Book Reviews, September 1979, September 1979

“La Scuderia Ferrari” by Luigi Orsini and Franco Zagari. 430 pp. 11″ x 9″. Editortale Olimpia, S.p.A. — Firenze, Italy. 26,000 Lire.)

A must for enthusiasts for Enzo Ferrari and his Scuderia and for Alfa Romeos in particular, but not for Ferrari cars, for it covers the activities of the Scuderia from 1929 to 1939 when Enzo was running Alfa Romeos in every form of racing, and also motorcycles as well.

It contains something like 500 pre-war photographs of which this reviewer has seen less than 5% previously. This remarkable collection of hitherto unseen photographs was found by photographer Zagari and writer Orsini has joined them altogether with the text and gathered other photos and information from many of the people and families who were involved with the Scuderia Ferrari during those ten years. There are magnificent photos of 8C Mille Miglia Alfa Romeos, the Avus Tipo B on test on an Autostrada, normal Tipo B “monopostos” galore, the twin-engined Tipo A, a Monza engine on the test-bed, chassis and engine drawings of the 1935 twelve-cylinder, the original Tipo 158 Alfetta, and just about everything else.

If you cannot read Italian you can just drool over the photographs. Doubtless some enterprising book dealer will be importing this fine volume into this country fairly soon, so watch the advertising. At about £18 in its country of origin, it will be costly when it arrives here, so get a friend to bring you one back from the Italian GP. — D.S.J.