I find it fascinating that a small company like Morgan survived all the decades of change in the automotive industry, while continuing to establish a very well known brand. So I was looking forward to getting to know more. Veloce Publishing just released a new book “Making a Morgan’ written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

As you might know, each car is made in almost the same way as it was done before WWII. A steel chassis with a wooden frame and a metal body. They produce around 500 cars per year in a factory in Malvern in Worchestershire. Of course this book, like so many car books, starts with the history of the brand.  I particularly liked the photo of Dorothy, the sister of the founder Harry Morgan, in the protoype of the Morgan three-wheeler. These three wheelers, in a much more modern version are still being produced at Morgan.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

Morgan build “pure” cars. They have this unique combination of classic and fresh design. It feels like a tribute to the past. Well especially the Morgan Aeromax, designed in 2005 by Matthew Humphries who had completed an apprenticeship in the Morgan works. The design was a homage to the legendary Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

As said, Morgans are being built in the traditional way and the following 110 pages document the production process step by step. Photos, text and interviews with the different craftsman add to the personality of the brand. It makes the reader appreciate the dedication each worker at Morgan has for his or her car. Day by the day the production process is followed, from the chassis to the wood work, from the body to the painting.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

Making a Morgan written by Andreas and Dagmar Hensing.

A lovely book. Available at Veloce Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-845848-73-6

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Randy Leffingwell is an established writer of automotive books. His fast knowledge of American cars and of the Porsche is impressive. He combines insight into the technical data with historical details. Supported by an impressive network in the automotive scene.

But beside his writing skills he has become an expert in what he and photographer Tom Loeser name “light painting”. It results in photos with a black background emphasizing the car in a perfect light.

Wide-Open Muscle by Randy Leffingwell. Photography by Tom Loeser

For one of his previous books, Randy worked with 'The Brothers' and seeing so many unique big-block convertibles, it didn’t take long to decide to do a book on these cars covering 30 cars from The Brothers collection.

The regulations in those days required that racing cars needed to be street legal. However, racers would never consider using an open top car for racing. Not strong enough, not rigid enough and not safe enough. But for the streets it was a perfect combination of power and coolness.

1965 Pontiac GTO

Leffingwell presents the cars in three parts; the Chrysler Corporation, the Ford motor Company and General Motors.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 L68 Convertible

One of the first artists interviews I did was with Etienne Carignan. He had just completed an illustration of the Plymouth Roadrunner and I fell in love with that car. Randy spends a full chapter on the convertible version of this cartoon inspired car. The rapid flightless bird can be found in several places on the car and the engineers even installed a “beep-beep” horn . Eventually the Plymouth road runner became Chrysler Corporations purest muscle car. 

Wide-Open Muscle by Randy Leffingwell. Photography by Tom Loeser.

Wide-Open Muscle by Randy Leffingwell. Photography by Tom Loeser.

Wide-Open Muscle by Randy Leffingwell. Photography by Tom Loeser.

This is one of those books that belongs in each men’s mancave where you enjoy showing these cars to your buddies, while sharing dreams about your next car and bragging about the performance of your muscle car. A real must have!

This book is available at:  Motorbooks

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The stunning number of beautiful classic cars, icons from the history of car racing. Driving through small romantic villages and historic cities like Ferarra and Pisa.  Springtime under the Italian sun. Long winding roads and thousands of spectators waiving and cheering.

Mille Miglia 2015 – The Official Book

What was once a race, not without risks, became a tradition to celebrate wonderful cars. Heroes of those days like Sir Stirling Moss, made the event even more memorable. Heritance of famous car brands show 'acte de presence' like Porsche, Ferrari and Zagato.

Mille Miglia 2015 – The Official Book

Mille Miglia 2015 - The Official Book is just that. A photo book showing photos and names of all the contestants and their cars. Pages filled with tables show the details of the cars and their final ranking. The winners of 2015 were Juan Tonconogy and Guillermo Berisso in a bright blue Bugatti T40, made in 1927. Mind you, driving 1000 miles for four days in an 89 year old car!

Bugatti T40 made in 1927

Going through all the photo filled pages of each of the participants, I realized that it was not only classic cars participating. There are a few Fiat 500 Topolino’s, a Lincoln Capri Sport Coupe and a Renault 4, just to name a few. 

