Ferrari

This book does just what is expected of it – providing a fully pictorial history of the famous marque, from the birth of it all as Enzo Ferrari drove for Alfa Romeo, the racing car brand that was apparently shored up in the 1930s by the Italian government who bought shares to keep its prestige afloat. Combining road car use and speedster grunt certainly didn't hinder his own company when it was expanding through the 1950s, but neither did the dubious association with the likes of Keith Moon, seen here perched on a Dino that looks like it's been used as a ball in elephant polo.

Surprises here are few and far between, and are even rarer for a petrol-head I am sure. It is interesting to see the book's interest in who and how got the brand famous in the US. Before that, it's intriguing to see what the cars look like when they're neither red, yellow nor track grey – a pale blue effort just not feeling right, and as for mud brown... The text is almost equally shared between the chronological chapters and the captions to all the wonderful photos, and while you're going to have to wade through all the different engine data, cylinder arrangements and more, that's only par for the course.

It's a braver man than me to declare this as well put together as an F50, but for this type of book it has to be said to be a rampant success. Or, rampante, rather. The price tag may make you feel this is official Ferrari product, when I am sure it is not. It may as well be, considering how pleasant it all is.