Oppo Book Club: Seeking old car info

"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw) 05/15/2015 at 14:25 • Filed to: Book club

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I have several marque and model specific histories (Porsche, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Ford), plus a number of catch all automotive history books, but I’d like to know about any good books covering a range of European sports & racing cars from the 1910s-1960s or thereabouts. I’m interested in competition histories, obscure marques, specific chassis histories, technical info, and so on. Searching Amazon is one thing, but something about judging books, covers, etc, so firsthand reviews are appreciated. I’ll be seeking others, but would like to start by expanding my library & knowledge in that era.

Thanks!

Sunbeam photo via Wikipedia

Lancia D24S Photo: Grandprixhistory.org

Kinja formatting FTL

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > RallyWrench 05/15/2015 at 14:39

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There’s a lot of that kind of thing in this set. Which I have, and I suspect you don’t, pleb. Not terribly specific stuff all the time, but it would at least help you figure out what’s worth looking further into.

RallyWrench > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 05/15/2015 at 14:58

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Pleb indeed. Very cool set, I’ll keep my eye out. Funny it should have that particular cover shown, the car on the bottom is my name. I’ve got a pretty good knowledge base on 50s-60s Euro stuff and some prewar, but not nearly as much as I’d like beyond the bigger marques.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > RallyWrench 05/15/2015 at 15:20

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This has fun wacky stuff like an article on Count Louis Zborowski (creator of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang aero-engine racers that inspired Ian Fleming) and weird marques like Clyno and GWK .

Jobjoris > RallyWrench 05/15/2015 at 18:26

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Does it need to be English? The French book ‘Sportives Tricolores, 1950-70’ is a nice overview of French sportscars. Not immensely detailed but a nice start.

English car magazine ‘Octane’ is awesome as well: lots of good articles and amazing photography. Mainly post-war though.

As I’m not entirely interested in pre-war I wouldn’t know much about reading on the 1910-1940 period. One person you need to read about is Jean-Pierre Wimille though. Driver for Bugatti. War-time resistance ‘hero’. Car constructor.

RallyWrench > Jobjoris 05/15/2015 at 19:04

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Regrettably, I am not bilingual. I can more or less read technical German such as shop manuals, but nothing else came of my 3 years of high school German. I do read Octane, and have kept every issue I’ve bought for reference info. I have heard and read a little of Wimille, though mostly with regard to his racing exploits. Perhaps I should try to find a good biography.

Jobjoris > RallyWrench 05/16/2015 at 03:37

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Another online source could be either 8w about the era your interested in, if you want to know about old tracks CircuitsOfThePast is a nice resource.

Jean-Pierre Wimille will be covered soon by an article of a fellow Opponaut I’ve heard...