Subaru XV Lineartronic – First Impressions As far as Europeans are concerned, Subaru, like Suzuki is one of the more esoteric Japanese car brands. If Suzuki is seen as a small car specialist, Subaru is associated with all wheel drive and a slightly more rugged nature. Twenty years ago the Subaru brand was synonymous with the rally-winning Impreza, a car which incidentally, went on to illustrious … [Read more...]
Features by Kieron Fennelly
Book Review – Porsche Boxster and Cayman – The 987 Series 2004–13
Title: Porsche Boxster and Cayman – The 987 Series 2004–13 Author: Brian Long Published by: Veloce; www.veloce.co.uk 180 pages; hardback Price: UK £40.00; US $60 ISBN: 978-1-787110-81-6 Kieron Fennelly reviews a new title covering Porsche’s well-liked mid-engined modern classics… The appearance in 1976 of Paul Frère’s definitive 911 Story, now in its ninth edition, started an … [Read more...]
Book Review – Jaguar XJR-9: Owner’s Workshop Manual
Title: Jaguar XJR-9: Owner’s Workshop Manual Author: Michael Cotton Published by: Haynes Publishing; haynes.com 164 pages; hardback Price: £25.00 (but at the time of writing, currently on offer on the Haynes website at £18.75) ISBN: 987-1-785211-13-3 Kieron Fennelly delves into a volume covering the history and development of Jaguar’s iconic XJR-9, and the races in which it … [Read more...]
Book Review – The Volvo estate car: Design icon and faithful companion
Title: The Volvo estate car: Design icon and faithful companion Author: Ashley Hollebone Published by: Veloce Publishing; www.velocebooks.com 160 pages; hardback Price: £19.99 ISBN: 978-1-787110-75-5 Kieron Fennelly investigates a new book about the oh-so-solid and wonderfully spacious Volvo estate cars… To devote a book to a car that was neither a style icon nor had any sporting … [Read more...]
Book Review – Ford GT 40 – The Autobiography of 1075
Kieron Fennelly reviews a comprehensive and fascinating new book about Ford’s GT40 and in particular, the history of the famous No. 1075… Title: Ford GT 40 – The Autobiography of 1075 Author: Ray Hutton Published by: Porter Press International; www.porterpress.co.uk 320 pages; hardback Price: £60.00 ISBN: 978-1-907085-68-0 The sportscar racing of the mid-1960s remains enduringly … [Read more...]
Book Review – France: The Essential Guide for Car Enthusiasts
Planning a trip to France? If so, this book may enhance your visit... Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Title: France: The Essential guide for Car Enthusiasts Author: Julian Parish Published by: Veloce; www.veloce.co.uk 248 pages; soft covers Price: £14.99 UK/$24.95 ISBN: 978-1-787110-57-1 France: The Essential guide for Car Enthusiasts France, says Julian Parish, is the most … [Read more...]
Book Review: “BMC Competitions Department Secrets”
Kieron Fennelly reads the amazing story of what actually happened in BMC's Competitions Department in the 1950s and 60s, written by those who were there at the time... Authors: Marcus Chambers, Stuart Turner and Peter Browning Published by: Veloce: www.veloce.co.uk 640 pages (hardback) UK Price: £25.00 ($39.95 US) ISBN: 978-1-845849-94-8 This book is essentially a pictorial history of … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Stirling Moss: the Definitive Biography, Volume I 1929–1955”
Kieron Fennelly reviews Volume One of a huge, in-depth two part biography of Stirling Moss, written by Philip Porter... Author: Philip Porter (with forward by Murray Walker) Published by: Porter Press Ltd: www.porterpress.co.uk 640 pages (hardback) UK Price: £35.00 ISBN: 978-1-907085-33-8 Philip Porter has undertaken the daunting task of writing the ‘definitive’ biography of Stirling … [Read more...]
Porsche Macan S Road Test
Road Test: Porsche Macan S By Kieron Fennelly. Porsche’s smaller SUV has become its best seller... The rampant success of the Cayenne – Porsche built 650,000 during its first decade of production - made the eventual addition of a ‘junior’ Cayenne to the range a case of when rather than if. Back in 2001, observers were amazed when the maker of the celebrated 911, for many the definitive sports … [Read more...]
