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These are the 10 car books we want for Christmas this year

We’re so wrapped up in our fast-paced, digital worlds that at Christmas time, there’s nothing better than switching off and unwinding with a good, old-fashioned book. These are the 10 automotive tomes we’d love to find beneath the Christmas tree.

Porsche Unseen

With global coverage and the first edition sold out in days, ‘Porsche Unseen’ has been one of the most-hyped car books this season. On 328 pages, photographer Stefan Bogner and author Jan Baedeker, our Editor-in-Chief, take their readers on a journey into Porsche’s secret design studios in Weissach, unveiling previously unknown prototypes and design studies that were created by chief designer Michael Mauer and his team. If you don’t own it already, order your copy now in the Classic Driver Shop

Garage Rock

Bart Lennaerts and Lies de Mol have done it again: With their latest book ‘Garage Rock’, the husband-and-wife-team behind WAFT Publishing have proven that books about classic cars can be loud, bold, rebellious fun – and sexy as hell. On 228 pages, with words by Pieter Ryckaert and illustrations by the glorious Ryan Roadkill, the book explores the role of the automobile in the history of rock & roll. So brace yourself for neat cars, dirty rockers, electrifying music, astonishing anecdotes and an endless amount of pretty cool, yet totally useless anorak-knowledge. Order this book as a hardcover edition or limited-edition box set today. 

The R Gruppe Book

Founded around 20 years ago in California – and strictly limited to 300 members ever since – the R Gruppe is one of the world’s most exclusive car clubs and the heart of the US Porsche scene. Now the photographer Frank Kayser has paid tribute to the petrol-loving brotherhood with an amazing book. Do you go for the standard 'RBook' or the even more collectable Limited Edition 700? You decide.

Car Guys

Fabrizio D’Aloisio is not only a good friend of Classic Driver – he is also a gifted photographer, author and creative director. Now he has paid his tribute to the culture of owning a classic car with his inspiring new coffee table book ‘Car Guys’. We say: Buy this book!

Light Years

There is no doubt that the 1960s were the golden era of motor racing and Formula 1. Now motorsports photographer Horst H. Baumann has published a limited collector's edition book featuring countless impressive, never before seen photos of legendary cars, star drivers and grid girls at the Nürburgring, Le Mans, Spa and Zandvoort. You can buy ‘Light Years’ in the Classic Driver Shop.

F1 GTR 

You might not be able to afford a McLaren F1 GTR – but you can still own a piece of its remarkable history with a new, limited edition book. Published on the 25th anniversary of its famous début victory in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours, the mythical McLaren F1 GTR is the subject of this major two-volume history that retells the car’s history from the design and development process to the big racing victories. Make sure you use our code DRIVER5 to get 5% off this Christmas!

Type 7 Volumen 2

Our friends from Porsche’s influential Instagram channel Type 7 have just released their second book. Again, Ted Gushue, Nat Twiss and their countless creative contributors from all over the world have put together a definitive guide to contemporary art, architecture and Porsche culture that should feature in any well-curated library. You can now order ‘Type 7 Volume 2’ in the Classic Driver Shop

The Last Bugatti Racing Cars

Have you always been fascinated by the extraordinary tale of Bugatti Automobili and the mighty EB110? Finally, there’s a definitive book titled ‘The Last Bugatti Racing Cars’, which tells the entire story like never before. We highly suggest to order one of the last copies before they are all sold out. 

ROFGO Collection

Pose the question of which is the finest car collection in the world among in-the-know enthusiasts and we guarantee Roald Goethe’s ROFGO Collection of Gulf-sponsored racing cars will be thrown into the metaphorical ring. There’s now a fascinating new book which tells its fabled story. Make sure you use our code DRIVER5 to get 5% off this Christmas!

GP Ice Race

While the 2021 edition of the much-celebrated Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria will have to take place as a virtual event without a big audience, we can still dream about the last two editions of Ferdinand Porsche and Vinzenz Greger’s wild winter bonanza with this glorious coffee table book.