motorweek, Author at MotorWeek

Ultimate Garages II

While the spotless rooms shown in Ultimate Garages II may look like exquisite museum displays, they are actually privately-owned garages, housing some of the finest four-wheeled machines to ever be parked indoors. In his follow up to the first Ultimate Garages book, author Phil Berg hits the streets again, lifting garage doors everywhere to find the best four walls for keeping classic cars pampered and protected. The book details twenty-three pristine garages; from warehouses to wood-paneled lounges. Large color photos show every corner and detail of the immaculate floor spaces. So if you need the inspiration to get your own "car clubhouse" cleaned up, or just want to check out other drivers' dream-come-true garages, look no further than these fine pages.

Can-Am Challenger

Auto racing has a long and exciting history, but for serious sports car fans no era can match the excitement of the Can-Am Series of the 1960s-70s. If you are a fan of road racing, then Can-Am Challenger is the perfect pass to get you behind the pit wall and right into the excitement. Author Peter Bryant traces his personal experience as an innovative racecar designer, working with many of the Can-Am series' fastest teams. He discusses everything from his pioneering work with titanium to the excitement and challenges of working with Carroll Shelby's legendary Cobra team. The writing is heavy on technical details but it's still easy to read, and is broken up by plenty of humorous stories and black and white photos. It's an informative and entertaining addition to any racing history library.

City of Speed: Los Angeles and the Rise of American Racing

To millions of people the world over, Los Angeles, California is the "City of Angels." But to many American motor sports enthusiasts, it is also the "City of Speed." And as author Joe Scalzo shows us in City of Speed: Los Angeles and the Rise of American Racing, few municipalities in these 50 states have contributed more to America's love for fast cars and the daring souls who race them. Whether it be Indy cars or dragsters, sprint cars or motorcycles, Bonneville speed kings or wide open road racers, many of the greatest have come from America's second largest city. Read this and you'll wonder why every race fan in America doesn't make a beeline west.

Green Car Journal

If you think a magazine devoted entirely to environmentally-friendly transportation can appeal only to preachy tree-huggers and alarmist ozone scientists, then you haven't seen Ron Cogan's "Green Car Journal." A longtime auto journalist and enthusiast, Cogan has infused this slick quarterly magazine with enough excitement and driving fun to rival any of the mainstream buff books. The only difference here is that everything's flavored with a green twist. Driving impressions, tech articles and well-balanced editorials share space with a thorough look at what's coming over the environmental horizon. Automotive times are changing and "Green Car Journal" is now a Must Read for anyone who holds a driver's license.

Portraits

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the striking photos that fill the pages of Portraits are a veritable encyclopedia of motor sports history. In this fine photo book, veteran racing photographer Jesse Alexander brings us a most memorable collection of his favorite photos, each capturing a magical moment in time with history's greatest drivers and team owners, as well as the mechanics and fans that made it all possible. These beautiful photos, mostly black and white, cover four decades of Mr. Alexander's career, and are a fitting tribute to both his subjects, and his own remarkable skill.

Shelby Cars In Detail

Big coffee table books about famous cars are a dime a dozen, and few of them, even the cheap ones, are rarely worth their asking price. But Shelby Cars In Detail, by Frank Barrett and Boyd Jaynes, is not only one of the most expensive that we've ever seen, it's also one of the best. $149.95 buys you a massive book presenting 26 significant machines from the Shelby American Collection. Each chapter is devoted to a single car, and combines Frank Barrett's concise but complete history of the machine, with Boyd Jaynes' gorgeous full color photography. It's heaven in a book for serious Shelby fans, and one that we'd love to see on a coffee table or book shelf of our own.

Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend

Though if begins and ends with an untimely death, Erik Arneson's book Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend is a full-fledge tribute to a racer who remains larger than life long after his mysterious murder in 1988. This comprehensive biography seeks to examine not only Thompson's assassination but his remarkable life and accomplishments too. The author includes dozens of interviews with the likes of Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and Don Prudhomme as well as a treasure-trove of photographs and stories all by the people who knew Thompson best.

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