Brian Long - a fascinating automotive author with wide-ranging interests

                                                                  Brian Long
 

Brian Long has a long and distinguished career as an automotive writer, and has written many books published by Veloce. With several new titles coming up, we took the opportunity to find out more about his background, interests, and what fires his passion for cars and engines.

Brian started out as a mechanic, working alongside his uncle, who taught him the game. He says was a super engineer, who lost his first garage in a huge fire. He lost heart and worked on aero-engines for a bit but soon got bored. When Brian left school (he says hated the place!), he got back into the world of repairs and sales. 

He moved into power transmissions and engineering trade supply before writing. This was an accident. He’d always been heavily involved in the classic car scene, and Andrew Whyte suggested the Jaguar-built Daimler guide he’d put together for his own reference should be published. He put him in touch with Rod Grainger (Veloce’s founder and publisher), and the rest is history.

Brian has written many books published by Veloce, and we asked him to tell us a bit more about his forthcoming new books in particular, the Lexus LF A Supercar (due to be published in 2027), and The Ultimate Book of the Mercedes Benz Pagoda (due to be published in 2026). 

The LFA book is being written with his good mate, Peter Lyon. It's a fascinating project, exposing the enthusiasm that exists in a company known for its conservatism. 

The Pagoda book is based on an old title but heavily updated with a ton of new pictures. It's his wife's favourite car, so he joked that she might actually look at this one!

We asked how does/did his career help to define what he writes.

Brian comes from a long line of engineers. His grandma's four brothers were aero-engine people, and his father's brother was a car and bike guy. Everyone in the family is a car or bike person - even his mother could strip a bike engine! In fact, she wanted to be an engineer, but grandad said it wasn't the done thing for a lady! 

He trained as a mechanic, but he observes that you can only do a project properly if you love the subject - it's more important than formal qualifications. A thirst for knowledge will soon fill in gaps, and he loves everything mechanical, from watches at one end to old aeroplanes at the other.

Brian has written about many different cars, so we asked if he has a favourite car and/or marque of car, and why? 

Brian answered that he’s always been a Jaguar and Daimler guy but has always run old Mercedes models and Alfas alongside them. He’s had a lot of Mazdas and love the RE. Old Porsches and Maseratis - all a bit predictable, really, he jokes...!

If he had to choose the one car he regrets selling, it would have to be the 1988 XJ-S HE he had, as he thought it was a magnificent all-rounder. He remembers driving from Pau to Coventry in a day and felt like turning around and doing it again. For a more intense experience, the FD RX-7 was quite something.

                                           Just a couple of the many books by Brian published by Veloce

We asked what Brian is most proud of in your writing career to date?

He replied that there are quite a few books that spring to mind, mainly because of the relationships he’s made through them. 

He says making the landmark 100th book would be his proudest moment. The subjects covered cars in the main (road/race/rally), but also motorcycles, bicycles and cameras. But there are other subjects he’d like to cover. We'll have to wait and see... 

Does he have a target reader in mind when you write? 

Himself! He often tackles a book because what he wants isn't available - he tries to include as much information as possible, because he wants to know himself. Ultimately, he’s an enthusiast, no different to our readers, which is why he’s happy to put the hours in. 

How does he decide what car/s to write about next?

It must be something that interests him – he spends an incredible amount of time on these projects and needs a certain thing (whatever it may be) to keep him going. He couldn't work long hours every day otherwise. 

He observes that it's getting harder to find new projects nowadays, with suggestions coming that he must turn down because either he can't get excited, or the manufacturer doesn't play the game (access to archive material is an absolute must). Likewise, some of the stuff he wants to do isn't commercial enough to be of interest to the publisher, which is fair comment! But we'll keep punting ideas back and forth, and see what happens.  

Recently, he’s started doing a few joint-projects with friends - a shared passion for a certain subject helps fuel enthusiasm, and the different skills and contacts will hopefully provide readers with something a bit special. The LFA book he’s doing with Peter was actually a reader suggestion, so if you have any ideas, please feel free to send them in.

Does Brian have time for hobbies?

He’s really into history (industrial and political), and something of a music anorak. He loves old analogue stereos, to the point that he wants to write about them and finds researching the bands from the 60s and 70s fascinating. He’s also into horses in a big way (it's a DNA thing, duly passed onto his kids!), with single malts and Port wine keeping him vaguely sane after a hard day in the office. Not forgetting keeping his Rottweiler happy, of course. 

                                                                         Brian with his dog

Brian Long's books are available from Veloce and other retailers.

Julian Parish - Author, Francophile, car-lover and man of many talents

Julian Parish is a respected and long-standing author of many automotive books published by Veloce.

With another title soon to be published, Saab Cars A Pictorial History 1949 to 2011, we spent some time with Julian to find out more about his fascinating background, love of all things French, and his passion for cars.

                                             Julian Parish

Julian grew up in south-east England and went to school there. He read Modern Languages at university (Oxford) and has always been fascinated by other cultures. Altogether, he says that he must have visited more than 40 different countries, for work or pleasure. It is France, however, which has always had a special place in his heart: he has lived there for nearly 30 years and has had French nationality since 2008.

His first job after graduating was as a junior lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris. After this, he moved into book publishing (schoolbooks and travel guides), before turning to international software development. He spent 17 years at Microsoft, based in the UK, Ireland, France and the United States. He remained involved in the software industry until 2018, and since then has worked full-time as a motoring writer, translator and event commentator.

Julian has always had a passion for cars and has been fortunate to own and drive a number of interesting models over the past 40 years. He say that he has a particular weakness for anything with six or more cylinders under the bonnet!

In his free time, he also enjoys landscape photography and he continues to travel for pleasure.

