Journal | Collections

These 10 new car books should be on your wish list this year

It’s been a very good year for car books. Even if we are somewhat biased – our very own “Best of Classic Driver” anniversary edition has just dropped – these are the 10 must-have books you should wish for.

Best of Classic Driver – 25th Anniversary Edition

Classic Driver is turning 25 this year – hurrah! To celebrate the occasion, we have selected 40 of our best stories and compiled them in a 400-page collectors edition book. So expect to meet the most beautiful cars, the most exclusive collections and the most passionate personalities seen through the lenses of Rémi Dargegen, Tom Shaxson, Amy Shore, Andrea Klainguti and many of our house photographers, while our publisher Alexander Knapp Voith and Editor-in-Chief Jan Baedeker take you back on a trip down memory lane to the beginnings of Classic Driver in the late 1990s, and beyond. 

Artifacts

If there is one book that every Porsche enthusiast is yearning for this year, it must be ‘Artifacts’. Produced by the Type 7 team around Ted Gushue and Nat Twiss, photographed by Thomas Walk and designed by House Industries, the stunningly beautiful book offers a glimpse into the secret archives at Porsche in Zuffenhausen. However, ‘Artifacts’ is much more than a history book – already the unpacking is a sensual experience of the highest level, and even the tiniest elements of the book have been crafted with so much love and attention to detail that we are almost tempted to buy a second copy just to leave it unopened for our descendants.

Berlinetta Boxer – The Legend

This year, Ferrari's legendary Berlinetta Boxers are celebrating their 50th birthday. Despite their F1-derived mid-engines, alluring Pininfarina design and lasting success in motor racing, the BBs still don't get the attention they deserve. FuoriConcorso's new book ‘Berlinetta Boxer – The Legend’ might change that for good. It retells the history of the development and evolution of the Ferrari BB through 29 landmark cars and with insights from Paolo Ferrari, Mauro Forghieri, Arturo Merzario and many other key personalities. So if BB prices go through the roof soon, you know who to blame!

The Italians – Beautiful Machines

Italians do it better – especially when it comes to designing cars that touch our senses. Now Gestalten has published a beautiful tribute to Italian car culture and the most beautiful cars made in Italy. Spanning automotive history from the 1920s to the 2000s, ‘The Italians’ retells the story of the most established icons such as the Lamborghini Miura or the Ferrari F40, while shedding light on less famous, but equally irresistible concept cars and prototypes. Illustrated with many beautiful images, this is the coffee table book to buy this winter for any Italophile car lover.

Ruf. It’s a Family Affair

With their extensive, two-volume tribute to Alois Ruf and his exceptional sportscars, Bart Lenaerts and Lies de Mol of WAFT publishing in Belgium have created one of our favourite car books of recent years. After all, it retells the heart-warming story of Alois Ruf, his family, his dying love for Porsche, the cars he created and the friends he made along the way. Now the book ‘Ruf. It’s a Family Affair’ is available as a reduced, more affordable version. Now there's literally no reason left not to own this must-have book. 

Driven by Dreams – 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars

Since Ferry Porsche imagined and built his own private sportscar in 1948, Porsche has been driven by dreams. While cars such as the Porsche 356 or 911, the 550 or 917 are well known around the world, their creators don’t always enjoy a similar fame. The extensive, beautifully designed anniversary edition book ‘Driven by Dreams – 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ puts the spotlight on 75 of the influential personalities that have helped write the success story of Porsche in their fields. With a preface by Dr. Wolfgang Porsche and a discussion about the nature of time between CEO Oliver Blume and chief designer Michael Mauer, ‘Driven by Dreams’ is the perfect gift for any Porsche driver and enthusiast.

Superbears – The Story of Hesketh Racing

Hesketh Racing might not have been the most successful team in Formula 1 history, but it certainly ranks among the coolest! Earlier in the year, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lord Hesketh at this year’s London Concours, where he shared some very honest and wildly entertaining anecdotes from his Grand Prix days and, in particular, his time with James Hunt. While we might not be able to time-travel back to the 1970s to paddock-party with the ‘superbears’ from Hesketh Racing, this book comes pretty darn close.

Bentley Speed 8

Exactly 20 years ago, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the sixth time. Just three years earlier, the Speed 8 project had been born within the brand. To commemorate the double-victory of 2003 and to celebrate one of the most ambitious and exciting chapters in recent motorsport history, this comprehensive book brings together former team members, engineers and drivers to have their say – and quite a few of them contributed their photos. Starting with wind tunnel tests, the construction of the eleven chassis, test drives and races, author Andrew Cotton covers the entire development and racing history of Bentley's Le Mans winner of the modern era. While the 550 copies of the Limited Edition will please most readers, we also have to mention the even more desirable Collectors’ Edition that is limited to 88 numbered copies and signed by Mark Blundell, David Brabham, Rinaldo Capello, Johnny Herbert, Tom Kristensen & Guy Smith.

Bentley Speed 8

Exactly 20 years ago, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the sixth time. Just three years earlier, the Speed 8 project had been born within the brand. To commemorate the double-victory of 2003 and to celebrate one of the most ambitious and exciting chapters in recent motorsport history, this comprehensive book brings together former team members, engineers and drivers to have their say – and quite a few of them contributed their photos. Starting with wind tunnel tests, the construction of the eleven chassis, test drives and races, author Andrew Cotton covers the entire development and racing history of Bentley's Le Mans winner of the modern era. While the 550 copies of the Limited Edition will please most readers, we also have to mention the even more desirable Collectors’ Edition that is limited to 88 numbered copies and signed by Mark Blundell, David Brabham, Rinaldo Capello, Johnny Herbert, Tom Kristensen & Guy Smith.

Coolnvintage - Portugal

Technically, this isn’t a car book – it does not even feature any automobiles. But as our friends from Coolnvintage in Lisbon can be considered as the pioneers of the contemporary Land Rover lifestyle, which they have been defining for more than a decade with their beautiful photo spreads and videos, we just had to include their latest collectors edition book about Portugal. A stunningly elegant ode to their homeland, and an insightful guide to the country’s hidden dream destinations, Coolnvintage’s “Portugal” might just be the inspiration you wished for in order to finalise your next road trip aboard a vintage Landy.