Description
2nd hand book in excellent like new condition
By: Paul Parker .
The evocative era portrayed in this beautifully presented, full-colour photographic book belonged to Ferrari, Ford and Porsche, with occasional intervention from Maserati, Aston Martin, Chaparral, Lola, Alfa Romeo, Matra and Gulf Mirage.
Sports car racing was a grand adventure involving very powerful and relatively crude cars racing at challenging circuits. The harsh concrete surfaces of Sebring, the treacherous Sicilian country roads of the Targa Florio, the infinite corners, hidden apexes and never- ending crests of the Nurburgring, the banked turns of Daytona and the frightening Monza bowl, the long straights of Spa, Le Mans and Reims that enabled aircraft velocities to be achieved — all had to be conquered.
The period started with the iconic Ferrari Testa Rossas and the unique 'Birdcage' Maseratis, and also saw the dying days of Aston Martin and Jaguar. Ferrari, partly due to their extensive experience of sports car racing, dominated the races until the mid-1960s, when Ford appeared and upset the status quo — although Ford was more concerned with winning Le Mans rather than championships. The smaller sports car class was virtually a monopoly for Porsche, who occasionally beat allcomers in the slower races. With the advent of rule changes for 1968, Porsche would become the fastest and most persistent winners (after taking an unexpected beating from the John Wyer Ford GT40s), and the German manufacturer unleashed the fearsome 917 at the close of the decade.
The 1960s also featured a multitudinous cast of non-factory teams and professional privateers in a huge selection of machinery. Even more numerous were the legions of drivers of all nationalities who graced a typical grid.
This book captures every aspect of the period. Its meticulously researched period photographs — many of them previously unpublished — are brought to life through the author's well-observed, atmospheric commentary to create a visually stunning, highly nostalgic record of this dramatic decade.
Paul Parker is a freelance writer who has contributed to Octane, Motor Sport, Autosport, Classic Cars, Forza!, Jaguar
World Monthly and the Daily Telegraph. He also track tests historic racing cars, has raced a Lister Jaguar and is the author of Jaguar at Le Mans 1950-1995, Fl in Camera 1970-79, Fl in Camera 1960-69 and Sixties Motor Racing with Michael Cooper.