Renault 4 1957

Aaldering eigenaar Brummen

The last two chapters are filled with photos of the Ferrari and Mercedes tribute to the participants. Cars like the Ferrari LaFerrari and Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss. I am sure that all the 2015 Mille Miglia participants would like to have this book. Also those interested in everything around this event, because it really is a great book.

Mille Miglia 2015 – The Official Book

Evert Louwman eigenaar Louwman museum

However, I am missing something and after going through the book for the second time, I realized that I miss photos which capture the feeling of driving through beautiful Italy. All the photos are close-ups of the cars with their drivers but without landscapes. Or photos of all the preparations before the race and late night activities to fix and prep the car for the next day. Stories which are more interesting to me then just the cars. Well maybe that is something for 2016?

This book is available at Giorgio Nada Editore 

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Art of the Hot Rod by Ken Gross with photography by Peter Harholdt Published by Motorbooks

Lately I have had several conversations with automotive artists on the subject of car art. They all agree that cars can be art but I haven’t found one description for art which adequately fits cars.
But then I received the “The Art of the Hot Rod” to write a book review and going through the pages I realized 'this is it'. This is art. Each car in this book is built by guys and girls with a drive to create the prefect Hot Rod. A car with perfect proportions, lines that flow, stunning colours perfectly combined with the leather interiors and chrome elements. Their work expresses the respect and admiration for past car designs but with their own signature style.

Steve Moal and his sons David and Michael.

I prefer to build from scratch. That’s where you’re challenged to be the most creative. And with that challenge, you have a responsibility. There’s always a chance, a risk, that you might build an ugly car.

1948 Custom, Ex-Norman Timbs, owned by Gary Cerveny

Art of the Hot Rod by Ken Gross with photography by Peter Harholdt Published by Motorbooks

1932 Ford Board Track Racer Full Speed Ahead owned by Lee Munder

1935 Ford Aeroliner owned by Richard Ullman

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Porsche was going to use a Turbocharger and bring it into the racing world. The first person that came up with the Turbo was Alfred Büchi and although the invention was made in 1905, it took many years before it was used in cars. 

Porsche Turbo by Randy Leffingwell

Porsche used this technique for the 917 and we are all familiar with the impressive results. Of course the next step was to use the turbo technique for the 911. As it has always been the philosophy of Porsche to connect their racing technology to street cars.  A first attempt in 1969 failed because there just wasn’t enough space to house the turbo charger.  Many engineers would have given up but for the team at Porsche, this was a challenge.

Porsche 928

Keeping these fast cars on the road by providing enough downforce became the task of the aerodynamics designers. But it wasn’t only the downforce they had to work on as it had the air-cooling, and air inlet became critical. Hundreds of hours of testing different configurations in the windtunnel helped to get the design perfect. The result was the impressive Turbo’s rear wing.

50 years later this book documents the history of the Porsche design describing all the challenges and solutions which the Porsche teams had to face. And the wonderful results covering all the racing cars and the turbo charged street cars. 

Porsche Turbo by Randy Leffingwell

Randy Leffingwell, author of this book, combines his skills as an entertaining writer with his passion for the automotive history. Since 1989 he has been writing books and to date more than 50 books by his hand have been published.  For this book he travelled through Germany to interview retired Porsche designers,  spent time in the Porsche archives and combined it with the memories and stories of famous drivers like Dereck Bell and Jacky Ickx. The result is a remarkable book which is a 'must have' for any Porsche owner, as it provides an even deeper appreciation for their beloved Porsche. 

Porsche 917

Porsche Turbo by Randy Leffingwell

Porsche Turbo by Randy Leffingwell

This book was originally published in 2015 by Quarto Publishing and the German translation is published Delius Klasing both versions are available here.

(this review was done on the German version) 

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MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

Milestones of Motorsports - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car

Recently I have had quite some conversations with artists and car designers as to whether cars are art? Each car starts with a drawing and a clay model and while most artworks, like paintings, are the result of one person, the creation of a car requires a whole team. A team who all share a vision and a dream to create something new, faster and better.