Book Review: Jaguar Design – A Story of Style
Kieron Fennelly reviews this comprehensive volume, written by Nick Hull. Author: Nick Hull Published by: Porter Press (www.porterpress.co.uk) 512 pages (hardback) UK Price: £90 ($170 US) ISBN: 978-1-907085-29-1 Books by stylists are rare, but in recent years Roy Axe’s engaging autobiography and Graham Hull’s intriguing Inside the Styling Department at … [Read more...]
Porsche 924/928/944/968 the Complete Story
Author: Glen Smale Published by: Crowood Press [www.crowood.com] 264 pages UK Price: £25.00 ISBN: 978-1-78500-39-3 Twenty years after the last one rolled off the production line, the transaxle cars are almost the forgotten Porsches. Indeed some of the more ‘lifestyle’ of the Porsche magazines never refer to them. Yet for over a decade, the 924 and the 944 in particular were … [Read more...]
AC/Shelby Cobra, 1962-68: Owner’s Workshop Manual
Author: Glen Smale Published by: Haynes Publishing 156 pages Price: £22.99 ISBN: 987-0-85733-786-3 One of the greatest sports cars of all time, the AC Cobra was a sensation in a way that is simply unimaginable today. Such was the demand for this Anglo-American hybrid that it was not until November 1965 that the Autocar was able to get its hands on one. “Few readers,” it wrote in … [Read more...]
BMW 218 Active Tourer
Kieron Fennelly tries BMW's stylish front wheel drive 218 Active Tourer The last decade has been a confusing time for BMW purists: the range has expanded bewilderingly and the three roundels badge now seems to adorn all manner of crossovers, hatchbacks and hunchbacks (which BMW calls ‘GT’s). Gone are the high revving, naturally aspirated straight six and V8 petrol engines, replaced by … [Read more...]
The Porsche 924 Carrera
Author: Roy Smith Published by: Veloce [www.veloce.co.uk] 320 pages Price: £75.00 ISBN: 978-1-845846-45-9 Roy Smith has a happy knack of uncovering relatively obscure chapters of motor racing history and bringing them into the light with compelling new detail. His recent series of books on Alpine was typical, researching a subject little known outside France and even there not especially … [Read more...]
Porsche 928
Author: Brian Long Published by: Veloce Publishing [veloce.co.uk] 204 pages UK rrp: £50 ISBN: 978-1-903706-30-5 The Porsche 928 is one of the puzzles of the first century of the automotive industry: How did a company steeped in the Germano-Czech tradition of race-bred rear engined air-cooled cars come, almost out of the blue, to build a front engined, water cooled GT which never had the … [Read more...]
Jaguar lightweight E-type: the autobiography of 4WPD
Author: Philip Porter Published by: Porter Press Ltd [www.porterpress.com] 320 pages Price £40.00 ISBN: 978-1-907085-17-8 Philip Porter is a well known Jaguar enthusiast and historian. He owns amongst others HP 9600, the original E-type fixed head prototype and as well as founding the Jaguar XK and E-type clubs, he has written extensively about the marque. His latest book, the Autobiography … [Read more...]
Paul Frère
Serge Dubois / Editions Sergio Leone Price: €49 256 pages Distributed by: la Fondation Roi Baudoin, 21 rue Brederode, Brussels 1000 Paul Frère died in 2008 aged 91 and this is the first posthumous work on one of the world’s foremost autojournalists to appear. Still professionally active until his last months, the Belgian was a top flight racing driver in the 1950s and after winning Le Mans … [Read more...]
The VW Golf Story
Russell Hayes Price: £40 288 pages Behemoth Publishing, www.behemothpublishing.co.uk ISBN: 978-0-9928769-0-6 Russell Hayes’s encyclopedic yet extraordinarily entertaining History of the Cortina appeared in 2012 on the 50th anniversary of Ford’s famous saloon. Now Hayes has done it again, this time with the VW Golf, arguably a much more significant car. He shows how the Golf grew out of … [Read more...]
Ferrari 250 GTO Workshop Manual
Glen Smale, Haynes, July 2014 ISBN: 978 0 85733 384 1 MRP: £25 156 pages Some years ago Haynes reinvented its famous workshop manual series as feature books on notable aeroplanes, boats, submarines and…..motor cars. The latest issue on the last-mentioned covers perhaps the most famous Ferrari of all time, the 250 GTO. Last of the dual purpose road and racing Ferraris, a mere 36 were built … [Read more...]
