Product Description

The first official British Saloon Car Championship was held in 1958, so 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of this ever-competitive, highly popular form of racing, now called the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). This book is a photographic sweep over the entire 50 years, featuring plenty of well-known and exciting cars as well as numerous notable drivers, including World Champions such as Mike Hawthorn, Jim Clark and Graham Hill and colourful characters such as Gerry Marshall, Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams and Tony Lanfranchi. Containing over 250 photographs and informative captions, this book will be a stunning addition to the bookshelves of race-going enthusiasts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62718 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

About the Author
Graham Robson, the world's most prolific author of motoring books with over 120 to his name over the past 35 years, knows this subject very well indeed, and has first-hand memories of saloon car racing back to the early sixties. His recent Haynes title Boreham: 40 years of Ford's motorsport dream factory, won the Guild of Motoring Writers' Montagu Trophy in 2004.

Customer Reviews

Disappointing....
Seems to have been rushed to catch the BTCC's 50th anniversary season. Sloppy mistakes (e.g. Are the cars on pages 198-199 really Honda Integras as the caption says they are? Not Civics?) and very heavy on the modern era - i.e. photos from the post-2000, Muller/Plato/Neal races dominate the book. I'd have liked more photos of the 70s (Escorts, Capris), 80s (SD1s and Sierras) and 90s (Super Touring). That's not to say there are none - they are there, but after reading the last section - seemingly endless photos of Vectras, SEATs and Hondas - coverage of the the earlier periods seems threadbare by comparison. Surely most people who're interested enough in the BTCC to want to buy this book will have the last few years fresh in their minds anyway. I'd certainly have preferred much more of the nostalgic earlier (pre-2000) eras and just thin coverage of what's happened since 2000 - not the other way round as it is with this book. To recap: Good photos, but not balanced, and feels a bit sloppy/rushed. Not up to the standard of the other 'In Camera' books (e.g. Formula One in the 70s, etc.) Get it if you REALLY like the BTCC and especially if you REALLY like the modern/current bunch of drivers/cars.

It is disappointing - could've been much better
Both of the previous reviewers (Swansea Dog and Tom V.) are right to some extent. It's true that in terms of numbers of pages devoted to each era there is balance - BUT the first reviewer is correct that it really does FEEL that the modern era gets the most attention. For the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s sections, there is lots of variety (Escorts, Camaros, Cortinas, Minis and so on, in lots of colour schemes) whereas there's MUCH less variety of cars and drivers in the modern era, as the manufacturers tend to use the same cars and drivers and, especially, the same colour schemes year after year after year - orange Hondas, yellow SEATs, etc.
That's why it seems the post-2000 era has been given more depth - there's less variety of machinery and car liveries, but just as many pages and photos devoted to them. By the end of the book you're turning the pages thinking, "not ANOTHER photo of a yellow SEAT! No more, pleeeze!"

I agree with the first reviewer that it would be a MUCH better book if more emphasis had been put into the earlier eras and less on the modern. It's true: SEATs and Civics are just not aspirational in the way that V6 Capris, V8 Rovers and Cosworth Sierras were. And don't get me started on the current crop of drivers - Matt Neal, with all the charisma of a banana, and that gurning 40-something 'lad' Jason Plato... I'll take the Rouse, Percy, Cleland crop (even Harvey!) anyday - even better, the older Gardner-Fitzpatrick-Clark-era guys.

I also agree that the captions are very 'brief' and don't really inform.
A good book on the BTCC's history would've been a godsend for petrolheads, but I certainly feel the author's missed a golden opportunity. Two stars because it's good to see some of the old cars again, but I want MORE of the old cars, less of the new.

Poor Relation
Definitely not as good as the other In Camera books, but still the best book ever on the history of the BTCC.

There is a surprising and disappointing reliance on old PR shots, many in black and white from an era (the 80s) when there are plenty of colour images to be found if you look.

This narrow search for pictures might also explain why there are so many closely cropped images of cars in mid-bend which not only make many pages look alike, but give limited view of the background. Such background could have conveyed atmosphere or period, the sense of years passing, but little is in evidence here.

An inexcusable example of the lack of care is the use of a modern Goodwood Revival picture when a genuine period image could no doubt have been found with some effort.

Of course, the publishers - or picture editor at least - might argue that British motor racing circuits do all look similar and have changed little over the years so a consistency of look is unavoidable. Perhaps.

In the end, it is just not as good as it could have been.