Red-Hot Rivals
By Karl Ludvigsen
Perhaps no location on the face of the planet can lay claim to more fast and beautiful exotic machinery than the little town of Modena, Italy. Ancestral home to both Ferrari and Maserati, this Italian burg has given rise to more than its share of racing machinery, and as a result, more than its share of racing rivalry.
In Red-Hot Rivals, historian Karl Ludvigsen looks back at the history and technology surrounding some of the all-time, great match-ups between the Trident and the Prancing Stallion. Each of the 17 chapters of this 330-page book is devoted to a different pairing—both open-wheel and sports cars—including the 125 vs. the 4CLT; 625 vs. the 250F; 750 Monza vs. 300 S; 335 S vs. 450 S; 250 TR vs. Birdcage; and the 312 F1 vs. the Cooper-Maserati, just to name a few.
Within each of these chapters, Ludvigsen digs into the development, technology, and, sometimes most interestingly, the personalities that brought these cars to life, as well as the racing history itself. Each chapter is intelligently written and enjoyable to read, and made all the sweeter by a large assortment of high-quality period photographs (both black and white and color) that illustrate the technical side of the cars, as the well as the racing action.
For the fan of either Ferrari or Maserati, this book will serve as a thoroughly enjoyable resource, while its unique approach to chronicling these period rivalries will have an appeal for any fan of racing in the ’50s and ’60s.
Available for US$54.95 (£30.00) from www.motorbooks.com or www.haynes.com
