Best car books: today’s top titles for motorists, petrolheads and car fans
We rate the best new car books to hit the shelves in the last few weeks
Books about cars, motoring, travel and automotive culture in all its forms are commonplace and the library is growing all the time. Luckily we’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to, reviewing and rating the best new automotive literature to be published in recent months.
Whether you’re looking for a light holiday read, a weighty reference tome for your shelf at home or a gift for the petrolhead who has everything else, the best car books of the moment are sure to contain a title to suit…
A Concise History of Jaguar
- Ray Hutton Amberley Books, amberley-books.com
- Price: £15.99
- Rating: 3 stars
It’s perhaps a little odd to launch a book about the history of Jaguar, without referring to the fact that it’s in the process of the biggest automotive rebrand of the century. You’d expect an appendix addressing it, at the very least. This concise history stops at 2024, when the firm was still building cars, which seems a bit like a history textbook addressing the Cold War as ‘trouble ahead’. So make sure that you or the person you’re buying it for isn’t doing so to find out more on the topic of Jaguar’s rebirth.
The rest of the book is good. ‘Concise’ is right – it’s less than 100 pages long, so squeezing in 90 years of history is a big ask. But it covers most of the important points, from the brand’s inception as the progression of Swallow Sidecars into a fully fledged automotive manufacturer embodying ‘grace, space and pace’. Jaguars always photograph well and there’s a fine selection here, breaking up the text on each page so it’s not an intimidating read.
Used - available now
2023 SEAT
Arona
21,749 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L
Cash £15,697
2023 Volkswagen
Up GTI
38,052 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £12,200
2023 Mercedes
EQC
34,347 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £25,100
2022 Nissan
Qashqai
25,001 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £16,900It’s good for younger or less confident readers, but not likely to bend the needle for any serious Jaguar aficionado.
Beast
- Jade Gurss (Octane Press, octanepress.com)
- Price: around £22
- Rating: 4 stars
Writing a remarkably detailed book on the development of a single line of engines and keeping it entertaining is no small feat – it’s done extremely well here, with interviews with key players, side stories and technical details presented in more than just a dull list. It helps that this engine – designed in a seemingly impossible timeframe – is such an interesting subject. You don’t need to be a hardcore Indy 500 fan to enjoy it, but some technical appreciation is desirable.
Billy F Gibbons: Rock + Roll Gearhead
- Billy F Gibbons with Tom Vickers & David Perry (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk)
- Price: around £35
- Rating: 4 stars
Guitar lovers, hot-rod fans, ZZ Top – there’s a lot of crossover between those groups, and if that includes you, you’ll love this book.
This expanded edition is written by Gibbons, one-third of the band ZZ Top, and is split into three sections: The Life, The Cars and The Guitars. Petrolheads will enjoy the middle section about Gibbons’ collection of custom-built hot rods. It can be a bit challenging to read for long periods, but is very entertaining.
Bugatti Supercars: A Century of Genius
- Lance Cole (The Crowood Press, crowood.com)
- Price: around £45
- Rating: 4.5 stars
The new Bugatti Tourbillon may be making the headlines, but the brand isn’t lacking in past glories. From its origins, through racing and its earlier period as a maker of ultra-exclusive beauties, this book is a very interesting read.
While this title doesn’t include anything on the newest model, it does a pretty good job filling in the earlier gaps up to the last Chirons and Veyrons. It’s laid out chronologically and some of the photos included are magnificent.
Cars & Curves: A Tribute to 70 Years of Porsche
- Stefan Bogner, Ben Winter (Delius Klasing Verlag, delius-klasing.de)
- Price: around £35
- Rating: 4 stars
This is more of a photobook than a great read. The prose – available in both English and German, so you can pick and choose – is brief, and often verging on the hyperbolic. Porsche owners generally don’t mind a bit of extra colour, however, and for many the quality of photography alone will be worth the price. It’s a shame quite a few images cross over two pages, though, because they lose some of their effect in the gutter. Don’t expect to focus solely on Porsche sports cars, either – there are plenty of photos of SUVs such as the Macan.
