Driven to Crime
By Crispian Besley, £40, evropublishing.com, ISBN 978 1 910505 70 0
This 480-page tome is one of the most hotly anticipated motoring books of recent times. Every motor sport enthusiast is vaguely aware of the skulduggery that lurks in certain corners of the racing world, but former investment banker Besley has shown incredible diligence – and bravery – in telling the stories of more than 60 drivers, team bosses and industry figures involved in everything from drug smuggling and robbery to serial-killing and war crimes.
Besley’s meticulous nature results in a read that’s sobering and rollicking. You come away with a sense that IMSA in the Eighties could sustain a knockout Netflix series. And for every well-known incidence of motor sport misdoings – Charlie Brockett, Vic Lee, the Whittingtons – there are others, kept from the public eye, which could well change your opinion of your heroes. Just as gripping as whatever crime-thriller novel you were given for Christmas.
Vintage VW Beetle Accessories By Stephan Szantai, £33, cartechbooks.com,
ISBN 978 1 61325 750 0
Customised VWS, especially from California, have filled the pages of countless books, but Szantai’s is genuinely different. Although the Cal Look is discussed at length and gets its own chapter of this fascinating volume, it’s the wider material it draws upon that makes it special.
Szantai explores every evolution of the market dedicated to making the Beetle a more luxurious, sporty or capable car, starting from the very beginning with Fifties sunshades and camping chairs. Not just for VW fans, this is a journey through the history of the automotive aftermarket sector, at least during the life of the Beetle.
Age of Auto Electric
By Matthew N. Eisler, £52, mitpress.mit.edu,
ISBN 978 0 262 54457 3
This is something a bit different which, on the surface, risks repelling traditional petrolheads. It’s an academic tome – published by the Massachussetts Institute of Technology, no less – densely packed, technically written, and with not a photograph or breakout spread in sight throughout its 365 pages.
However, what Eisler – a history lecturer at the University of Strathclyde – has created here is a highly authoritative history of the electric car. From pioneering dawn, losing out to petrol, then latterly returning in a more ecologically-conscious era, it’s all told here.
MORE TO ENJOY
Iconicars: Porsche 911
By René Staud & Elmar Brümmer, £24.95, teneues.com This is a vibrant photo-essay on the history and evolution of Porsche’s rear-engined sports legend. Nothing new here by way of history, but Staud’s lens takes you into the world of the major-league collectors, celebrities and captains of industry who own them, while Porsche itself provides a glance back at the adverts that sold the cars through the ages. A decent addition to a Porsche library.
Ferrari 2022 Yearbook: 75th Anniversary Edition
Edited by Kevin M Buckley & Gordon Sorlini, £90, ferrari.com
Ferrari’s traditional end-ofyear glossy hardback is a bit special this time. Celebrating 75 years in 2022 gives a great excuse to look back over the marque’s greatest hits, as well as forward at a pivotal moment. Ferrari is about to re-enter top-flight sports-prototype racing, has launched its first four-door, and is operating an F4 team to nurture future driving talent. It’s all here in this lovely but admittedly pricey hardback.