A highly illustrated celebration of horse racing in art, including paintings, prints and sculptures as well as racing trophies, commemorative works of art and memorabilia.

A highly illustrated celebration of horse racing in art, including paintings, prints and sculptures as well as racing trophies, commemorative works of art and memorabilia.

A lavishly illustrated and definitive look at the design evolution of the racing motorcycle. The dynamic between competition and design has always fueled the evolution of racing motorcycles and inspired astonishing feats of design and engineering. This book traces the development of the sport bike, from the earliest French motorcycles to the dominance of British machinery in the 1930s, the exotic Italian motorcycles of the 1950s and 1960s, the influence of American racing in the 1970s and 1980s, and today’s Japanese superbikes. More than fifty classic motorcycles—from Harley-Davidsons to Peugeots, Velocettes, Moto Guzzis, BMWs, Kawasakis, and Ducatis—are presented chronologically illustrated with stunning studio photographs that present the machines as works of art and wonders of design in themselves, accompanied by rare and beautiful archival images that place the subjects in the contexts of classic races, rallies, and motorcycle shows, and accompanied by essays revealing the legends behind the machines. Some of the championship motorcycles featured include the 1902 Manon, the 1922 Harley Davidson 8-valve, the 1935 Terrot 500, the 1948 AJS Porcupine, the 1954 Moto Guzzi V8, the 1965 Honda GP 250, The 1976 Suzuki RK67, the 1986 Cagiva GP, and the 1990 Ducati Supermono.

There’s an undeniable fascination with motorcycles—their speed, design, riders, and coolness factor, are all part of the magnetism. This exquisite deluxe volume, presented on cotton paper in a beautiful black rubber clamshell box with a cutout metal plate, is the newest addition to Assouline’s Impossible Collection series is a compendium of the 100 most exceptional bikes of the twentieth century—from the rare to the renowned—each one is unique. Some of these brilliant pieces of machinery include the stunning and one-of-a-kind BMW R7, the 1948 Vincent Series Rapide that Rollie Free shattered land speed record on, in nothing but a bathing suit, the iconic 1969 Easy Rider bike that Peter Fonda made famous, and the 1973 Harley-Davidson XR750, Evel Knievel’s bike of choice. Motorcycle aficionados, aesthetes, and enthusiasts alike will treasure this collector’s item.