BOOKS
TO BURY YOUR FACE IN
THIS STARTED OUT when we went nuts and produced a book recently – almost by mistake – and then noticed lots of other people had as well. And since we’re heading towards Christmas (whether we like it or not!), now seems a pretty good od time to share a bit of news on the latest from all sorts of interesting folk. Enjoy… AUSSIE MUSCLE CAR LEGENDS
UNIQUE CARS MAGAZINE Amazingly, we managed to produce our first book in between web sites, Facebook posts, plus assorted magazines and one-shots.
This hardbound coffee table style piece has a little over 140 pages of thick glossy stock showing off the greatest muscle cars ever to come out of this country. Starting with a Ford GT-HO Phase III and Torana A9X, with race legends Allan Moffat and Jim Richards for company, it’s a rich visual experience If you’re a long-term Unique
Cars mag reader, you may be familiar with some of these stories. But you won’t have seen them looking like this on great paper stock with lots of room to breathe.
Okay, we’re blowing our own trumpet here, but we reckon any petrolhead is going to love it. The best news is it’s readily available through lots of retailers for just $40, or try magshop.com.au/aussielegends.
OLD GIRLS ON THE ROAD CALENDAR
“What started 12 months ago as a callout for female classic car owners to join Tracey Walker in celebrating her MkII Ford Cortina’s 50th birthday has evolved into the Old Girls On The Road, creative project documenting the culture of classic car ownership amongst women.”
It seems the project has become a film series online, and the calendar is a means to hopefully give the film crew a little money for their considerable considerab efforts.
In any case it looks wellpresented and has a nice down-to-earth down-to-e feel about it. Price is $25 $2 including delivery and you can ca find it via oldgirlson oldgirlsontheroad.com. m.
SIX DECADES OF HOLDEN VERSUS FORD
DAVE MORLEY Does that name seem familiar? It should. Morley is our workshop columnist.
He’s also been road-testing cars for assorted mags since the mid 1980s and has along the way developed some pretty entertaining views on the sometimes less than glorious efforts of assorted makers.
In this book he picks up on the most famous brand loyalty battle in the country and takes a tongue-in-cheek look at what went on. It rates as a great read with a wealth of factory PR shots dating back several decades. It’s published by Hardie Grant and costs $50.
EARLY AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN
NORM DARWIN Norm Darwin should be familiar as a long-time writer and historian for the industry,
This one looks like it would have been a monster of a job and represents an enormous effort. Tracking down an authoritative history of local auto design, its players and its international influences, all the way back to the 1890s and up to the 1950s is a monumental task.
If you’re in any way an amateur car history buff, it rates as essential reading. It’s available from $65 delivered, from handpub.com.au.
THE MAD SCIENTIST OF AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING
ROD HADFIELD & ALLISON HADFIELD Possibly up for an award for world’s longest motoring book title, this is a heartfelt project that’s well worth a look.
Hadfield is widely recognised as one of the cornerstone influences on the hot rod scene in this country, so this says as much about the wider culture as it does of the person himself.
It combines narrative, diary notes and portraits of individual cars that result in a fascinating social and engineering history. It’s published by Renniks and sells for $40.