This book describes the making of a sculpture named the 300 SL.  A car which is being treated as art today and which is a valued piece in many car collections.

The Mercedes designers and management by no means had the intent to create a collection item. Working hard to rebuild the company after WWII, they initially did not have the available resources to work on sports car. However, the desire was there and plans were made to create a representative sports car, as early as 1948. Ideas and visions were discussed and shared and Mercedes initiated a dedicated department to start working on a car that could win the important races and put Mercedes on the map.

From management discussions to the technical decisions, each step in the design processes are outlined in this book. Technical drawings, unique photos, letters and documents illustrate the history.

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

Maybe the most characteristic element of the 300 SL is its gullwing doors. Since the 300 SL measured only 1225 mm in height and had a high-sided design space frame, the designers had to come up with a solution on how to get into the car. The Gullwing doors were the answer! Not unique to Mercedes being as others had tried and used it before, but it became the signature element of the 300 SL. A design which stirred some legal discussions about it's compliance with the International Motor sport regulations.

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

Milestones of Motorsports - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car

So what can you expect from this book?

It starts with a beautiful photo series of all the famous races, printed on 100 pages of black paper, emphasizing the rough pixels of photo technology in those days. Perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the race. Names of drivers and designers are stated, which is explained much later in the book. I found this intriguing; who are these fine men and women celebrating the victories of these races, working on fixing the cars to keep them running during Le Mans.

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

MERCEDES BENZ Milestones of Motorsports

What follows is the history of the designs, the technical iterations and the races. As to be expected from such a detailed book, each chassis number is referred to, including all the technical details and where and when it raced.

Any owner of a 300 SL, be it the original version or a later model, should have this magnificant book which is housed in a hardback cover. A wonderful possession for all Mercedes lovers.

This book is published by Hatje Canz and available here.

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Bulli Forever. Liebeserklärung an ein Lebensgefühl by Jamie Tinney

Everytime one of my daughters spots an old Volkswagen Transporter they start dreaming out loud; “When I have my driver’s license, I will buy that car and travel around the world”.

How did this classic MPV achieve such a cult status? We accept that they are painted in beautiful bright colours, often conveying a view of 'life by itself'. And of course we respect the perfectly restored version in concourse condition. But that’s not it, this car has become a symbol of freedom, an icon of independent minds living their lives on their terms. A joy de fivre.

Bulli Forever. Liebeserklärung an ein Lebensgefühl by Jamie Tinney

"It is good to have a destination in mind but at the end, it is the journey that matters"  Ursula K. Le Guin

Bulli Forever. Liebeserklärung an ein Lebensgefühl by Jamie Tinney

"Travelling is not something you are good at. It is just something you do. Like breathing." Gayle Foreman

This new book on the “Bulli”, the German “nick-name” for the T1, tries to capture that feeling by images and quotes. This is not a car book, this is a book about a way of life, showing a way of life without people but only through the combination of cars and quotes and that's quite a challenge.

Did they succeed in this? Yes and no. Yes, when it comes to finding the right quotes and combining them with matching photos and colourful graphic designs.

But no, for the photos. The author made a selection from a wide range of photos and photographers.  But the majority of these photos have not been made with the intent of capturing the T1's joy de fivre.

Bulli Forever. Liebeserklärung an ein Lebensgefühl by Jamie Tinney

"Do not be afraid of perfection" Salvador Dali

Bulli Forever. Liebeserklärung an ein Lebensgefühl by Jamie Tinney

"Not all those who wander are lost"  J.R.R Tolkien

This book is published by Delius Klasing and available here. 

ISBN: 978-3-667-10464-9. Please note that all quotes are in German.

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Ferrari In Art by Paul Chenard

Artist Paul Chenard might be best known for his fast sketches of classic cars. At many car events in the UK or Canada you will find him sitting somewhere in a corner sketching another beauty. Passers by often stop to see what he is creating and share the admiration for the car and his wonderful skills.

Paul has a professional background as a graphic designer but his passion is creating art and writing about the history of automobile racing. In his new self-published  book “Ferrari in Art – A celebration of the legend”, he shares a fine collection of his work. Each drawing comes with some background information about the race.

