10 replies to this topic

[anbeck]

Hi,

I am sure that there is already a topic that covers this or that there are some posts in the books-thread, but unfortunately my search-fu let me down and I couldn't find anything!

What I am looking for is a book (or an online resource or anything) that covers the evolution of the major sportscar series from the 60s (most important) to the 80s (least important) or anything in between or even beyond.

While I am also interested in how the seasons played out, what I really want to know is what the regulations were at what point and what reasoning was behind changes. For example when the FIA went to the 3 litre formula in the early 70s it is said that it was to boost the chances of french manufacturers.

I want to find out at what point a GT was a GT, how many cars had to be produced (I think they changed their mind rather often on this), or why certain manufacturers decided to enter a perfectly good GT car with a huge engine so it had to race in the prototype class. Whether that info is made explicit or just hidden in the text in the chapters on seasons doesn't really matter.

Furthermore it would be good if the book covered the technical evolutions or revolutions, such as engine design, chassis design and materials used, and what the consequence of these revolutions was.

Most important are of course the FIA series (the world championship of makes or whatever it was called at any point), but I wouldn't mind if other series (CanAm, Interserie) were covered as well. If there's some history on that, I'd take it ;-)

The only book I found myself that might go into that direction would be the french "Endurance 50 ans d'histoire : Volume 2, 1964-1981", but I hesitate to get it without any comment from somebody who has seen it.

Thanks for every bit of information (this forum was more than helpful in pointing me to great reads in the past!)!
a.

[Vitesse2]

"Sports Car Championship" by Anthony Pritchard would probably be useful for 1968-71 - published by Robert Hale in 1972, ISBN 0 7091 3349 9. US edition: WW Norton, ISBN 0 393 08503 1.

Regulation changes would need to be tracked through the relevant FIA Yellow Books - I don't know of any published work.

[anbeck]

Thanks already.

As far as the regulations is concerned: details are not important. It's just about the most important facets (engine capacity, open/closed cockpits, etc.), which I hope would be addressed introducing a certain season.

[Frank de Jong]

I personally was always fond of "Directory of classic prototypes and Grand Touring cars by Anthony Pritchard, Aston Publications 1988, ISBN 0 946627 29 0
It covers 1961-1974 roughly.

[RS2000]

Not all years are listed so it is not a perfect record of when changes happened:
http://www.fia.com/s...stappjregs.html

[Roger Clark]

Time and Two Seats?

[Bjorn Kjer]

Certainly the most complete overall on World Championship sport/protoype and GT racing.

[anbeck]

Originally posted by Roger Clark
Time and Two Seats?

Wow, that seems great. Unfortunately I couldn't even find a used copy...

[Frank de Jong]

Contact the author - a few years ago, the message was the same but the author had loads of unsold copies...

[Bjorn Kjer]

The Cobraferrariwars 1963-1965 , still to get at www.thecobraferrariwars.com

[Carles Bosch]

"SUPER SPORTS / THE 220 MPH LE MANS CARS / 25 Years of Classic Mid-engine Le Mans Coupés".

'Though deals only with the coupés, covers a wide range of cars from the '64 Ford GT40 to the '87 Porsche 962 with nice pictures and the most important technical particularities.

The authors are the well-known John Allen, Ian Bamsey, Gordon Jones, Alan Lis, Ronnie Spain & Allan Staniforth.



Carles.