Julian's latest book Saab Cars 1949 to 2011 A Pictorial History

We asked Julian about his latest book published by Veloce, 'Saab Cars 1949 to 2011', an addition to the well-established and highly successful 'A Pictorial History' series. 

His last company car in the UK, many years ago, was a Saab 900 NG, and he has always been interested in the make. Its long history of technical innovation and many successes in competition led to some great production cars with a very distinctive appeal. He felt these models deserved to be covered in Veloce’s 'Pictorial History' series, especially as Veloce has no other titles covering the complete history of Saab’s cars.

As with my previous title in this series, Citroën Cars 1934-1986, he has tried to provide a concise but comprehensive introduction to all Saab’s production models, beginning with the 92 in 1949 and continuing until the company sadly went out of business at the end of 2011. As well as its top-selling models such as the 96, 900 and 9000, he has included some lesser-known vehicles from the Swedish company’s history, such as its Formula Junior racing car, the Saab-Lancia 600 and even the SaabO caravan!

He hopes that this book will make an informative and enjoyable read for committed Saab enthusiasts and newcomers alike. As well as telling the story of each model, the book includes detailed technical information, presented in a clear and consistent manner, drawing on contemporary road test data from magazines such as (The) Autocar. It also features 300 high-quality photographs, many of them from the Saab Car Museum at Trollhättan and Saab’s own historic archives.

Coincidentally, as he began researching this book, he was looking for a modern classic to add to his own garage, and hit on the Saab 9-3 2.8 V6 Turbo as a quick but discreet performance saloon. He found an example in lovely condition at a former Saab dealer in Luxembourg in the summer of 2024; you’ll find a picture of it in the book on page 97!

When we asked Julian if his career helped him with his writing, he said that if he looks back at his ‘corporate’ career, the short answer is that it didn’t! Although he had always been interested in cars and had written a few short features for club magazines and websites during his time in business, his transition into full-time motoring writing and translating was completely unplanned.

When he moved on from Microsoft in 2013, he found himself with the time to work up an idea for a book he had been thinking about for a few years; Veloce took a gamble on it and accepted his proposal. That book was France: The Essential Guide for Car Enthusiasts, first published in 2015. Building on his personal experience attending car events in France, it was a practical guide to 200 things for car enthusiasts to see and do in France.

This went better than he could ever have hoped and led to him writing a succession of other books, all published by Veloce. A combination of his own suggestions and requests from Veloce, these have included a guide to driving in Europe, five Essential Buyer’s Guides and the Pictorial History titles for Citroën and Saab. He has also contributed to a number of UK magazines, including Octane and Classic & Sports Car.

Over the past decade, he has gone back to his original training as a linguist and built up a portfolio of work as a specialist automotive translator. Most of his translation work is from French into English, but he has also translated four books from German into English for Veloce: two Essential Buyer’s Guides (on the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-Class and W124) and two Restoration Manuals (How to Restore Classic Car Interiors and How to Restore & Improve Classic Car Suspension, Steering & Wheels).

Alongside his writing and translation projects, Julian regularly works as an official French-language commentator at several leading events in France, including the Tour Auto, Le Mans Classic, Sport et Collection and the Coupe des Alpes. He has also helped organise several motoring events, including the last edition of the Guild of Motoring Writers’ Euro Classic in continental Europe, a Koenigsegg owners’ tour of the Champagne region and a classic car rally in Iceland.

Where his experience in book publishing and software development has perhaps helped him is with the skills and values he has tried to bring with him to his new career: keeping to schedule, respecting his clients’ specifications and turning in clean, professional copy which requires minimal editing. 

Another of Julian's books, Citroen Cars A Pictorial History

We asked Julian if he has a favourite car or car marque, and this is what he said...

Although he has enjoyed many different cars over the years, the marque to which he keeps coming back is Mercedes-Benz, and especially its modern classics from the 1980s and 1990s. He loves the engineering quality of these cars and Bruno Sacco’s timeless, elegant designs.

He has owned three models from this period. The first two were an R129 SL500 and a W201 190E 2.6, and he wrote Veloce’s Essential Buyer’s Guides for both these models. His current Mercedes, and probably all-time favourite, is a W124 E420 from 1995. This was produced only in left-hand drive and it combines an effortless ‘small’ V8 (i.e. ‘small as in 4.2 litres!) with a completely understated appearance.

Although he has not personally owned these two models (so far at least!), he also wrote Veloce’s Essential Buyer’s Guides to the Mercedes-Benz W116 S-Class and W123. The latter was even translated into German and published by Heel Verlag.

When asked what he is most proud of in his career, Julian answered that without a doubt, it would have to be his very first book, France: The Essential Guide for Car Enthusiasts. He says this for two reasons:-

First, nobody else had come up with anything similar, and thanks to Veloce’s design and editorial teams, he feel it turned out very well. It was the first title Veloce ever released simultaneously as a printed book, eBook and mobile phone app and was selected as ‘Book of the Month’ by Classic & Sports Car magazine in May 2015. It went into a second edition in 2017 and was also translated into French and published by ETAI.

Secondly, it provided him with the springboard to develop an entirely new and unexpected career as a full-time professional motoring writer, translator and event commentator, to the point where he gave up his IT consultancy work in 2018.

Julian's first book, France: The Essential Guide for Car Enthusiasts

Finally, returning to Julian's latest book on Saab, we asked him why he would recommend the book, and who is the target reader? 

He said: there are few books available which cover the complete history of Saab’s production cars, especially in a concise format at such an affordable price. Many commentators on the marque struggle to conceal their disdain for Saab’s later cars, but he has tried to provide a fair and factual treatment of all the company’s models.

Its comprehensive content and the wealth of high-quality period photographs make Saab Cars 1949-2011: A Pictorial History a great buy for any enthusiast with an interest in the marque. It should appeal both to diehard Saab fans looking for a single reference work and to newcomers intrigued by these sometimes quirky, but always interesting cars.

