What are some good car-related adventure/history books?

Posted by timmahfast@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 20 comments

I've never been one to read, but I have been doing it a lot lately. So far I've read "Race of the Century", "Peeking to Paris", and "The Vagabonds." All of them remind me of an early 1900s Top Gear. But really any automotive book that tells a story rather than spitting out facts would interest me. Anyone have any recommendations?

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One_Armed_Herman@reddit

Not purely adventure, and not exactly cars, but Peter Egan's book "Leanings" is a series of essays about his experiences motorcycling around the US. It's been a few (15 years) since I read it but I remember how much wanderlust it created in me.

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craichead@reddit

Cannonball.

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ncantone@reddit

How to build a car by Adrian Newey.

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brkdncr@reddit

Crash Course is an easy read. It’s explains what led to the auto industry bailouts.

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The_Don_The_Dutch@reddit

Well, I flew to Florida to get a used car! When I was there, I opened up my Tinder app and got a few more bodies to my count! Drove back the car in confidence and emptied! One of the many great successes of my trips! Still more to come!

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graytotoro@reddit

Nick Brittain's *Safari Fever*, about Ford's campaign at the 1972 Safari Rally.

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JerryWasARaceCarDrvr@reddit

I forget the title but there is one about a famous race car driver that gets left behind by his crew in the middle of the desert. It’s pretty scary at first. The cops start shooting at him and he runs away only to be caught by a cult like crew in the nearest town. They are stuck 40 years in the past and fight everything that represents the modern world. He gets jailed and is tended to by some crazy redneck. They sentence him to hard labor to keep up the town that they let go to ruins. Some strange stuff happens. The taunt him letting him think he can run away only to be waiting for him where he runs out of vital fluid to make a journey to civilization. The redneck jailer fools him to make him think he is his friend but then finds ways to try to have him killed by the town maniac that keeps others as pets. The craziest thing is the town ruler that sentences him to the hard labor has some weird past issues where he was wronged by the corporate world and wants to punish the race car driver for it. Then there is some wacky mid life crisis gal that is totally bought into the cult. She brainwashes the race car driver to give up his former friends and associates and manipulates him to use all his money to revitalize the crack pot town. It is a series too. The following books have the race car driver set up for almost certain death fighting “villains” that only want to save the world and then eventually going back to the world he came from for help to regain his former lot in life. I will look for the title.

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AnemoneOfMyEnemy@reddit

Life is a highway

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timmahfast@reddit (OP)

Sounds pretty wild

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lienmarine86@reddit

If you're a Top Gear fan, read The Man In The White Suit. It's the original Stig telling his story of racing Formula 3, his time in the Special Forces, and also being a stunt driver and The Stig. It's a great read.

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boofheadfred@reddit

I am a huge Top Gear fan and I am very aware that Ben Collins is an extremely talented driver, but I found that a lot of this book was him telling everyone how great he is. We know he's great, he was The Stig

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cactus_cars@reddit

Richard Porter's book on Top Gear. *And on that bombshell* Great read and we'll written as always from him. (He was/is the script writer for the trio)

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Cowboy_on_fire@reddit

And On that Bombshell - Richard Porter

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Cranialscrewtop@reddit

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. Great novel with heart, racing (obviously) and a bonus: it's narrated by a dog. A great dog. A marvelous dog. Go for it.

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Igota31chevy@reddit

I'd suggest "Merchants of Speed: The Men Who Built America's Performance Industry". It's a chapter book about the history behind some of the original aftermarket names. Names like Edelbrock, Weiand, Weber, and Offenhauser among a slew of others. Great book to learn about the history of aftermarket performance.

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One-Platypus3455@reddit

American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company Driving Honda: Inside the World’s Most Innovative Car Company

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MrIncredible222@reddit

I read a lot of business books about car companies. Some good ones: Overhaul, and the GM bailout, Taken for a Ride about the Daimler Chrysler merger, Car Guys vs Bean Counters by Bob Lutz, all of the Side Glances books by Peter Egan, The Critical Path about the 2nd Gen Caravan’s development, and Car about the 2G Taurus’s development. Also “Never Stop Driving” is a good book from various car journos about the joy of driving.

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BassTrombone71@reddit

Not sure if you are into F1, or more specifically 1990s back markers in F1, but Perry McCarthy's autobiography is an awesome read. It's called "Flat Out, Flat Broke". > Perry McCarthy decided at the age of 18 that he wanted to reach the top in the world's most expensive sport. With no racing experience, no cash, and little going for him except a passion for speed, the exuberant Cockney shouldn't have stood a chance. He never gave up, however, and his relentless search for backing and recognition led the man The Times dubbed 'the world's unluckiest racing driver' to heroic, often hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking efforts to make it into Formula 1. This is his autobiography

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LyleTheEvilRabbit@reddit

The Unfair Advantage Mark Donohue *In 1974, Mark Donohue took a year off from driving at the height of his racing career to write "The Unfair Advantage," a candid and revealing book about his journey through the world of auto racing -- from amateur SCCA races in his own '57 Corvette to winning the Indy 500 in Roger Penske's McLaren M16*

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lellololes@reddit

The Yugo: Rise and Fall of the worst case in history Its a fun, informative book that tells the story of bringing the Yugo to the US. You'll get that and learn some of Malcom Bricklin's story too. Maybe not what you were expecting, but it's definitely worth reading!