Wolves and secrets

George Wingard has had published a superb book entitled Red Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing (ISBN 1 5 9971 0587) describing and illustrating the cars in his American collection, which include 1908 and ’14 GP Mercedes, 200hp Benz, S74 Fiat and similar ones. It is available free to anyone who donates $100 or more to Prostate Cancer Research in the USA. This is a quite exceptional record of these important historic cars. Indeed, I have never before seen such magnificent presentation of large, immaculate pictures over landscape-format pages. Available from George Wingard, at 2323 Fairmont, Eugene, OR 97401, USA.

The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust has published its eighth book in its technical series. It contains reprints of papers produced in the 1920s from Derby, to enable employees and officials to understand “the operation and driving of motor cars”. Much of this is elementary, but in its 190 pages with 126 sketches and graphs most aspects are covered, from acceleration to cooling systems and torsional vibration. The compilers were Messrs Hives, Lovesey and Robotham — so these are historic records.

Apart from being told why R-R servo brakes, and R-Rs in general, are superior to other cars, there is much of use to those overhauling Silver Ghosts up to 1924, starting with a file marked ‘Secret — to By from Hs’. £15 to non-members, post free, from Box 31, Derby DE24 8BJ.