There are strong communities of Saab fans in both the UK and US, historically two of the marque’s most important export markets, and this book should be well received in both countries, as well as in places such as the Netherlands, where English is widely read.

You can pre-order Saab Cars 1949-2011 here. (Published 14 October 2025).

                       Julian at an automotive event in France, the Coupe des Alpes in Evian

Designing Dreams author Dick Ruzzin - his fascinating career in America's golden age of car design

 

Ahead of the publication of Designing Dreams Essays on the inside story of GM, Harley Earl and America's Golden Automotive Age by Dick Ruzzin, we spoke to Dick to find out more about his fascinating career in car design during the US's 'golden age' of motoring.

                                Dick Ruzzin, author of Designing Dreams

Dick grew up outside of Detroit after World War II, when the automobile industry was coming into its own. He lived on a farm near Detroit and learned to do many things and to become self-sufficient. That served him very well when he became a car designer for General Motors as he could see emerging challenges and problems to be solved. He has an engineering background as well as an aesthetic one so could visualize design solutions that were possible. He thinks that, and his willingness to ask for help, was the foundation for his success.

Designing Dreams is a series of essays orientated around his career as a car designer in America and Europe. While creating the book, he realized, based on his understanding of design and the industry, that the creation of the profession of automobile design by Harley Earl was an important factor in that story, and that it was not sufficiently known and appreciated.

The cover of Designing Dreams by Dick Ruzzin

When Dick started work at General Motors as a part of the styling staff, he felt blessed after being told that only one in 200 applicants were hired at that time. As his career developed he was given the freedom to put forward what he felt was the correct design direction, and to then follow up and execute those design proposals in the form of clay models that led to production cars.

The engineering release of those clay models resulted in the manufacture of hundreds of thousands of cars, as created by his small studio team. Car designers that work for a big company rarely have the chance to do an entire car design on their own, as the only designer. Dick had that opportunity, twice. 

We asked Dick what his favourite design was, during his career. 

He considered it and commented that he worked in America for the great majority of his career, but also spent, in total, five years working in Europe. It's hard to reduce that experience to one design, but he would say that the cars in Europe were the BITTER CD in 1971 and the Opel MAXX in 1996. In the United States, there were several Chevrolets, but the hardest cars to do and the most satisfying for him, and everyone in his studio at the time, were the 1992 Cadillac Seville and Eldorado, both done at the same time. The Eldorado was so successful that it was built for 12 years.

Dick considers that there was a 'quantum leap' during his design career...

There is no doubt in his mind that my work for nine years in helping to convert General Motors from rear wheel drive cars to more fuel efficient front wheel drive cars was absolutely, and without question, a quantum leap. The proposal of that enormous, cultural engineering change, was done by a very small, talented and highly motivated group of people. They all knew the significance of the concept that they were developing. They were very excited about it, and designed the vehicles that were presented to the GM Board of Directors that demonstrated the logic and intelligence of that massive industrial change.

That could not have been done anywhere else within the Corporation, other than at GM Design Staff.

   A montage of images from Designing Dreams

When we asked Dick what his favourite piece of design work is, he considers it carefully then answered that there are so many beautiful cars that have been designed in different parts of the world. One that comes immediately to mind is a car that he first saw when he was 11 years old. A Harley Earl Motorama Car, the Cadillac Cyclone. It became a strong influence, not only on future Cadillacs, but also on cars designed by the Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Corporation. When he saw a car like that, he thought about what the designers looked at as a future expression of an automobile. He has great respect for those designers who are able to remove themselves from the moment and create a design that belongs far into the future. The Cadillac Cyclone is an amazing car to him, both in its basic theme selection and it's execution as a piece of art.

Dick thinks other automotive designers have been as influential as Harley Earl, and comments that certainly Pininfarina in Italy as well as Giorgetto Giugiaro had a great impact upon automobile design as art. Sir William Lyons in England was able to build on dramatic proportion and create an aerodynamic form language that was unique. And in Germany, Tony Lapine, who came from General Motors Styling, did great work in designing cars for Porsche that represented the German aesthetic. It cannot be forgotten that Harley Earl created the automobile design profession and also invented the clay model in the late 1920s to visualize automobile design in three dimensions. The clay model is still used today by all car manufacturers in the world over 100 years later.

   Pages from Designing Dreams

In conclusion, Dick commented...

When he came back to the United States after working in Germany, people would often ask him: "What is the difference between designing a car for America and designing one for Europe"? At that point in time, in the early 1990s, his answer was, "Very little". The reason for that response was that the automobile design profession and all the people who were part of it had matured to the point of easily handling the difference. The needs of all customers could be addressed through the expression of automobile design as a functional art form. Design had evolved, as a profession, it could address all customer needs with equal functional and aesthetic quality. Globally, automobile design started to trend toward industrial design, but it is hard to suppress the dynamic emotion that has historically been part of the automobile as it was originally applied by Harley Earl.

Designing Dreams Essays on the inside story of GM, Harley Earl and America's Golden Automotive Age by Dick Ruzzin is available form 29 July 2025 from Veloce, and on pre-order now. 

https://veloce.co.uk/store/Designing-Dreams-p702811076

Trevor Alder - a man and his passion for cars

There's no doubt that Trevor Alder, author of many book published by Veloce over the years, has a passion for all things automotive. His most recently published book is MG Cars 1930 to 2006 A Pictorial History, and coming soon is BMW Cars 1945 to 2013 in the same, much-loved and respected series of Pictorial Histories.

