Car people are often perceived as a strange bunch. From the outside looking in, the dedication of one’s life to the celebration of inanimate vehicles may seem like unfounded idolatry, worthy of contempt for neglect of the real world, but this is not the case.
It is to their own downfall when such heretics fail to appreciate that distilling the virtues of art, emotion and engineering into a single utilitarian machine is in fact humanity’s greatest achievement. Cars are worthy of the worship they receive, so more fool them if they don’t get it. That's what we say, anyway…
If you're looking for another type of gift for the petrolhead in your life, take a look at our articles on the best LEGO car sets to build, the best regular car books and CAR’s top gifts for Ferrari fans.
The designers
Car culture has its disciples, parables, and hallowed ground like any other religion, but it also has its prophets, too. Bona-fide geniuses who carved the way for others to follow, dedicating their lives to the advancement of the motor industry and, in effect, dragging the rest of the world along with it - one model at a time.
Luckily for us petrolheads, myriad designs and the stories intertwined with them have been documented for posterity, the preservation of sacred work and a damn good stocking filler. If you have a friend or family member with a four-wheeled inclination and a penchant for Sunday afternoon reads, books on car design make for no-miss gifts - the question is, which should you go for? There are books to cover nearly every facet of car design, so we’ve picked five of our favourites to help get you started.
Editor's Choice
Adrian Newey’s name may have fallen below the radar of Formula One coverage in recent years – superseded by a rambunctious set of drivers and team management personnel to match – but his work has continued to speak for itself on track. Newey’s latest car, the RB18, marked his 12th Drivers’ world championship-winning design after Max Verstappen took victory at Suzuka earlier this year; should Red Bull win the constructors’ title come the end of the 2022 season, it will mark his 11th win in this category, too. He is a legend of the sport and indeed car design in his own right, so many of his peers and the wider F1 fanbase were elated upon the release of his book: How to Design a Car.
In his book, Newey tells the remarkable story of how he rose through the ranks to become the most successful designer in the history of F1, recounting the close relationships he held with his drivers and even including a set of annotated sketches that tap straight into the mind of the man. For any racing fanatic, this book is a must have.
Best Story
This fascinating book from automotive author Clive Neville tells the story of former racing driver Chris Craft and design deity Gordon Murray’s pursuit of building the lightest production road car ever made: The Rocket. Since it was first produced in 1991, the rocket has captured the attention and imagination of motoring enthusiasts for its striking looks and ingenious mechanical design.
Today it maintains a cult following around the world, with Dire Straits guitarist Guy Fletcher and Jay Leno both on the owner’s list. In his book, Neville recounts the definitive history of the Rocket’s development, from early concepts to its unveiling, and even includes in-depth contributions from the men themselves, Craft and Murray.
For the 911 Lovers
It’s a tale of triumph, adversity and unwavering commitment to an automotive concept now just shy of 60 years old. From the streets of Hollywood to the dusty tracks of the Safari rally, few cars are as iconic nor universally recognised as the Porsche 911. Along with the Ford Model T and the Lamborghini Muira, the 911 represents a cornerstone of automotive history with a rich and engrossing history.
There have been hundreds of books and other literature published on the 911 over the years, but we’ve chosen this edition from author and photographer Randy Leffingwell for its comprehensive, year-by-year overview of the car’s design development. The perfect gift for any Porsche fan.
Recommended
This striking coffee table piece from Stephen Bayley explores the story of car design holistically, how objects of industry became a medium of artistic expression. This book tells the long tale of motoring development, from the 1908 Ford Model T to the 2003 BMW 5 series, through a series of case studies, illuminating the idiosyncrasies adopted by each nation in its own approach to the motorcar. Each chapter of this book is formatted uniformly, forgoing artistic graphics to just highlight form and shape.
Alongside each picture, Stephen Bayley includes a short critical essay detailing the history of each vehicle as well as a persuasive aesthetic appraisal. While the reading may not be light, for anyone passionate about design, this book grants an invaluable and incomparable insight into the fascinating world of motoring – a great choice.
Great For Students
While there are hundreds of books on car design, the vast majority tend to prioritize and concentrate on the development of car design from the outside, but what about the interior? Car interiors have developed at the same pace – if not quicker- than their exteriors, from poorly insulated carriages to rolling hotel rooms. Author and designer Tim Pilsbury has attempted to correct this imbalance with his title Designing Car Interiors.
Penning his series with educational intentions, Pillsbury split this title into three volumes. His first covers an extensive history of car interiors, his favourite heritage examples and the basics of researching, sketching and rendering, while the subsequent volumes explore case studies and other projects to put your design skills to practice. For anyone considering taking up car interior design as a career path or perhaps just a weekend hobby, this book would make a fantastic platform to start off from.
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