Corvette Stingray: The Mid-Engine Evolution
- Richard Prince (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk)
- Price: around £35
- Rating: 3.5 stars
This is an officially licensed book, which has good and bad points. While it paints a totally rose-tinted picture of the iconic Corvette with no negatives, it means the author had full access to GM’s photography archive plus interviews with Corvette team members. It’s definitely an attractive book and one any Corvette owner should own. It’s a great coffee-table item, and the comments from people who worked on the most significant Corvette redesign in history are interesting.
DeLorean: The Rise, Fall and Second Acts of DeLorean
- Matt Stone (Motorbooks, quarto.com)
- Price: around £30
- Rating: 4 stars
The basics of the DeLorean story are well known: the eighties’ icon, built from spare parts in the uneasy political landscape of Northern Ireland. This book dives a lot deeper, and follows the life and career of the founder, John Z DeLorean, and how his early work ties in with the creation of the DMC-12. The info on prototypes and concepts is fascinating, with original sketches showing the inception of Giugiaro’s design. Extremely well produced with loads of high-quality imagery, it’d be a great gift for fans of this sports-car icon.
Enzo Ferrari
- Luca Dal Monte Cassell (octopusbooks.co.uk)
- Price: around £13
- Rating: 4.5 stars
Few figures are as well known or as influential in the world of motoring as Enzo Ferrari, and any biography of his fascinating life makes for a great read. This one takes it up a notch with years of original research building his story right from the beginning in fantastic detail.
If you’ve only a passing interest in Ferrari’s life, then you’ll probably find this something of a slog, because it can feel a little like an endless list of races. But the unpredictability of early motorsport maintains your interest and casts a fascinating light on the struggle of racing on unprepared circuits, contending with breakdowns, punctures, or sometimes even stray cows on the road.
Later on you’ll read the tale of the founding of the Ferrari company proper, plus Enzo’s dealings with the Italian government. At times it does try to project more personality onto him than the enigmatic entrepreneur was known to portray, but for the most part it’s more of a historical retelling rather than a personal drama. Photography is limited to a couple of colour plates, but there is a good selection of interesting photos on display.
If you’ve a deep interest in Enzo Ferrari – perhaps you’ve read his autobiographical works, or watched the recent Apple+ movie about his life – then this title won’t disappoint.
Ferrari in F1
- Peter Nygaard (Dalton Watson Fine Books, daltonwatson.com)
- Price: around £69
- Rating: 4.5 stars
If you were going to follow a team’s history through Formula 1, Ferrari would no doubt be the first you’d pick. Not only does it hold records for titles, victories, fastest laps and the like, but it’s also participated in every season since 1950. In many ways, the history of Ferrari is the history of F1, which makes this handsome photobook suitable for all race fans, not just followers of the prancing horse.
Although the prose is nicely written, the photography is the highlight here. There are over 400 pictures, many previously unseen and plenty taken by the author himself during a long career as a photojournalist. When one of the first photos in a book is Pope John Paul II looking over a display of racing cars, you know you’re in for a good time.
It’s organised by decade, so if you have a favourite era you’ll be able to find it easily. It’s a shame lots of the nicest photos are printed over the crease, spoiling the effect, and this is a big, heavy tome with tiny text, meaning it’s not the easiest to sit down and read. But as a coffee table book it’s up there with many much pricier titles – it’s a joy to leaf through.
Formula 2: The Glory Years, 1967-84
- Chris Witty, Jutta Fausel (evropublishing.com)
- Price: around £95
- Rating: 4.5 stars
At nearly £100, this is a considered purchase, and it’s certainly got niche appeal – not just because it’s about Formula 2 racing rather than F1, but because it’s about a specific set of years. Covering the two periods where engine capacities were hiked up to 1,600cc and then 2,000cc, author Witty has interviewed many of the protagonists to support a library of more than 500 photos, most taken by Jutta Fausel. It’s beautifully produced (as you’d hope for the price) and is both good to read and handsome to display prominently.
Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1
- Will Buxton (Viking, penguin.co.uk)
- Price: around £25
- Rating: 5 stars
Formula 1 journalist Will Buxton has played a blinder here. Coming off the back of his own success in the Netflix series Drive to Survive, this accessible title is written for people who’ve found a new love in F1 and want to catch up on what they have missed so far. There’s a quick and basic introduction to the sport, followed by everything you’d want to know on the history front, presented a decade at a time. You’ll come out at the end with some new talking points, plus knowledge of all the top drivers and circuits – and you’ll have enjoyed yourself along the way.
Great Cars: Brawn BGP 001/02
- David Tremayne (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk)
- Price: around £69
- Rating: 4.5 stars
As with all of this series, beautiful production values, an amazing set of bespoke imagery and a minimalist cover make this a stunning coffee table book. But it’s also a great read, detailing both the car itself and the whole 2009 Grand Prix season that captured so many imaginations. Alongside great pictures, including a full studio set, there are interviews and quotes from drivers and engineers. For those who remember 2009’s season, this is a really interesting look back.
Jaguar: All The Cars
- Nigel Thorley (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk)
- Price: around £40
- Rating: 3 stars
For an otherwise comprehensive book, it’s a shame that Jaguar’s most forward-thinking and innovative car in decades hasn’t been included here. The lack of the electric I-Pace means this book can’t live up to its claim of ‘All The Cars’. Author Thorley is a known Jaguar writer and has plenty of knowledge about the models, but it’s a reference title rather than a riveting read – expect lots of lists of styling updates, engine performance tables and available colours. It’s great for hardcore Jag fans, though.
Land Rover: The Ultimate Enthusiast’s Guide
- Ian M. Garner (Crowood Press, crowood.com)
- Price: around £35
- Rating: 4 stars
When the first chapter of a car book covers a period of 38 years, you know you’re dealing with an icon – in this case it’s the classic Land Rover. This title doesn’t just cover the Series and Defender models though, because it also encompasses Range Rover, Discovery and Freelander. It’s interesting, with useful facts, and is well written. With a lot of static images, photography isn’t always of the highest quality, which is a shame. But with so many pictures to cram in, it’s more of a necessity.
Lee Noble – Supercar Genius
- Christopher Catto Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk
- Price: £60
- Rating: 4 stars
People who have only a passing interest in the supercar topic tend to recognise the name Noble, but only as ‘the company that builds cars in a shed in Leicester’. The reality is, of course, a lot classier, because Noble has forged a reputation over the years for creating driver-focused sports and supercars with a bit of a raw edge. And the man behind the entire enterprise is Lee Noble, the subject of this biography.
Author Christopher Catto scoots quite quickly through Noble’s childhood years and education, then quickly gets into the meat of the matter – Lee Noble’s involvement with the automotive industry.
The book covers his beginnings as an amateur racing driver, and carries on through Noble designing the Ultima racing car, plus his involvement with several other models. After that, the biggest proportion of the book is
given over to detailing the supercar company that bears Noble’s name.
Fans will find plenty of technical detail and description, and there’s also advice on buying and owning some Noble models. It can be tricky keeping up with the timeline, though, because dates are rarely given. Nonetheless, with plenty of excellent photos and technical drawings it’s one that budding engineers will enjoy.
McLaren Formula 1 Car by Car
- Stuart Codling (Motorbooks, quartoknows.com)
- Price: around £45
- Rating: 4.5 stars
The history of McLaren in F1 does a pretty good job of mirroring the direction of the sport as a whole, so you don’t need to be a die-hard Bruce fan to appreciate the story of development from the sixties through more modern designs, the V10 era, and right into the present day. There’s a detailed overview of every McLaren entry, with plenty of detail for tech nerds.
It’s also beautifully produced with a glut of fantastic period and contemporary photos, expensively printed and enough to make it quite an appealing coffee-table read. It feels very special.
Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SL R107 and SLC C107
- Bernd S Koehling (Independent, amazon.co.uk)
- Price: around £44
- Rating: 4 stars
Author Koehling specialises in guides for classic Mercedes. This one concentrates on the R107 and C107 sold from 1971-1989. You’ll find details on all the mainstream models and facelifts, plus plenty on the halo versions, as well as the variants produced by tuners. There’s also a full explanation of tech specs, paint and upholstery, and a thorough buying guide. However, the translation from German could be better.