The covers of Trevor Alder's most recently published books

Trevor has a fascinating background and his passion for cars and all things automotive was evident from an early age. Brought up in an Essex market gardening family background and as a keen car enthusiast, Trevor's first car was a Triumph Herald convertible, driven on the farm from aged 12. Since then, he's had had a passion for collecting vintage car magazines.

Trevor and his wife run two Roadtestindex sites on eBay, both one-stop shops for post-war automotive press cuttings. Their online collection is constantly expanding! 

Needless to say, Trevor's books, including the most recent, are written by researching from his massive 30,000 magazine archive, aiming to cover comprehensively in text and photographic form, every mainstream model marketed by the manufacturer. Undoubtedly, this is what makes the Pictorial History series of books the 'go to' for the reader and marque enthusiast. 

Trevor's long career as a technical author has enabled him to concentrate on what the target audience really wants. His other career as an autojumbler (autojumbles are just as they sound; buyers and sellers meeting to sell or find car parts, memorabilia and almost anything car-related!) has enabled him to meet thousands of customers across the UK and Europe, where he's learned what makes them tick as car enthusiasts, and more importantly, what they desire to buy. 

When we asked Trevor what his favourite marque or model of car is, this was his fascinating answer:

''I have always had a passion for electric vehicles starting from a self-built 12 volt go-kart when a child, but my keen interest is focussed on early 2-door Range Rovers after my father bought one back in 1972. I later owned the first Range Rover off the production line in the late 1980s, now rebuilt and currently on display at the Heritage car museum at Gaydon.''

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given this insight, Trevor is most proud of his first book, written for Haynes when he was aged 23, on Range Rovers! 

Trevor is a master of writing easy-to-read comprehensive guides, using his insightful and thorough knowledge.

Check out all of Trevor's books published by Veloce, here: https://www.veloce.co.uk/store/search?keyword=Trevor+Alder

Trevor Alder, above left, as he says, he's the one not dressed as Brunel!

Orange Segment

914 in action in the AvD Histo Monte

The Porsche 914 was an unusual beast. When released in 1969 it was seen as out of step with Porsche’s thinking. Certainly very different from the fêted 911, initial reception was a little mixed: it didn’t look like a Porsche, it used VW parts, it was mid-engined, and it only came with with a targa top.

Even professional drivers were put off by its twitchiness when pushed to the limit. But that didn’t stop this quirky Porsche taking-on the big boys. And winning. In Europe, 914s came home first in their class and took overall victory numerous times, and repeated the feat in the US. 914s were driven to at least 41 class wins, in addition to a minimum of 71 podium positions. They’re still winning, with 914s regularly used across the US and Europe to this day.

The 'original' 914

Cast your mind back to 2016, and you may recall the release of Roy Smith’s Porsche: The Racing 914s. This comprehensive study of the motorsport exploits of the 'funny little car' created as an entry-level Porsche proved much more popular than we ever imagined, gaining a place in BookAuthority's Best Car Racing Books of All Time. Originally a hardback limited to 1500 copies, we've decided to bring this great book back to the bookshelf in paperback format.

If you're not familiar with the 914's origins, or Roy's book, you'd do well to take a look at our 2017 interview with Roy – watch it on the book page over on our website, or here …

As chance would have it, and whilst working on the new edition, we received a message from a customer, Tolo Palmer, enquiring if the book was being reprinted. Nothing too unusual there; we get such enquiries all the time. What is unusual, though, is that Tolo’s friend owns a couple of 914s, including one in Roy's book. 

Tolo (centre), and Dominik (right) with co-driver Gerd Ottenburger in 2015,
after his fifth win in Mallorca.

We simply couldn’t resist sharing some of Tolo's story. Over to you, Tolo …

I grew up in Mallorca, and one day in 2003, being 11 years old and a little ill, my mother took me to see the doctor, followed with a visit to a local town bakery. While taking my medicine, I started to feel the ground shake and hear a loud noise. But it wasn’t the medicine: I turned my head to see a beautiful, original, orange Porsche 914/6 GT. I immediately ran behind the car, which stopped to turn at the next junction, and saw a line full of stunning classic cars behind it –  a 911ST driven by Walter Röhrl, and a 911SR driven by Jürgen Barth, to name just two.

 

I was so excited that as soon as I got home I told dad what had happened. He told me that there was a Classic rally going on, and that we could go and see it on Saturday. The day came, and we went to the race track, spending the whole day there. Ever since then, I’ve been a classic car lover.

 

The rally was held again the following year, so I went to see some of the stages. Sliding around the track, and smoothly driven – and driven hard – was an orange 914/6 GT, similar to the one I saw last year. On the last day of the rally, again at the track, the orange 914, driven by Dominik, took the overall win in the Trofeo Baleares Clasico, part of the European Rally Championship.

 

I had a photo taken of me leaning on the car (right), and hoped to see it again the following year. Sadly, that didn’t happen, but in 2008 Dominik returned to Mallorca with a beautiful 911 3.0 RS. Being just a teenager, my English was pretty poor, but I was very curious and went over to Dominik to ask for his autograph, which he supplied with pleasure.

 

On the second day of the Rally, Dominik saw me in the service area and came over to chat. I was very shy but couldn’t resist asking him if he still had the orange beauty that won in 2004. That put a big smile on is face, and after an interesting conversation he offered for me to spend the final day of the Rally with his service crew at the track.

 

On that day, I took the photo of me and the 914 to show Dominik and the crew: they loved it. Better still, Dominik won the Rally, and jumping out of his 911 afterwards, handed me his gloves as a memento. I put them on and sat in the car in tears of joy! Our good friendship has grown ever since. In 2009 he brought me a set of his first race overalls as a memento, and won the Rally Mallorca once again.

