May 2009
Peter Collins: All About the Boy!
By Ed McDonough
Along with Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins was one of the “Golden Boys” of British motor racing in the 1950s. The trio may have shared common interests and obsessions, but they were not necessarily alike otherwise. While Moss endures in knighthood these days, Collins and Hawthorn left the scene half a century ago, Collins at the tender age of 26.
This book, by VR stalwart Ed McDonough, assesses Collins apart from his compatriots, cataloging his competition career with synopses of every event and exquisite period photography. Then, it steps beyond to discuss his life both at and away from the track. It is this latter aspect that separates this book from your standard racing biography, with the thoughts of his wife, Louise, and Enzo Ferrari himself especially fascinating. Readers will not regret a moment spent within these pages.
Available for £39.95 plus shipping, directly from the publisher at www.mercianmanuals.co.uk
Reviewed by John Zimmermann
Alpine & Renault
By Roy Smith
Billed as the first English-language book about the development of Formula One’s first turbocharged entry, Smith’s work begins by describing the origins of the separate French entities of Alpine and Renault, and how they came to be partners. From his Renault dealership in Dieppe, Jean Rédélé began creating cars named Alpines in recognition of his consecutive victories in the Coupe des Alpes in 1953 and 1954. Eventually, Renault became the majority shareholder, and planning for an ambitious future began. First came a turbocharged car for Le Mans, and with that objective achieved, attention turned toward Formula One.
The road to the top of racing’s premier category was filled with difficult lessons, but within two years of its initial appearance on an F1 grid, Renault’s revolutionary turbocar scored its historic first victory. Appropriately, that win came in the French Grand Prix at Dijon, courtesy of Jean-Pierre Jabouille, but ironically it was all but overshadowed by the great race for 2nd place that transpired between Renault’s Rene Arnoux and Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve. Those stories and many more make this a book no fan of The Regie should be without.
Available for US$89.95 (£45.00) plus shipping, directly from Veloce Publishing at: 011-44-305-260068 or www.veloce.co.uk
Reviewed by John Zimmermann
The Immortal 2.9 Alfa Romeo 8C2900
By Simon Moore
In 1935, Alfa Romeo debuted a new car that featured a supercharged, 2.9-liter, straight-8 engine, and curvaceous bodywork. The model was known as the 8C2900, and though only a little over 50 examples would be built, it would go on to become one of the most coveted and iconic automobiles in the classic car world. Each 8C was unique, with some receiving luxurious custom bodies by coachworks like Touring, while others were prepared to compete in events like the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. As a result, each chassis led a unique and historic life, with its own fascinating tale to tell.
It was these many captivating 8C stories that drew owner and Alfa enthusiast Simon Moore into obsessively researching and chronicling each chassis. After years of painstaking research, Moore produced the first version of his book The Immortal 2.9, in 1986, documenting not only the overall history of the 8C but also that of each car, chassis-by-chassis. This first edition quickly sold out and became a treasured collectible fetching hundreds of dollars on the used book market. Despite the book’s success, over the ensuing 20 years, Moore continued to research the cars, unearthing new data, tracking new ownership histories, and unearthing certain errors that had come to light after the first printing. Armed with this bounty of new, updated information, the second version of Moore’s The Immortal 2.9 is an amazingly detailed and fascinating look into these wonderful machines.
While only a few authors ever attempt to tackle the daunting task of a chassis-by-chassis history, even fewer end up producing a work that is universally agreed to be “spot on.” Yet, through years of single-minded dedication, Moore has produced a beautiful, 480-page treatise that stands as the model for others to follow—it’s that good!
The Revised Edition is available for US$295 from Parkside Publications, www.parksidepublications.com or by calling (206) 839-1191.
Reviewed by Casey Annis