My Travels on Racer Road: Can-Am and Formula 1 in their golden age
- Pete Lyons (Evro Publishing, evropublishing.com)
- Price: around £70
- Rating: 4.5 stars
Author Pete Lyons is such an accomplished journalist and engaging writer that it’s very reassuring this is an autobiography, rather than just a biography. Not only is he obviously best placed to tell the stories, but he does so with enviable recall and a great sense of humour.
It’s a slow burn before you get to much about racing, recalling his father’s Buicks, holidays in Montauk and his early exposure to cars and car culture. But once you’re in, you’re reminded of just how thrilling it must have been to report on Can-Am and Formula 1 racing during the sixties and seventies – an era when absolutely anything could, and often did, happen.
That Lyons can fill the majority of a book with tales from barely over a decade and still keep it interesting, relevant and engaging is testimony to his skill as a writer, though the book’s also beautifully produced and crammed full of images – some from the trackside and some from the family album. A great read from a fantastic motorsport journalist, and well worth picking up, even if you’re not of an age to remember the reports in period.
NASCAR 75 Years
- Kelly Grandall, Jimmy Creed, Mike Hembree, Al Pearce (Motorbooks, quartoknows.com)
- Price: around £35
- Rating: 4.5 stars
Nascar recorded its 75th anniversary last year and this glossy, large-format book is a celebration of that landmark. It features excellent photography, and interviews and stories from a wide array of figures.
The book is great for fans, and also a good introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the US race series. It’s a great coffee table book, with substance beneath the glitz.
No-Fuss Travel Guide: Ireland
- Robbie Roams (robbieroams.com)
- Price: around £24
- Rating: 4.5 stars
If the NC500 is becoming a bit too popular, road-tripping Ireland is a great alternative – and this is the perfect companion. It starts at Dublin and goes around the coast clockwise, but it’s easy enough to skip ahead if you have a section in mind. Useful touches such as dog-friendly locations as well as precise guidance given via What3Words mapping are really helpful, and there are lots of insider tips. Keen road-trippers will enjoy using this to plan their trips along routes such as the Causeway Coastal Route.
Porsche – The Racing 914s
- Jürgen Lewandowski, René Staud (Te Neus Verlag, teneus.com)
- Price: around £20
- Rating: 3.5 stars
This is an updated reprint of a comprehensive book, and 914s have something of a cult following, so this will be of interest to many. It’s well put together, concentrating on overall 914 history in the front half of the book and the car’s racing career further in.
We thought this was quite expensive as a hardback at £65. Now that it’s a paperback, we really don’t feel the production values do the content justice for the price.
Porsche 911 991: The Definitive History
- Brian Long (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk)
- Price: around £50
- Rating: 3.5 stars
A huge and fairly pricey tome detailing just eight years of Porsche 911 production. One for those who are a little nerdy; there’s no denying that most people, even enthusiasts, would probably be better served by a more general 911 overview. For those who want the ultimate in detail, there is nothing missing here, though, and it’s all quite easy to digest, as long as you tackle it in small chunks. However, the book doesn’t feel quite as well produced as we’d like for the price, and some of the photos aren’t the highest in quality.
Prodrive: 40 Years of Success
- Ian Wagstaff (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk)
- Price: around £39
- Rating: 4.5 stars
Touring car racing, world rallying, F1 – Prodrive is a company that’s been involved in just about every motorsport venture going, and it remains one of the best-known names in the industry. This excellent book is a celebration of the firm’s entire history from its origins in 1984 up to the present day, as well as looking into the future.
Although it’s not particularly pricey for a title of this size, it’s beautifully finished with big, full-page colour imagery, and you’re likely to feel plenty of nostalgia flipping through the pages if you were around for any of it at the time.
It’s also a cracking read. It’s laid out with the first half of the book being a potted history of the brand as a whole, while the second half goes over specific disciplines. There’s a nice section on Prodrive’s work on road cars, too, which we found particularly interesting.
The look forward to the company’s future offerings is also highly interesting, as are numerous interviews with Prodrive staff and drivers – there’s nothing like hearing it from the horse’s mouth. Overall, it’s a great-value book that keeps the reader thoroughly engaged.