 

Going back to the 914, I went to Germany for a few years, where a 914 replica was being worked on. Dominik said that when the car was ready (it was finished in 2014), he was going to use it at the Eifel Rallye Festival – so, of course, I went. Dominik had owned an original 914 since 1999, but it sat idle in Dominik's workshop until 2015, when it was raced for the last time at the AvD Histo-Monte Rally – and won!

 

In 2022, for my 30th birthday, Dominik took me on a rally stage in the 914. I have quite a lot of experience around cars, but this all new to me; I couldn’t even put my seatbelt on. All I can say is that before we crossed the finish line, I was in tears. So many emotions came together for me, a mix of nostalgia and, I think, love. But that car is very special; as special as my friend Dominik. And that’s how I came to befriend a very special 914 and its very special driver.

Now, that’s a story all us petrolheads can relate to. Dominik’s original 914 was special for a number of reasons, not least of which being its appearance in Roy's book. But his replica is equally special. Following his 2015 win, and after being offered a lot of money for the car, Dominik had something of an epiphany. It dawned on him that, should he total the 914, he wouldn’t simply be destroying any old car, he would be destroying a very important piece of Porsche history. 

The replica 914, Mallorca 2014

Dominik decided to make a clone of his original 914, which he still owns, but is now retired from competition. So began a journey of discovery, as Dominik built-up a 914 road car shell into a machine suitable for the rallying circuit. Originally, the replica was intended to be a straight copy, but studying the FIA's historic racing regulations, he soon realised that there were many areas of the car that could be changed without falling foul of the rules. 

The build that followed involved a deep-dive into the nitty gritty details. The end result? A car with 250 shorter, lighter or smaller replacement components, and a 140Kg weight saving over the original car – an 800Kg rally rocket. The car has even been catalogued as 'the best rally Porsche 914 ever made.' The work Dominik undertook, and the racing exploits of this 914, deserve a book of their own; we don't have that, but, fortunately, in 2018 Petrolicious penned this great piece on the 914: take a look here. 

We’d like to thank Tolo for sharing his photos, his story of friendship and two very special 914s. We wish Tolo, Dominik, and, of course, the orange 914 many long and happy races in the future!

Hi-ho Silver!

It'll come as no surprise to hear that Roy has a 914 of his own, it is his second 914 and its a tad special. Incredibly, the paperwork trail verifies nearly every year of its life – not something many classics can boast. And this is no ordinary example. The car left the factory almost exactly 53 years ago – the 12th October 1970. The 13th car produced that day, this was a special order, specced with black paint, tinted windows, 1.7-litre 4-cylinder engine, and sporting factory Minilites, pus a rarely requested limited-slip diff option. 

The car was ordered by an American Porsche-loving couple. They wanted a car to run in motorsports events across the US, and ended up winning several Porsche Club of America awards. It was later sold to another couple who continued to compete with the car. They even took it to Italy, while the husband was stationed with the US military there, before returning to the USA in the 1980s.

Brought to the UK in 1990 by non-other than Henry Pearman, of Eagle fame (you really must check out his collection), it was sold by the Lenham Motor company, Kent, to its first UK owner, whose partial restoration included changing the colour to silver. In 1994 it was acquired by a 914 fan and made several appearances in magazines during his 25 year ownership, before it was acquired by Roy in early 2020.  

Roy commissioned Greatworth Classics near Banbury, to install a fresh, period 6-cylinder Porsche 2.7-litre engine, with high compression heads, polished ports and a reprofiled cam, fully balanced, its 5-speed 'box retaining the limited slip diff. Body and chassis are original, apart from the usual work needed to keep a 53 year old car in perfect condition, and now of course has uprated suspension, and brakes. 

So, there is the tale of some very special 914s. You can discover even more of the 914's racing exploits and successes in Roy Smith’s Porsche: The Racing 914s, reprinting in paperback format, and available in the UK early next year. Keep your eyes on our social channels for more details closer to publication, or head over to our store and pop your email in the Notify Me field to get an email when the book is available to buy.

Porsche
The Racing 914s

Roy Smith

The remarkable little car that turned into a big hearted racer. A study in pictures, statistics, factory information, and interviews, that show the Porsche 914 in a whole new light.

£40 UK 🇬🇧 $65 USA 🇺🇸 $78 CAN 🇨🇦

V5934 • Paperback • 22.5x22.5cm • 320 pages • 452 pictures
ISBN: 978-1-787119-34-5 • UPC: 6-36847-01934-1

Click here to find out more

If you’ve an interesting story to tell us, get in touch by email, or send a message on social; we’d love to hear it.

Goodbye (Pork Pie Hat)

It can’t help but be noticed that there is a long running connection between guitars and cars. From Rockabilly hotrods, to Heavy Metal Ferrari’s, it seems many guitar players share their love of guitars with their love of cars or motorcycles. 

Jeff Beck, Seattle 2016
Photo: Shannon Kringen, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

It's often only when someone famous dies that their interests outside of their field of fame becomes known. In 2020, I wrote about the cars of Eddie Van Halen, the late, great guitar virtuoso who had a, perhaps, lesser-known passion for American classics, and the occasional 911 GT3. 

Earlier this year, I heard of the sad passing of yet another guitar legend, the eponymous Jeff Beck, aged 78. Beck has long been considered 'the guitar player’s guitar player' (Rolling Stone voted him the 5th Best Guitarist of All Time), but he was also well known for his lifelong love of cars. 

Beck’s musical CV is exemplary, his first big break coming in 1965 when he succeeded Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds, on the recommendation of none other than fellow player Jimmy Page. During the following decades, Beck continuously worked with producers, writers and producers of the highest calibre and across genres including jazz, opera and punk – and of which there are way too many to name here. Unsurprising, then, that he acquired so many accolades over his career, including 8 Grammys.

