The Beauty of the Beast - Art of the F1 Racing Car - Shopping - Books

<p>Who could deny the sheer heart-stopping power of a Formula One racing car as it thunders round the race track at over 200 mph (322km/h)? Or that the technological mastery that has gone into each of these magnificent machines, from the tiniest screw to the aerodynamic curves of its sinuous body, has culminated in a thing of great beauty - a work of art?</p>

<p>Although this has been acknowledged in the past as evidenced by the F1 Ferrari, which graces the wall of the New York Museum of Modern Art, never have the cars from the F1 stable had the opportunity to display their thoroughbred pedigree in such glorious detail as in the handsome, 200-page, coffee-table publication, Art of the F1 Racing Car. </p>

<p>Specialist car and motorbike photographer, James Mann, remembers watching the motor racing at Crystal Palace with his father and says he has been photographing cars ever since. He has long wanted to showcase the aesthetic side of the racers he loves and this book is his way of doing that. </p>

<p>Eventually, once Art of the F1 Racing Car was in production, it became a labour of love for the photographer who also ended up sourcing each car, which, as several of them are very rare, was no laughing matter. Once found, there was the question of transporting the valuable motors to a studio or shooting them on the spot. McLaren, for example, said their priceless museum cars could not be moved so Mann and his team had to build a studio on the spot at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. </p>

<p>Selecting which cars to include in the book was also not an easy task. Mann says, "As well as beauty, we also had to consider innovative engineering and Championship success." </p>

<p>In the end, few would argue on the models chosen. From the legendary Alfa Romeo 158 (Alfeti), which took 47 wins home from 54 Grand Prix entries, to the Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner, which was driven to victory its very first time out of the gate by Fangio in 1954, to Mann's personal favourite, the innovative Lotus 2, each of the 18 pictured cars has its own fascinating story and the book as a whole offers a brief glimpse into the exciting history and future of Formula 1. </p>

<p>Historical anecdotes and technical information on the cars pictured is provided by Formula One journalist, broadcaster and writer/editor of F1 Racing, Stuart Codling. Commentary on the pictures is provided by championship-winning car designer Gordon Murray and there is also a foreword by Peter Windsor the British-born Sporting Director of the US F1 team. </p>

<p>Certainly, between them there is not much that these collaborators do not know about racing cars and the history of the Grand Prix. However, fascinating as the textual content of Art of F1 Racing Cars is, it is Mann's photographs that steal the show. Each dramatic image is set on a black background to further enhance every detail of colour and line. Whether it is bought as a gift for a racing aficionado or for a parent to share a special bedtime moment with achild racing car fan, this is a book that will be treasured for years to come.
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