Rolls-Royce and Bentley: Sixty Years at Crewe
- Malcolm Bobbitt thehistorypress.co.uk
- Price: around £19
- Rating: 4 stars
In this updated edition of the 1998 original, author Bobbitt doesn’t aim to give a totally exhaustive history of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley brands – he’d need a much larger book to do that. Instead, after a potted history of the early days, the focus is on the evolution of the two brands post-war and following the move from Derby to Crewe – a period that gave us the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, Dawn, Cloud, Shadow, Spirit and Seraph, as well as the Bentley Mk VI, R-Types and Arnage.
It goes right up to the turn of the Millennium and then stops, so don’t expect much coverage of the two brands post-divorce and subsequent buyouts. Focusing on the period in the middle, though, means the stories are told in great detail, pausing throughout for profiles on significant figures in the company.
The wonderful photography – sourced from the brands’ libraries, the archives of motor museums and the author’s own material – would benefit from higher production values and some colour. Plus, with each chapter around 40 pages of closely spaced text, it’s one for a good long read rather than dipping in and out. But it’s a meticulously researched title that mirrors Mr Rolls’ and Mr Royce’s fastidious attention to detail.
Rover's Rebirth
- James Taylor (Crowood Press, crowood.com)
- Price: around £30
- Rating: 3.5 stars
Post-war Rover was in a bleak state, having spent years helping the war effort and getting bombed out of its home in Coventry. But a new factory in Solihull and ambitious plans for vehicles soon got things moving, and before long Rover was building gas turbine-powered concept cars, the 60 and the 75 with all-new engines, and a certain off-roader.
Although this book only covers a short period between 1945-1953, it’s well presented, with good imagery and pacing.
Semi Queer
- Anne Balay (Univ. of North Carolina Press, uncpress.org)
- Price: around £29
- Rating: 4 stars
Although this book is US-biased, there are parallels with the UK. It explains how, for marginalised communities, the solitude and relative safety of long-haul trucking can provide a welcome escape, albeit one with its perils.
The author draws on their own experience here as a licenced truck driver and paints a powerful picture of life behind the scenes as a gay, trans or black trucker. It’s engagingly written, and offers a perspective you’re unlikely to hear very often.
Speed
- Kevin Eason (Times Books, timesbookshop.co.uk)
- Price: around £30
- Rating: 4 stars
Here’s another F1 history book, collecting stories from 74 years of world championships all the way up to 2023. This one’s pretty comprehensive and feels of high quality, with particularly excellent photography throughout – it’s vibrant, colourful and looks great on a coffee table. There’s plenty of nostalgia for F1 enthusiasts of all ages, with great insight from the veteran F1 reporter who’s authored it. It also makes a good start for younger family members just getting into the sport, who want a bit of background info.
The Car Lover’s Guide To London
- Chris Randall (Pen and Sword, pen-and-sword.co.uk)
- Price: around £15
- Rating: 4 stars
With the congestion charge, ULEZ, general traffic issues and all manner of other things, London isn’t really known as a petrolhead Mecca – at least not when it comes to actually driving through it. But the nation’s capital has a lot of history surrounding the motor car, from old factories or showrooms, to the iconic Royal Automobile Club.
This is a guide to those buildings that remain, mostly used for different purposes these days. There are a few well worth visiting, and the history lesson is well written.
Buy now from Amazon
The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars
- Mike Mueller (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk)
- Price: around £40
- Rating: 4.5 stars
There's lots to love about this book, thanks to its fantastic production values, and for its comparatively low price and brilliant imagery throughout. There’s lots of detail on each model, which is contained in a table at the start of every section. It’s interesting, too, particularly reading about Plymouth cars that don’t have the iconic status of some Dodge cars. It goes up to 2023’s Dodge Charger and Challenger, but there’s no section on the new electric version of the former.
The Porsche 911 Book
- Roy Smith (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk)
- Price: around £50
- Rating: 3 stars
There’s lots to like in the photos, although this is an updated edition of a 2013 title, so don’t expect shots of the very latest and greatest Porsches. But most people will be buying the book for the gorgeous shots of classic models anyway. It’s a shame that quite so many of them are split by the book’s spine, but that’s a criticism to level at many titles like this.