Continually pushing his playing techniques, Beck forged a unique style and aesthetic that’s a source of wonder for guitarists today, and puzzlement: Beck could generate tones and dynamics that defy traditional techniques using just his fingers, volume control and whammy bar – no array of electronic devices here. You're likely familiar without knowing it with Beck's playing: he's appeared on countless classics, from artists including Tina Turner, Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, The Pretenders … the list goes on. You can get a small idea of Beck's fluid style and soaring tones in this video from 2009, where he riffs (pun intended) on the classic track Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (which also features the superbly talented Tal Wilkenfeld on bass).

Beck’s love of guitar is well documented, yet whilst no secret, his love of cars may not be quite so well known. His passion was first ignited aged 9, when in an effort to while away the time on a trip to London in 1953, his Dad gave him a copy of Rod & Custom magazine. A decade or so later, Beck was making ends meet working in a body shop between gigging jobs. Beck spent many weekends as a kid with his uncle (also a petrolhead) – driving around in an MG TC. As late as 2010, in an interview with guitar.com, he described working on cars as his main job – more so than playing guitar!

Unlike his Ferrari-driving peers (you know who you are), Beck preferred cars that were a little more 'bespoke' – hand-built hotrods – cars that he could work on himself. He was just as happy scouring magazines and auto jumbles for spare parts, as he was working on and driving his cars, or playing the guitar. Beck was first to admit that his auto mechanic skills were, at best, amateur, so many of his cars received detailed restoration and specialist repair from custom specialists in the US. But, if he could fix it himself, he did.

His collection featured some gorgeous examples of automotive Americana. A 1932 three-window coupé, five-window coupé, Deuce coupé, Deuce Roadster… the theme is obvious. But Beck wasn’t a retro purist; his later purchases encompassed a 6th gen Corvette Z06 which, even for a man no stranger to fast cars, he once happily described as 'a hurricane on wheels'.

They may 12 years old, but two videos by Car Crazy Central provide a fantastic insight into the man and the cars;

We may have lost yet another music legend, but at least Beck’s music and cars live on. A quick Google of "Jeff Beck’s car collection" will keep you glued to the screen for hours. Or better still, stick some Jeff Beck on your stereo, and go for a drive!

Jeff Beck

1944-2023

Guild of Motoring Writers Dinner and Awards

On the 1st December, the Guild of Motoring Writers held its annual Gala Dinner and Awards at the RAC Club, Pall Mall. Along with GOMW members, attendees included some very special guests, including our own Rod Grainger, of course. 

This year saw a few new award categories, including the Mercedes-Benz Technical Publication of the Year, created specifically to recognise publishers who have created books that: 

"successfully translate automotive content with a focus on cutting-edge technology and innovation to a consumer audience." 

If there's one book that does precisely that, it has to be Inside the machine. We knew we were not alone in thinking that – after all, as AutoCar said;

Who could write a book from the engineering back rooms of the motor industry and make it honest-to-God fascinating? David Twohig, that's who. Don't miss it."

And it seems that the GOMW agreed; Veloce Publishing won the category with David's book!

We’d like to thank everyone at the Guild who read and voted for Veloce Publishing. And we’d like to thank David, especially, for the opportunity to publish it. We would also like to congratulate all the winners and finalists this year, and welcome all new Guild members.

The GOMW's Andrew Charman has penned a first-hand account of the evening, detailing the winners, so sit back and enjoy the Gala …

Guild celebrates its 2022 Award winners

Celebration was the order of business at the annual Guild of Motoring Writers Dinner and Awards on Thursday 1st December.

Members and their colleagues from the PR side of the industry, plus some very special guests, filled the banqueting room of the RAC Club in Pall Mall for the Dinner and Awards. Accolades on the night went to Guild members for the excellence of their work in 2022, to others for their meritorious service to the Guild, and to major names in the automotive industry celebrating their achievements.

Among the latter the Young Rider and Driver of the Year trophies were presented to speedway champion Dan Bewley and British Touring Car Championship winner Tom Ingram. One of the BTCC’s most famous names, Jason Plato, won the Outstanding Achievement in Motorsport Award, while Motorsport UK head David Richards CBE took the President’s Trophy and Formula One driver turned commentator Martin Brundle was made an honorary member of the Guild.

Commenting on what he described as another busy year, Guild Chair Richard Aucock also paid tribute to several members lost in 2022, especially in recent times. But he added that the Guild is attracting lots of new members, and looking forward to an equally busy 2023 which among other highlights will see the return of the Guild Classic. Next year’s event is set to be based in Wales and titled Guild Classic Cymru.

The awards were presented as follows;

Friend of the Guild


There are only ever a maximum of 25 Friends of the Guild and this year joining their ranks is former Kia UK PR, now Head of PR and Communications at Genesis Europe, Jon Walsh. He was presented with his tankard by Guild Chair Richard Aucock.

Life membership


A very surprised Colin Dawson was awarded Life Membership of the Guild, recognising the many years he spent masterminding essential communications, particularly Update, the hard-copy predecessor to the current News Briefs digital newsletter.

Pemberton Trophy


The citation of the Pemberton Trophy reads ‘for an outstanding contribution, not necessarily journalistic, to the cause of motoring’. It was presented to veteran journalist, former Guild Chair and now Vice-President and Trustee of the Guild Benevolent Fund, John Blauth.

Guild/MICA Young PR Professional of the Year, in association with the HCVA


The joint award made by the Guild and MICA - the Motor Industry Communicators Association, and sponsored by the HCVA – the Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance was open to entrants aged 30 and under, judges looking for the best examples of performance, professionalism and practice in automotive PR.

The winner was Elizabeth Waddup, Automobile PR & Events Manager at Honda UK, and she received her award from Guild Chair Richard Aucock, MICA Managing Director Richard Gotch and the HCVA CEO, Garry Wilson.

