Reviewer: Startline Magazine - Oct 2006 from UK This book looks at a time when Formula One changed to 1500cc engines, a period when the beautiful 'Shark Nose' Ferrari ruled supreme. The British Teams spent 1961 playing catch up and in 1962 Lotus, BRM and the Coventry Climax V8 gave the Prancing Horse a run for its money. This book is the author's first and is well written with in depth statistics and accompanying photographs. A third of the book is devoted to fascinating race reports which include sets of results. The highlight of the book is the detailed account of each marque of racing car and its developments during the period of its competition history. This section uses original photographs and cut-away drawings to keep the reader interested and offers a comprehensive detailed account of these beautiful racing cars. The book is well worth checking out if you have an interest in this period of Formula One racing.
Reviewer: Classic Lotus Racer Magazine - Sept 06 from UK This is simply a must for your booksheIf.
It's not perfect and does not seem to me to concentrate enough on the technical side of the machinery; but perhaps that's just my viewpoint. However it is a very good record of a most important period. A period in which Great Britain established a world lead in motor racing that it just retains to this day.
I am not quite old enough to remember the 2.5 litre GP cars, my baptism was to see Clark in the 25 win the British GP at Silverstone on 11th July 1964. It took me the next 40 years to sit on the grid at Silverstone in a Lotus monocoque, my 35 rather than a 25!
The book, in ten chapters deals with the 1.5 litre era. After setting the scene, each year 1961 to 1965 is given a chapter. This is then followed by chapters on the individual drivers, and Circuits that featured a F1 race.
The meat for me is in the final two chapters; the Chassis Directory that lists all the chassis types that took a start in a F I race. Finally the last chapter covers the engine manufacturers.
The photographs are all from LAT and are excellent. A goodly number of line drawings also add to the information contained in these large pages.
A review of gearboxes employed might have been an interesting addition to the story. For all that it is a superb book that I think will provide an insight into motor racing of the early mid 1960's/ It will also form an invaluable reference source.
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