Books for dads who are car enthusiasts

The latest selection of car books hitting the shelves in time for Father’s Day cover all the automotive bases. Image: Motorbooks/Evro Publishing Limited/Hachette Books/Haynes Publishing via AFP Relaxnews

From Formula 1 to everyday classic American rides, and from the history of the Ford Pick-up to the life and times of Enzo Ferrari, the latest selection of car books hitting the shelves in time for Father’s Day cover all the automotive bases.

Cosworth – The Search for Power
British company Cosworth wrote itself into automotive legend with the DFV F1 engine with which it dominated Formula 1. But its success is not confined to the track. Under the sweeping hood of everything from Aston Martins to Singer Design’s resto-mod Porsche 911s is a beating Cosworth heart, while its continuing partnership with Ford helped to create the concept of the affordable supercar-baiting sportscar, with models like the Sierra Cosworth. In the newly republished and heavily revised “Cosworth – The Search for Power”, author Graham Robson traces the company’s history from its beginnings to the present day, detailing a host of incredible individual cars, along the way.
The Art of the Classic Sports Car: Pace and Grace
Written by Stuart Codling with photography by James Mann, this hardcover book attempts to showcase the defining 22 performance cars of the 20th century, be they roadsters like the BMW 507 or Porsche 365, the vehicles such as the Ferrari 250 California or Chevrolet Corvette C1 that ushered in the GT genre, road legal race cars like the Jaguar XKSS or elegant sporting coupés like the Ferrari Dino, Toyota 2000GT and Renault Alpine A110. You may dispute the author’s choices, but that won’t stop you from enjoying the photography or the attention to detail.

Enzo Ferrari: The Photographic Biography
What better time to get reacquainted with one of the most singular and charismatic figures in automotive history than on the occasion of his company’s 70th anniversary? Doug Nye’s book uses an incredible photography archive to tell the story of Enzo Ferrari from birth, through racing success, his feud with Ford and ultimately his death in 1988; but not before overseeing the launch of the Ferrari F40, the first ever production car capable of hitting 200 miles per hour.

My Dad Had That Car: A Nostalgic Look at the American Automobile, 1920-1990
Co-authors Tad Burness and Matt Stone claim to have put together the most complete visual history of the American automobile ever published in book form, and they could be right. It spans 250 manufacturers, 70 years, plus 12,500 photos and illustrations and as such will be a great trip down automotive memory lane for all readers of a certain age.

Ford Tough: 100 Years of Ford Trucks
This year marks the centenary of the vehicle that essentially made America: the Ford pickup truck. As iconic as anything from Ferrari or Jaguar, the F-Series has been the country’s best-selling vehicle for the past 40 years but has been literally the backbone of the United States in terms of its economy and its pioneering spirit for much longer. This book, by Patrick Foster, follows Ford’s progression from converting the Model T for industrial use through to the development of its first standalone pickup trucks and every truck that has followed since. JB

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