The judges felt that Elizabeth had shown an outstanding understanding of the accelerating rate of change in our industry, not just as a vehicle manufacturer but also from the dealer and customer perspectives, and were impressed by how this understanding is reflected in her work.

AA Campaigning for Motoring Award


New for 2022, this award merges the AA’s previous Campaigning Journalism and Safety awards. From road safety to electric vehicles, or roads maintenance to environmental issues, the judges wanted to see examples of how entrants have built and delivered their case to improve the lives of all road users.

The winner was Lucy Radley for a piece in Commercial Motor highlighting mental health and wellbeing in the industry. Judges felt her reporting showed how severe the issue can be, and how, until recently, support was not available. The feature highlighted how the industry is acknowledging and changing to offer support where it’s so vitally needed.

Unfortunately Lucy was unable to attend the dinner so her award was collected from AA PR Manager Tony Rich by Commercial Motor Technical Editor Colin Barnett.

BCA Feature Writer of the Year


The hotly-contested Feature Writer of the Year Award was won by James Taylor for a feature in Car magazine on the Lucid Air electric saloon, combining a first drive with an interview with Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson. Judges felt the piece skilfully balanced driving impressions with insight into the development process and market aspirations and James received his Award from BCA Head of PR Tim Naylor.

Footman James Classic Writer of the Year


Again attracting the most entries among all the Award categories this year, the Classic Writer of the Year Award was presented by David Bond, Managing Director of sponsor Footman James, to Giles Chapman. The judges felt all three of Giles’ submitted features stood out while the profile of Geneva-based old car dealer Simon Kidston really got under the skin of the man, a fabulous piece of writing.

Genesis Award for Automotive Technology Journalism


Now in its third year, the Genesis Award for Automotive Technology Writing was presented by Genesis Motor UK Head of PR & Communications Simon Branney to Tom Geggus. Tom submitted a multimedia feature produced for Autovista24 which included a podcast, a video and a whole host of related articles – a very comprehensive piece of multimedia journalism. The judges were most impressed with his ability to make technical subjects easy to read. 

Isuzu Photographer of the Year


Top quality in photography was the focus of the next two Awards and Isuzu Product & PR Manager Brian Wheeler presented the trophy in the General category to Jonathan Fleetwood. Jonathan triumphed for the second year in succession with a portfolio judges felt excelled in both quality and content – technically first-class, but equally highly pictorial.

The Motorsport category award went to Drew Gibson – Drew won the award in 2020 and was highly commended last year. The judges agreed his high-quality portfolio displayed a mastery of techniques plus evidence of him looking for the different angle to capture highly pictorial images.

IVECO Commercial Vehicle Writer of the Year


Iveco replaced sister company CNH as the sponsor of the Commercial Vehicle writing trophy and Brand Marketing & Communications Manager Lisa Fuller presented the Award to Louise Cole. A holistic, exhaustively-researched and well-argued appraisal of the era of unprecedented technological and legislative change now facing all truck makers, operators and users earned Louise her third triumph in the category.

Mercedes-Benz Technical Publication of the Year


Mercedes-Benz transferred its sponsorship to a more technically-orientated award this year, with judges looking for publications that have successfully presented automotive content to a consumer audience, with a focus on technology and innovation that can be easily understood.

The winner was Veloce Publishing for Inside the Machine, a publication that gives a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the automotive industry through the development stories of three very different, but highly significant, vehicles. Veloce director Rod Grainger received the award from Mercedes-Benz Automotive PR Manager Hunter Skipworth.

Prodrive Motorsport Award


This ever-popular award recognises an outstanding achievement by a Guild member writing about motorsport at any level and this year provided Car magazine’s James Taylor with his second triumph of the evening, receiving his trophy from Prodrive Marketing & PR manager Jamie Stanton.

James wrote an exceptional piece about the Race of Remembrance, a prestigious event that really epitomises the spirit of motor racing. Judges felt his eloquent writing style and thoroughness helped to create a truly immersive reader experience.

Prova PR Business Writer of the Year


Prova PR has sponsored the Guild’s Business Writer of the Year category for 14 straight years, and this year the winner was Jack Carfrae. Writing for Transport News, Jack explained in simple terms how time-of-use energy pricing works and how the right technology can unlock its potential to save fleets money while also potentially delivering valuable data to inform further efficiencies. Judges felt this was a strong, easy-to-read commercial/business piece that doesn’t skimp on technology insight.

Jack is based abroad and was unable to attend the dinner, so his award was collected by his former editor and Guild Vice-Chair Simon Harris from Prova PR Director of Strategy Gill Holtom.

RAC EV Journalist of the Year


This award recognises the increasing role electric vehicles are playing in today’s motoring arena and RAC Senior Press Officer Rod Dennis presented the trophy to Mark Bursa.

In a series of articles for Professional Driver, Mark guided readers through the various aspects of switching to an electric vehicle – the target audience being the self-employed (such as taxis and private hire) who are responsible for obtaining and maintaining their own vehicles and for whom the move to EVs is essential. Aspects covered included the slow pace of EV infrastructure and how rising domestic electricity prices are impacting home charging.

Torque Agency Business Publication of the Year


This, the second new award for 2022, was open to all automotive business media publications, and the judges were looking for clarity in editing, design and writing, together with well-researched content which helps readers understand the complexities of the business side of the UK auto industry.

Winner of the inaugural award was Auto Retail Profit and its Editor, Guild Chair Richard Aucock, stepped up to receive the trophy from Torque Agency Group Associate Director, Alex Michaelides. The judges felt that the publication demonstrated a laser-like focus on its purpose without becoming dry or repetitive. Features are well-researched and insightful, with the breadth of industry contributors clearly demonstrating the title’s reputation within the sector.

