Riot

TWO things you can

ount on come Christmastime: parents will be paying an out- landish mount of money for some useless toy; and store book sheives will be stocked with great automotive titles. In the spirit of the season, we'll skip the Furby and get right to the books.

@ At the Limit (Twenty- one classic cars that shaped a century af motorsport) by Nick Mason anc] Mark Hales; MBI Publishizg Co.; 300 colour photos, 174 pages. $39.95.

The first thing { wanted to do after reading, this book (in one sitting, no less) was run out and buy the entire Pink Flovd catalog.

The British supergroup’s drummer, Nick Mason, not only co-authored this: great book — he owns all 21 of the cars featured, from a 190! Panhard BI to a 1990 Porsche 962. 1 figured the royalties from the Floyd CD pure would give of Nick a few pence to keep his stable of supercars in mutor oil.

Unlike many classic collec- tors, Mason likes te not only drive, but race full out, his

sed possessions (As to being a “collector,” Mason writes: “I generally try and avoid using the word ‘collection’ to describe the cars I own. Ir

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sounds too deliberate, toc pas- siontess."} For recent evidence of Mason’s aturude about his cars, this past) week on Speedvision a one-hour show on the Goodwood “98 vintage race weekend featured leg- endary Grand Prix racer John Surtees piloting Mason's 1952 Ferrari 230GTO (commenta- tors of the race estimated the value of the car at £5-million).

The idea behind Ag the Limit is quite simple: get a pro-

onal race car driver (in this case journalist, Mark Hales), put him ar the wheel of which best represent the centu- ry of sports car technology, and ler him loase on a high speed race track (in this case Silverstone in England}.

The result is breathtaking photos and equally thrilling words trom both an obviously exhilarated Hales and a typical- ly calm Mason. Hales sa blow-by-blow account of dri- ving each car seat position, gear shift position, the sound of the engiae as it climbs and descends through the gears), while Mason, in witty English fashion, describes his affection for each car and how it came

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into his possession. ).

Hales states that, without question, his favourite ride was the Ferrari 250GTO, though Mason will not be dragged into any “favourite” discussion.

Motorsport fans are well served to have a collector tke Mason, a rock star who doesn’t squander his millions on super models, sprawling estates and the products of the Golden Triangle.

8 50 Years of Classic Sports Cars by Bill Reynolds; Bramlcy Books, distributed by Whitecap Books; 288 pages. $29.95.

‘A collection of this sort is an easy target for criticism as the marquees and models cho- sen will never be compicte nor agreed upon as definitive.

Author Reynolds states as much in his introduction. Taken in that spirit, 50 Years af Classic Sport Cars is a pleasure to look through. Looking, rather than reading, is the key here as apart from the intro- duction the only words are in captions which accempany the colour photes.

& The Concise Encyclopedia of Formula One by David Tremayae and Mark Hughes; Whitecap Books; 256 pages. $29.95.

As far as a factual resource, which by definition is what an encyclopedia should be, this

k hits the mark.

All the drivers, marquees, circuits, team owners, Movers and shakers that make this sport so appealing are in The Concise 4 ti Formita One. What isn’t is the passion that Grand Prix racing fans have tor thei

As of late, Formula One has Jost much of that passi technological a taken much of the open-wheel to open-wheel duelling out of the sport. Too often in the past decade the race leader is so far

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Friday. Decernber 18, 1998 ~ North Snore News - 41

THE coffee tabie book 50 Years of Classic Sports Cars (right) features such exotics as the 1950 Ferrari Barchetta (above) and the 1993 Nit McLaren (top and at left. Note the M1's unique centre seat position).

ahead of the pack the only undetermined outcome is what colour Jacques Villencuve’s wi be for the next race.

Visit our web site:

If it’s Grand Prix facts you're after, this is the book for you — but if it’s passion, it’s Ar

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