the technical background to last year’s races. A useful feature is specifications and dimensions of all the F1 cars of 1973. There is also a 16-page portfolio of results, with progressing championship points. This is a serious reference work for those racing followers who can still afford it.—W.B.
Transport Bookman Ltd., 528, High Road, Chiswick, London, W4 have the sole distribution rights to Motorbooks International’s “American Car Spotter’s Guide, 1940-1965”, which by copious illustrations enables the baffled Britisher to sort-out the subtle differences between the seemingly all-alike enormous American automobiles. It sells here for £2.95 and packs 2,115 pictures of such cars into 213 pages, between soft covers.
“A History of Sports Cars” by G. N. Georgano, first published in 1970 by Thomas Nelson and reviewed in these columns at the time (but now out of print) has been re-issued in soft-cover form by The Hamlyn Publishing Group, for distribution by Spring Books. It is unchanged, with the same colour plates as formerly. The price is £1.95
The Mini Clubman and 1275GT BL cars are now included in the Pearson’s Illustrated Car Servicing Series, this instruction book being published by The Hamlyn Group, Hamlyn House, 42, The Centre, Feltham, Middlesex for 0.75p.
Forthcoming books promised by Motor Racing Publications Ltd. include Stuart Turner’s “The Way To Win”, a one make book about Jensen-Healeys by J. Blunsden and P. Browning, a revision of the Aston Martin book, and Setright’s “Bristol Cars and Engines”.
Michelin have now issued their Red Guides “Itala 1974” and “Deutschland 1974”, priced at £1.80 each. The former contains 663 pages listing 1,959 towns and data on 4,648 hotels and 2,353 restaurants. The German Guide has 775 pages covering 3,502 towns, 7,829 hotels, and 2,108 restaurants.