Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! The Bonhams Guide to Classic Race and Sports Cars

Bonhams is the world's go-to source for classic race and sports cars. In this book, the auction house presents a selection of the most breathtaking models and tells their stories. It might only take a slight turn of the ignition, but firing up classica cars also makes great moments in automobile history come to life. Every page of Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! gives the reader a sense of the intensity of true automobile culture. Large-format images showcase sleek shapes and tactile vintage interiors in loving detail. The book was compiled by Jared Zaugg, a man who founded one of the coolest high-end motorcycle events in the world, the Legend of the Motorcycle: International Concours d'Elegance. Although Zaugg has mostly been associated with two-wheelers, in Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! he revels in his second passion--double the number of wheels and double the fun! In cooperation with Bonhams, the largest auction house for classic cars, Jared Zaugg reveals the undeniable icons of the scene. The book features a selection of models that go far beyond mere technical stats and gleaming chrome. Rather, they all offer somthing far more valuable: unique stories. These include the legendary Hurst Baja that Steve McQueen drove in an off-road race through the desert outside Las Vegas in 1968 until its axle broke. Or the famous Bugatti Brescia Tyre 22 from 2915 that lay on the bottom of Lake Maggiore for over 70 years before its remains were recovered in 2009. Then there are classic beauties such as the Aston Martin DB4GT, as well as a collection of historical vehicles that call to mind the origin of the word "horsepower" and the automobile's humble beginning as a noble carriage. All the big names are included, but the focus is on what can be found behind the logos and the polished surfaces. With its striking photographs and compelling texts, Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! truly captures the feeling of these unique cars. As lovers of exclusive limited series, record-making vehicles, and legendary races themselves, Jared Zaugg and the team at Bonhams went all out in their efforts to collet the best of the best in this publication--and it shows. Gentlement, Start Your Engines! is a book that celebrates cars. While it will inspire some to dream and fuel envy in others, it offers superb stories for everyone.

[This book] features nearly 50 classic sports and race cars from the 20th century. The book, done in collaboration with auction house Bonhams, starts with a 1902 De Dietrich, which had a four-seater body that could be converted to a racing two-seater, and ends with a 1997 McLaren F1 GTR, which has gold insulating foil around the engine bay to ensure optimal heat containment and can hit 240 mph.

Lisa Kalis, Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2015