More than 120 years of motorsport: stories, triumphs and tragedies, sensational innovations, rapid progress, and grandiose dead ends. The History of Motorsport gives a gripping and informative rundown of the colourful world of motor racing, with its trailblazing technical developments and its greatest series and races. The book begins with the first Grand Prix in motor-racing history, and takes readers on a journey through the decades all the way to FIA Formula E. Along the way they will encounter cars like Michael Schumacher's 'red goddess', the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, and its Formula 1 forefathers from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lotus, and Brabham, the likes of the Lancia Stratos and Delta Integrale, Audi Sport Quattro, Citroën WRC, and the VW Race Touareg for the Dakar rally. Touring cars through to Mike Rockenfeller's Schaeffler-Audi RS5 also take their place of honour here. The choice of vehicles has been made to ensure all important races and racing series are included. Extensive statistics complete this comprehensive book.

First published in 2012. This book examines the evolution of motor sport from its creation in central Europe, throughout the rest of the continent and elsewhere, including in both North and South America. It was published as a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.

Chronicles every grand prix motor race from 1894 onwards, including profilesf the cars, the drivers, and the racetracks; traces the development ofotorcar racing; and presents, in chronological order, all the cars andodels.

This book explores the history and politics of motor racing, one of the most popular and lucrative elements in the international sport industry. Written by a group of international scholars and motor racing specialists it discusses the sport’s origins, the relationship of motor racing to nation building and modernity (noting its links to fascism and dictatorship), the links between motor racing and the automobile industry, motor racing and the politics both of gender and of race, motor racing, the media and postmodernity, and motor racing, the spatial and globalization. This book speaks to scholars in history, politics, sport studies, the sociology of sport, sport management and cultural studies, along with the many lay readers who are interested in the relationship between motor sport and society.

This was a very important period in the Le Mans story. Ferrari and Jaguar raced to stake claims as the foremost manufacturers of high-performance cars. Mercedes-Benz came back from war-ravaged Germany and again set the standards in race-car engineering. Aston Martin finally won at its 20th attempt. Enormous crowds - approaching half a million people - saw the first rear-engined saloons to compete at Le Mans, and the first mid-engined sports-racing cars, and the first diesels. On-track performance soared. In 1949 the fastest car hit 135mph on the unique Mulsanne straight. Before the end of the 1950s, top speeds exceeded 180mph. This fascinating book tells the stories of these increasingly potent racing cars and conveys the punishing nature of an incomparable event - the ultimate test of the mental and physical abilities of the fragile individuals who make up racing teams, be they drivers, engineers, strategists or mechanics. Highly detailed year-by-year coverage of the decade's ten races, giving over 30 pages of information and photographs for each year. - Official status provides a number of unique features, including the reproduction of the full-color race poster artwork for each year and photographs from the ACO's archives. - The images include rare color, and the emphasis is on photographs that enthusiasts will not have seen before. - The story of each race is told through photographs and an accompanying commentary. - Complete data for each year includes technical regulations, entry list, circuit changes (with diagram), lap chart, full results and category awards. - The whole work is beautifully designed and presented. - The 1950s was a decade of post-war recovery, with defeated Germany providing only one of the period's race winners - Mercedes-Benz in 1952. Britain, by contrast, took six victories – five for Jaguar, one for Aston Martin.

Soon after the first automobiles were introduced in the United States, auto racing became a reality. Since that time, motorsports have expanded to include drag racing, open wheel racing, rallying, demolition derbies, stock car racing, and more. Motorsports have grown to such an extent that NASCAR is now the second most watched professional sport in America, behind only football. But motorsports are about much more than going fast and finishing first. These events also reflect our culture, our society, our values, and our history. In Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR, Mark D. Howell and John D. Miller bring together essays that examine the relevancy of motorsports to American culture and history, from the late nineteenth century to the present. Addressing a wide spectrum of motorsports—such as stock car racing, demolition derbies, land speed record pursuits, and even staged train wrecks—the essays highlight the social and cultural implications of contemporary and historical moments in these sports. Topics covered include gender roles in motorsports, hot rods and the creation of fan and participant identities, the appeal of demolition derbies, the globalization of motorsports, the role of moonshine in stock car history, the economic relationship between NASCAR and its corporate sponsors, and more. Offering the most thorough study of motorsports to date from a diverse pool of disciplines and subjects, Motorsports and American Culture will appeal to motorsports and automobile enthusiasts, as well as those interested in American history, popular culture, sports history, and gender studies.

The Brands Hatch circuit in Kent is a motorsport mecca, and was once the busiest motorsport venue in the world. Scene of many classic Formula One and sports car races, as well as numerous other international, national and club events, the circuit is currently undergoing a renaissance under the ownership of Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision company. Here is the definitive history of Brands Hatch, featuring the events, cars, motorcycles and characters that have made it Britain’s best-loved motor racing circuit.

FIAT in Motorsport is an in-depth look at Fiat's historical and prestigious involvement in all forms of motorsport from the earliest days of racing right up to the present day. The achievements of the cars and drivers are described in detail, along with many original photographs, sourced from the official Fiat archives. In the early days, before the First World War, Fiat was a major contender in Grand Prix racing, and employed many of the leading drivers of the era. Although it withdrew from Grand Prix racing in 1927, Fiat cars were still to be seen participating in high-profile races, such as the Mille Miglia. In these events most Fiat models were sports editions of the highly successful 'Balilla' range. In 1952 the introduction of the sensational 8V coupé resulted in many racing successes in private owners' hands, while the late 1950s saw the introduction of 'Formula Junior' class of racing and Fiat-engined cars were very successful in the early years. In the 1970s, Abarth, then owned by Fiat, successfully ran the rally team, which resulted in three World Championships. Speed record attempts over the years are also detailed in this fascinating history of Fiat's sporting achievements.

For half a century, Porsche automobiles have been favorites of race fans and drivers in endurance events, rallies, hill climbs, Trans Am, Can-Am, and GT racing. This photohistory chronicles more than 100 racing Porsches that have been campaigned at circuits the world over, including Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, Spa, Nurburgring, and Leguna Seca, to name a few. In addition to color photography of the cars today and archival race images depicting the cars and top drivers from the annals of motorsport, the author presents the histories of such legendary Porsches as the 550 Spyder, a customer version of which gained notoriety as the car in which James Dean died; the open-wheel 718/2 with which Porsche unsuccessfully contested Formula 1 in 1959 and 1960; the 904 GTS that dominated European circuits in 1964 and 1965; the 917's which in 1972 and 1973 halted McLaren's Can-Am cakewalk; the 1976 Martini-liveried 935; the pair of Rothman-sponsored 959's that easily swept Paris-Dakar in 1986; and today's successful 911 GT cars.