Post by Mark Huber on Oct 21, 2012 11:55:48 GMT -5
Title: Grand Prix Cars 1945-1965
Author: Mike Lawrence
Published by: Motor Racing Publications
ISBN Number: 1899870393
Year of publication: 1998
Language: English
Hardback
Classification: A compendium of the cars that raced in Grands Prix from 1945 through the end of the 1.5L era in 1965.
Summary:
Mike Lawrence is witty, knowledgeable and opinionated. In this one volume he scribes about all of the single seaters that raced in Championship and non Championship GP events from 1945-1965. The book is organized by marque. While you might not learn much new about Lotus or Cooper, what makes the book fascinating are the synopses of the lesser known marques. But what I liked the most is that Mr. Lawrence never hesitates to pull his punches. Even when I disagreed with his commentary, I appreciated his style... A few select quotes:
When one takes into account the fact that six de Tomasos were built, and one had the use of a Ferrari engine, the marque must qualify as the absolute lemon of the 1 1/2 litre formula, beating even the dreadful A.T.S. for the unenviable distinction.
Too much starry eyed garbage has been written about Ferrari and about the only book waiting to be written is "Great Recipes From the Works Canteen". Given the level of objectivity of some authors even that would lead to "Guiseppe had allowed the pasta to burn and the pan was a carbonized mess. Years later carbon would be used to construct the monocoque which..."
And finally,
..There are a host of half remembered marques which did little more than make of the numbers on a grid. Each one, however, represented someone's best efforts and the sport would have been poorer without them. ...Sometimes the failures give us a better understanding of, and greater respect for, the successful constructors.
Rating: 9 out of 10 (see the bottom of page 48 for the reason I didn't give Mike's work a 10)