Ferrari In Art by Paul Chenard

His graphic roots certainly show off in this well designed little book. You can feel the love for his work in all the small details. From the image hand-glued on the hardcover to the choice of high quality paper and font types. All the details have been perfected. And the nice deal is that this book comes with an optional small poster of your choice.

My favourite is the poster of the “Ferrari Garage – The Night before the 12 hours of Sebring 1962”. This is the sketch of the scene with two cars highlighted in blue and red. Paul did me a big favour by signing the poster and the book.

Ferrari In Art by Paul Chenard

Make sure you get your personal copy soon because his previous book sold out quickly and has already become a collectors item.

The format is a 28-page 9.75”x 8.25” hardcover book with slipcover. When book buyers request their Ferrari poster, Paul also includes a book-cover label and bookplate as added free gifts.

Ferrari In Art by Paul Chenard

Get your copy here:

http://www.blurb.com/books/6772551-ferrari-in-art

To see Paul's work, please visit his website and https://www.pinterest.com/automobiliart/

Read our previous interview with Paul Chenard

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Leica and Zagato, two brands with a long history combined in one book.

Zagato Leica USA Collectibles by Winston Goodfellow

One of the roles of art is to beautify our lives. Design has a similar role and we don’t always have to own the objects to enjoy their beauty. When going through this book, I began wondering what it was all about. What does a famous brand in lenses have to do with Zagato? But then it dawned on me that both brands have a long heritage in high quality and exclusive design. In the current trend of exclusive brands working together to create something unique, sharing each others strengths, this cooperation resulted in a pair of binoculars. This book is on one hand documenting the joint efforts designing these binoculars and on the other, a celebration of beauty.

It shows 33 Zagato USA collectibles in beautiful photos and quotes only. No historical details of the car, or its technical specifications. Just the plain beauty of the car seen through the lenses of Leica. This book demonstrates that you don’t always need words to tell a story.

Zagato Leica USA Collectibles by Winston Goodfellow

One quote in the book by Ansel Adams kind of summarizes it all;

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

So what does this book give you?

The first chapter shows the design process of a unique collaboration between Leica and Zagato through the design of the Ultravid 8x32 “Edition Zagato” binoculars. A unique limited edition.

ZAGATO LEICA USA Collectibles

ZAGATO LEICA USA Collectibles

What follows are 130 pages of beautiful photographed cars. 3 Zagato’s from collections in the USA and photographed in their current habitat. The cars vary from the Fiat 8V Zagato Elaborata 1954, to an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider Aerodinamica from 1934 and a stunning Lamborghini Raptor (1996).

For those interested in the details of each car, the book ends with a short description of each.

ZAGATO LEICA USA Collectibles

This book is published at Delius Klasing and available here. 

ISBN: 978-3-667-10423-6

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Art of The Mustang. Photography by Tom Loeser and text by Donald Farr

The ultimate dream of any Muscle car fan would be to own a Mustang and preferably a Shelby version. Especially if that fan would be me. I fell in love with this car after watching Nicolas Cage drive it in Gone in 60 Seconds. “Eleanor” the 1967 Ford Mustang fastback depicted as a Shelby GT500.

Art of The Mustang - 2014 Shelby GT500

Art of The Mustang - 2015 Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition

In this book, photographer Tom Loeser pays his tribute to 50 years of Mustang. He knows how to highlight the specifics of each model by playing with dark and light to get the best photos. The strength of the photos in this book is the fact that there are no backgrounds distracting you from the car. They are pitch black which enhances and accentuates the colours and lines of the car.

Mustangs are cars which bring back memories and make you share stories. And that’s exactly what Donald Farr has done with this book, sharing the stories of guys like Jordan Besenburch who happens to be the proud owner of a Boss 302. His grandfather parked the car under a tarp in 1988 after blowing up the engine during a street race. David now plans to refurbish the Boss in tribute to his father.

Art of The Mustang. Photography by Tom Loeser and text by Donald Farr

Art of The Mustang - 1965 GT350 School Car

The combination of photos, stories and some technical background text works really well. Art deserves to be shared and exposed to a large audience and the Art of the Mustang is no different. A worthy tribute to the Mustang.

This book is published by Motorbooks and available here.

ISBN 9780760347867

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