New book releases for January 2022. Jalopy Magazine selects the latest available books that we want to read.
The Book Of The Mazda MX-5 Miata
This second edition of the Mazda MX-5 Miata book is a large paperback and covers the models from 1988 to 1997.
Now fully revised and updated the book was researched and written in Japan with the full co-operation of the factory so they are able to provide the full story.
A car class that many thought had gone extinct, Mazda took what made the classic British sports car and made it properly. No one was really offering a car like the MX-5 in any volume and it’s almost as if Mazda created their own demand.
The success was worldwide and has since seen many others copy the formula, but it still the world’s best seller.
Paperback, 25 x 20 cm, 144 pages
ISBN: 9781787117778
UPC: 6-36847-01777-4
Available from Veloce too, https://www.veloce.co.uk
Hillman Cars
This little Shire publication book of Hillman cars tells the story of William Hillman who started manufacturing cars in Coventry in 190. He eventually sold out to the Rootes Brothers in 1928. Then three years later came the Hillman Minx, the first in the line that would last over half a century taking on the might of the BMC.
Typically British, Hillman were never revolutionary, staid maybe, but dependable, and this is what the British motoring public wanted.
This nicely illustrated book covers the inception until the mid-1970s when the company disappeared. And because it’s a Shire publication it’s not expensive.
Dimensions: 21 x 15 cm, 64 pages
ISBN-10: 1784422754
ISBN-13: 978-1784422752
Book Reviews
A Tribute To Trabant: The East German Car Remains Iconic: Trabant Car Images
November 7, 1957, the first Trabant rolled off the production line and on April 30, 1991, was the date of the last.
The Trabant has gained a cult following, certainly since the Berlin wall came down and all those strange little two stroke cars came across. They’re more than just transport, they tell a tale of social history where times were very different under communism.
That story is told with factory photographs, road tests, buyers guides and tech specs. Just the sort of book I should have bought before I got mine.
Paperback: 23 x 15 cm,
ISBN-13: 979-8535447025
Lola: The T70 and Can-Am Cars
The Lola T70 is one of the greatest sports racing prototypes from one of the greatest eras of motor racing. The period towards the end of the 1960s to the early 1970s was brilliant, with big manufacturers going head to head with a small British company.
The Can-Am era in North America saw the T70 go open top and hugely powerful with it’s American V8 engine. The racing was fast and really popular.
Lola enthusiast Gordon Jones has spent three decades completing this big book. From the T70 to the T160 and T310, Jones has covered everything possible with over 600 photographs.
It’s an expensive book, but when you consider the work that has gone into it, it seems cheap. If you like the world sports car championship and the T70 interest you then I’d recommend getting a copy. They won’t be on sale forever.
Hardcover: 480 pages
ISBN-10: 1910505536
ISBN-13: 978-1910505533
Porsche 550 Spyder
This incredibly stylish coffee table book is also incredibly expensive but might be worth it. These tend to have a limited print run and you could easily get your money back in a few years. Better then leaving it in the bank anyway.
The 500 Spyder is one of the rarest Porsche’s ever made and something of a legend in the company’s history. The racing successes and the movie star appeal which unfortunately claimed the life of James Dean.
To produce the book, author Stefan Bogner worked with Porsche and Porsche experts to produce detailed facts and a wealth of other information on the car’s development. It even comes in a slip case and is a pre order for the 14th of February 2022.
Hardcover: 31 x 30 cm, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 3667119798
ISBN-13: 978-3667119797