new book on classic cars

1974 Leyland P76 SuperSedan

New Zealand Classic Car is our favorite NZ magazine, and this new book is an all-color presentation of the articles about the most appealing cars it has featured over the past 22 years.  None of course are idigenous - our own book Alternative Drivestyles covers them.  Nevertheless, there are some rare and, needless to say, valuable cars included.  As in the magazine, the editors have sought to cater for different countries of origin; thus there is a mix of American, Australian, British and European examples, all lovingly restored and cared for by their owners.  The age range is from a 1955 MG TF to a 1991 Ferrari F40 (maybe a little too recent to be considered a classic?).  It is all intended to be eye-candy, including interiors and engines, the sort of photos that the classic car enthusiast will drool over.

Unlike the crown-quarto format that publishers like HarperCollins prefer, the format here is full size A4 (30 x 21 cm or 11.7 x 8.3 inches) landscape on glossy paper and hardcovered.

The only gripe, and unfortunately it is a significant one, is that some cars have been spread across the gutter, eliminating about 1 cm of the photo down it.  Note to book designers everywhere - do not spread a vehicle across a gutter if it can be avoided!  That isn't so bad with a stapled magazine, but with a hardback book it's just grimace stuff (see our post on the book The New Zealand Steam Locomotive).

The 'volume one' indicates that there is more planned and we look forward to it.