Race to Win: How to Become a Complete Champion Driver – 209

What makes a champion racing driver — luck, beaucoup de bucks, lightning reflexes, determination to win or sheer talent? You’d probably get a different answer from everyone you asked, but most would agree that a real champion possesses a combination of these vital ingredients.

Ex F1 and Indy driver, Derek Daly, now a well-known motor racing commentator and advisor based in the US, looks into the factors that make up a champion driver, breaking down the elements into what he calls the Champion’s Pyramid.

This six-layered pyramid covers everything from initial talent identification to desire and commitment.

Although it’s not strictly about classic cars, I found Daly’s book quite fascinating, especially when he discusses the differences in driver types. Here, Daly isolates two types — instinct-reflex drivers (those with super-sharp reflexes who can drive virtually any car, no matter how bad, very quickly) and feel-sensitive drivers (those with keen enough sensibilities to assist in setting up a car with their engineers). Of course a true champion, such as Michael Schumacher, will combine both these basic types; that’s why he was F1’s winningest driver, at least according to Daly.

Daly covers all the bases — from building physical endurance to communicating with the media, skills that a modern race driver needs to be able to call upon.

Highly readable, this book should even provide a few tips for classic car racers and if you, or someone in your family, expects to be the next Lewis Hamilton, there probably isn’t a better place to start — except, of course, actually behind the wheel of a racing car.

Race to Win: How to Become a Complete Champion Driver by Derek Daly
Review book provided by the author
Review by Allan Walton

A History of Jensen: All the Models – 207

In his quest to fully document the history of Jensen, Richard Calver weighs in with his third volume on the marque. His previous books were A History of Jensen: The Chassis Data (1991)and A History of Jensen: The Service Bulletins Volume 1 (2004).

Like Calver’s earlier books, this new offering is pack full of Jensen information — detailing the complete history of the marque through every single model ever produced — and the model range is impressive; ranging from Jensen’s own cars, to commercial vehicles, special one-off models and, of course, the company’s involvement with other marques.

This latter aspect produces facts relating to Jensen’s cooperation with a large number of car manufacturers. Some of these projects will be well-known to most readers — the Jensen-built Volvo P1800, development work for the Rootes Group on the Sunbeam Tiger and, of course, its long association with Austin-Healey, a relationship which would eventually culminate in the Jensen-Healey.

However, there’s also a huge amount of information relating to less well-known cars — I was not aware that Jensen had developed the prototype Lynx D-Type replica (one of the most respected replicas of this model); or that it had built a series of impressive convertibles for Austin, including a very stylish A40 Farina cabriolet. Surprisingly, Jensen once also worked with a caravan company to develop an embryonic but sadly stillborn luxury motor home — the Phantom Lounge Car.

Naturally, every Jensen-badged car is included — a timely reminder of just how innovative Jensen was. This aspect is best exemplified by the very first 4WD Jensen, a special CV8 which featured Ferguson Formula 4WD allied to Maxaret anti-lock braking — a pioneering system further refined for the Interceptor FF.

There’s even some Kiwi content, with a photograph and brief information on the late Ross Jensen’s Jensen GT — a car which I once drove briefly.

Calver’s book culminates with the story of the modern day S-V8 and C-V8, while an In Memoriam section pays tribute to the men behind the marque who are no longer with us, including company founders Richard and Frank Jensen.

An absolute must-have for all Jensen enthusiasts, and Calver promises even more Jensen books in future — if only all classic marques could have such a meticulous and passionate chronicler.

A History of Jensen: All the Models
Review book provided by the Jensen Motors NZ
Review by Allan Walton

Rallye Sport Fords: The Inside Story – 207

Amongst many other occupations — development engineer at Vauxhall and project manager for the Jaguar XJ220 — Moreton was also a member of the team that planned Ford’s race and rally cars during the ‘70s and ‘80s — which means he is well qualified to chart the inside story behind AVO (Advanced Vehicle Operations) and the later Ford Motorsport operations.

Having worked at Ford for 23 years, Moreton was the man who made the RS cars happen — liaising with the engineering and motorsport staff and presenting their proposals to Ford’s bosses. Judging from the number of special vehicles developed by AVO, Moreton was obviously very successful in this role.

Moreton leads into his years with Ford with a few chapters detailing his own early motorsport inspiration, racing and specials building career before getting into the meat of his subject.

All the Rallye Sport cars are covered — from the Escort RS1600 right through to RS200 and the RS500 Sierra Cosworth — and each vehicle’s gestation and development is covered in some detail. The story behind the ill-fated RS200 and the Sierra Cossies is particularly good, and even well-versed rally enthusiasts should discover a few fresh facts within these chapters.

There are also a few interesting might-have-beens — such as the Capri RS2800 (no, that’s not a misprint) and some rare publicity photographs of the GT70 which show what a sensational car it would have been. In amongst the tech-talk, Moreton doesn’t forget the personalities behind AVO and records discussions with Walter Hayes, Stuart Turner (who also wrote the foreword to this book), Bob Lutz and, of course, Keith Duckworth of Cosworth.

Full of interesting insider information, this book should appeal to all lovers of the iconic Rallye Sport Fords.

Rallye Sport Fords by Michael Moreton
Review book provided by the publisher
Review by James Black

Ferrari: Stories From Those Who Lived – 205

Famed Road & Track contributor, Lamm, weighs in (quite literally) with this large format, beautifully illustrated coffee table tome, and neatly side-steps the risk of producing the usual run-of-the-mill Ferrari history by telling the story through a series of interviews with famous Ferrari owners and race-drivers. So, we have snippets of Ferrari-lore from drivers such as Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and Brian Redman, celebs like Ralph Lauren, and some bloke who wrote-off his Ferrari Enzo. Throw in interviews with Sergio Pininfarina, Giorgetto Giugiaro and Sergio Scaglietti, amongst many others, and the book builds up a very personal history of this famous marque. It’s all very informative and enjoyable — a book for dipping into rather than reading from cover-to-cover. Mind you, it’s a shame Lamm never thought to ask our own Chris Amon for his opinion!

Ferrari: Stories From Those Who Lived The Legend by John Lamm
Review book provided by Techbooks
Review by James Black

Great Small Fiats – 205

The Italians may build the sexiest supercars but their most famous cars are probably cute rather than sexy — and that, of course, means baby Fiats. Ward — the creator of Auto Italia magazine — rattles through the history of all the best of them; the Topolino, 500, 850, 128, 127, Panda and Uno, and concludes with the new 500. Along the way, the book also looks at super-tuned Abarth Fiats and coach-built baby Fiats. The author’s enthusiasm for the cars comes over strongly — and he writes about the restoration of his own, Fiat-based Moretti 850. A good book but, alas, Ward seems to know little about New Zealand’s part in the Fiat 500 story — which he dismisses in two meagre sentences.

Great Small Fiats by Phil Ward
Review book provided by the publisher
Review by James Black