The words are fine, with a few neat factoids within the text, but nothing that a typical 911 enthusiast won’t already know.
The Sardinian Job
- Eddie Lancaster (Kindle Edition, amazon.co.uk)
- Price: around £3
- Rating: 3 stars
The Italian Job reimagined as a Black Country motor factor who discovers a hoard of rare Mini parts on a Mediterranean island, ripe for the taking. What follows is a comic quest with plenty of bawdiness and bad language.
It’s an interesting premise and there are some funny moments, but it’s been poorly edited and the plot does seem to run out of steam before reaching a satisfying climax. Not really up to the standards of the riotous source material, but could make a good holiday read if you want something you’re not too invested in.
The Story of the Campervan
- Andrew Jenkinson (Amberley Books, amberley-books.com)
- Price: around £16
- Rating: 3/5 stars
If you’ve ever been curious about the birth of campervan culture in the UK, this book is a good place to start. It covers the origins, from people simply sleeping in their estate cars, through to the birth of proper vans, such as
the Dormobile, and up to the present day.
There’s plenty of Volkswagen campers represented – the most iconic of the lot – but it’s quite UK-centric, so you’ll see an abundance of Bedford and Ford Thames imagery, too. There are also a few interesting facts – we learned about the birth of separate campervan speed limits, for example – but it’s a compact book, so don’t expect anything too in-depth.
This is felt most in the last chapter, which covers the near five-decades between the eighties and the present day in just a few pages. Considering the huge shifts that have been made during this time with great innovations
in small campers, the birth of true ‘van-life’ culture and ever more sophisticated vehicles being launched, this feels rushed and like a bit of an afterthought.
The earlier decades are much more thoroughly covered and quite enjoyable to read, however. The production values are good, although some full-page photos would be nice to make the most of the excellent archive shots featured.
Victory Driven: Cadillac V-Series
- Andrew Nussbaum (Dalton Watson Fine Books, daltonwatson.com)
- Price: around £85
- Rating: 4.5 stars
Cadillac’s performance models don’t get too much of a look-in here in the UK – whether it’s just that they’ve rarely been available to buy through normal means, that they don’t have as much history, or that they don’t stir the soul quite as much as Ford, Dodge or Chevy muscle cars. However, they now do at least have a very fine book celebrating their existence.
Published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Cadillac’s V-Series, this book packs in more detail than some titles manage with models that offer five times the lineage. The topic certainly seems very expertly researched – the book goes hugely in-depth on every V-Series model, beginning with some history, which does a great job of putting into context the brand and the environment its cars were being launched into.
It’s very nicely produced too, although it’s a shame that so many of the high-quality photos are printed across the crease of the two pages so you do lose some of the effect. There also isn’t much detail on the racing side of things, preferring instead to focus on the road cars. A nice addition to any Americana fan’s bookshelf, and certainly the best title on the subject of Cadillac’s V-Series cars so far.
Wheelbase
- Michael Kliebenstein (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk)
- Price: around £14.00
- Rating: 3 stars
This author’s first foray into fiction comes in the form of a not-too-gritty thriller centred around classic car dealing. Follow Mike Chapman across Europe as he displays an incredible talent for finding a new ultra-rare, one-of-a-kind classic car at least every other day, before a dirty character gets the better of him and swipes a shipment of rare Ferraris. The story requires a reasonable suspension of disbelief, then – not only does our hero come across impossible cars with frightening regularity, but every other character he meets has their own that they’re usually happy to sell to him. Some of the conversations are best skimmed over, too, coming across a bit like two AI chatbots being asked to have a discussion about a rare Isotta-Fraschini.
Despite this, the novel is a perfectly enjoyable read - it’s not too long, so perfect for a holiday, and anyone with a penchant for some of the beautiful motors described will enjoy a bit of escapism as they imagine driving a 1940 Cadillac convertible through Europe or loading a Ferrari 250 onto a Transall cargo aircraft. Just don’t use it as a template for setting up a classic car investment business, whatever you do.
Want the latest car news in your inbox? Sign up to the free Auto Express email newsletter...
