GIFT OF WORDS
Books to impress motorheads
Gearheads on your gift list are never difficult to buy for, right? From jumper cables to wrenches, from driving shoes to polarized sunglasses, there is no shortage of ideas for car lovers.
But when they aren’t driving their baby, or tinkering with it, they’re most likely still thinking about motor cars, so you might need to think about looking beyond the parts and clothing stores when it comes to shopping for them.
Simple: buy them a book — or two — about cars, be it a model they love, a good motoring yarn or even a how-to manual to make their holiday all the more enjoyable.
To get you started — after all, there aren’t many sleeps left before the big day — here are three great books for some inspiration.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN ENGINE COFFEE TABLE BOOK
We still might be a couple of decades away from when the good old internal combustion engine has been relegated to kitschy sentimental art (think the wagon wheel), but this fantastic how-to book serves as a great primer. It’s also ideal for that person on your list with an old big block taking up space in their garage.
Author Gergley Bajzath has built a number of these creative and useful coffee tables, and his book is loaded with hard-earned advice, clear instructions, concise descriptions and a ton of photos to help you in your pursuit. And the best thing about this book — available in paperback and ebook — is it’s price: just £1.99 as part of U.K. motoring book publisher Veloce’s launch of its brand new website.
Check out veloce.co.uk for complete details. The ebook is also available at iBookstore, Kindle, Google Play, Nook and Kobo.
INTERMECCANICA: THE STORY OF THE PRANCING BULL (2ND EDITION)
Keeping with Veloce, this updated version of the rollicking half-century story of Vancouver-based sports car builder Intermeccanica brings the original book up to date with a new chapter covering the company’s rebranding to Meccanica and its evolution into electric vehicle manufacturing.
Written by Vancouver Sun Driving editor Andrew McCredie as told by Paula Reisner, the book tells the Hollywood-esque tale of
Frank Reisner, a Hungarian-born Canadian who turned a youthful passion for cars into one of the world’s most famous small sports car building companies.
From modest beginnings in Turin, Intermeccanica designed and produced a dozen different and exciting models that shook the motoring world in the ’60s and ’70s, including the Apollo, the Italia and the Indra.
Available in hardcover or ebook, the £45 book features more than 200 pictures from the company’s past, present and future endeavours.
Available at veloce.co.uk, and the ebook can also be purchased at iBookstore, Kindle, Google Play, Nook and Kobo.
NITRO CIRCUS LEGENDS, STORIES, AND EPIC STUNTS
Getting young boys to read in 2019 isn’t as simple as giving them a Hardy Boys adventure, but this adrenalin-packed book should keep them glued to the couch for a little while anyway.
The 128-page hardcover book recounts Nitro Circus’ rise from a group of adventurous friends filming crazy homegrown stunts to its explosion as a global phenomenon on MTV.
Led by ringleader and co-founder Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus continues to thrive with electrifying world tours, TV specials, and innovative competitions like Nitro World Games and Nitro Rallycross.
This book captures it all like never before. Nitro Circus Legends, Stories, and Epic Stunts is available at all major booksellers, including Amazon.com.
It is also part of a growing range of Nitro Circus titles from Ripley Publishing, which includes Best of BMX and Best of Scooter books, as well as four entries in the Ripley Readers Series, designed to help kids build their reading skills and confidence at any level. Look for more Nitro Circus releases to come in 2020.