Book reviews, December 1989, December 1989

Ferrari — The Machines and the Man by Pete Lyons. 320pp. 11″ x 83/4″. GT Foulis & Co. Ltd., Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ. £19.95

For those who collect everything, here is  another book for those specialists in Ferrari literature. There have been so many previous titles dealing with Enzo Ferrari and his fabulous cars that I wonder if this big tome can tell us anything new? Without reading again the masses of other books about Ferrari, I doubt it.

American motoring writers have discovered Ferrari as Hemingway discovered the bull-fight. I would prefer that they concentrated on Duesenberg, Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln and suchlike, leaving European writers to European exotics. Almost all the Ferraris, colour illustrated in this book, have American owners and the text smacks a bit of journalese— “As a young man (Ferrari) the crude open-wheel shells he raced over brutal road courses influenced forever his sense of what an auto should be and the drama it should hold.” “Listen to the ‘ripping canvas’ song of a timeless 250GT0 under full throttle.” “Feel the graceful 308GTB’s seatbelt bite as you as you slice through a corner,” and know that “Ferrari engine and chassis come courtesy of detailed essays by a man (Dean Batchelor) who has put the spur to scores of prancing horses.” Etc.

But of the 400 pictures, 300 are in colour, some very large, and the book smells nice and costs not too much. So whatever it tells you or does not tell you that is in the Ferrari saga, it is another for Ferrari book collectors. WB

Grand Prix Sportique is offering a series of limited edition prints hand signed and numbered by the artist Alan Fearnley. “Team Conquest” commemorates the Mercedes victory in the 1914 Grand Prix at Lyon. “The Birth of the Prancing Horse” commemorates Enzo Ferrari’s victory at the Savio circuit at Ravenna in 1923. On a contemporary note are “Tribute to Enzo Ferrari” and “Silver Arrows” which commemorates the Ferrari team’s 1-2 at Monza in 1988 and the Sauber-Mercedes team’s 1-2-3 at Le Mans this year. Needless to say, all are quite superb. WB

Collins has published the 1990 editions of its road atlases to Britain. At £5.95 there is the 3.2 miles to the inch edition with easily comprehensible graphics plus 58 1 inch to 1 mile town plans.

For the person who wants even more detail, Collins has also published an enormous spiral-bound 21/4″ atla.