Bentley Editor of the Year


The Bentley Editor of the Year trophy was presented by one of the award’s judges, Ray Hutton, to Erin Baker of Auto Trader. The judges commented that under Erin’s direction Auto Trader has expanded to become an important publication in its own right, now among the five most valuable automotive media outlets in the UK. It is tough to get recognition for independent editorial content in a highly commercial advertisement medium, but Erin has done just that.

Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy


This year sees the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy share its 50th anniversary with its founding partner, the National Motor Museum and welcome a new sponsor in Suzuki UK. Open to both Guild members and non-Guild members alike, the award caters exclusively for books and the entry list reflected an interesting and eclectic mix of submissions.

CEO of the National Motor Museum Trust, Dr Jon Murden and Suzuki Head of Press and PR Alun Parry presented the first, second and third-place awards. The winner was Jon Pressnell for Marcel Pourtout – Carrossier, the first book devoted entirely to the company behind the rakish Darl’mat Peugeots of the 1930s. Unfortunately Jon was unable to attend the dinner so fellow member Russell Hayes collected his trophy.

Second place went to Ian Wagstaff for his book Formula One’s Unsung Pioneers – The story of the British Racing Partnership and how it launched motorsport into the modern era, while in third was Michael Barton with Fast Lady – The Extraordinary Adventures of Miss Dorothy Levitt.

Sue Baker Journalist of the Year, sponsored by loop


Before this award, sponsored by loop, was presented Guild Chair Richard Aucock announced that it was to be renamed in honour of our sadly recently-departed member Sue Baker, a trailblazer for women in automotive journalism.

The judging panel carefully assessed the winning entries of the Guild Awards looking for submissions with a particular emphasis being placed on initiative and endeavour – Richard and loop Head of Agency Tim Bowdler presented the Award to Erin Baker.

Kia UK Special Contribution to Motoring


The final honours of the evening were bestowed by the Guild to those which have made a notable impact on the automotive world during the past 12 months. First was the Special Contribution to Motoring, presented by Guild Chair Richard Aucock and Kia UK Head of Press and PR Daniel Sayles to John Hogan.

John went from nine years in the Army to work experience at Autocar, stints in journalism and PR, then staffer, editor and finally owner of SuperBike. He has written a biography of Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness, freelanced for titles across the world and is now communications head at Norton Motorcycles, having saved the company with his investigation of its previous owner. 

Young Rider of the Year


The Guild’s two prime motorsport awards now specify that they are awarded for entrants aged under 30, and the Young Rider of the Year Award this year went to Dan Bewley. Starting speedway racing just five years ago Dan won a championship in his first season and has continued to rack up titles, in 2022 winning the British Championship with a flawless 18-point maximum, back-to-back Grand Prix races in Cardiff and Wroclaw and, as part of the Great Britain team, finishing runner-up in the Speedway of Nations.

Training commitments in Poland prevented Dan attending the Dinner so his trophy was collected by Guild member and lifelong speedway fan Ian Wagstaff.

Young Driver of the Year


Tom Ingram was named the 2022 Guild Young Driver of the Year. This season Tom finally achieved his dream of winning the British Touring Car Championship, triumphing in a three-driver shoot-out at the final round with two wins and a fifth place. Starting his career in karting, Tom has been in the BTCC since 2014, racked up 25 race wins and two independents titles, and been a contender for the overall title in four of the last five season finales.

Tom was unable to attend the Dinner so his trophy was collected by Guild News Briefs Editor and BTCC specialist Andrew Charman.

Outstanding Achievement in Motorsport


Another award new for 2022, this recognises an outstanding achievement made by a British driver or rider of any age in any form of motorsport and a very worthy recipient of the inaugural award was Jason Plato.

Jason took his first race victory in a kart in 1989 before making his way up the single-seater ladder. He won Championships in both the Formula Renault Eurocup and Spider Cup but is best known for his exploits in the British Touring Car Championship, where since his debut in 1997 he has amassed 97 race wins and two championship titles. He is also well known as a TV presenter, mainly on Fifth Gear.

Interviewed by the evening’s master-of-ceremonies, Ben Edwards, following the trophy presentation, Jason told the remarkable story of how his BTCC career might not have started had he not doorstepped Renault BTCC and F1 team boss Frank Williams. He also emphasised that while he had stepped back from the BTCC at the end of 2022, he had not necessarily retired!

Jason later commented, “I am truly honoured to receive this award from the Guild. To be applauded in this way is really quite something.”

Honorary Membership


The Guild Dinner saw the appointment of a sixth Honorary Member in Martin Brundle. Formerly a racing driver who had the measure of Ayrton Senna in Formula Three and who rose to compete in 158 Grand Prix races for such teams as Benetton, McLaren and Williams, Martin has since forged an equally successful career behind the microphone as an expert pundit on F1. Learning his trade alongside the legend that was Murray Walker, Martin is today a lynchpin of Sky’s F1 coverage. Martin described his award as “a great honour indeed”.

President’s Trophy


The final award of the evening was the President’s Trophy and presented by Guild President Nick Mason, newly returned from the latest section of his highly successful Saucerful of Secrets tour playing early Pink Floyd material.

The Trophy went to David Richards CBE, a man whose involvement with motorsport spans most forms of four-wheeled competition. As a professional rally co-driver he won the World Rally Championship title with Ari Vatanen, and having hung his helmet up he then developed his company Prodrive into one of the largest multi-disciplined motorsport specialists in the world, winning championships in a host of on and off-road categories including World Rally titles with such star names as Colin McRae and Richard Burns. 

As if this isn’t enough, David now heads the motorsport’s governing body in the UK, Motorsport UK. Ben Edwards commented that reading through David’s extensive CV, it’s hard to find an area of motorsport he hasn’t influenced.