America's first World Champion Phil Hill drove an astonishing variety of cars and gave his firsthand impressions in his work for Road & Track magazine. This book gathers some of the best material Hill produced with his great friend and colleague, photographer John Lamm. In addition to providing the lush photography Lamm edited the book and introduces each story to provide context. Beginning with the world's first car-the 1886 three-wheel Benz-Hill reviews road cars such as the 1915 Packard and Jaguar XK120, and a great range of race cars, from a Bugatti Type 51 and Auto Union D type, to the ill-fated ATS Grand Prix car and Dale Earnhardt's NASCAR Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Equally gifted as a mechanic as well as a driver, Hill's experience combines to provide insights that only he could offer into each car's particular technical innovations and driving characteristics. The book also features examples of Hill's tributes to men in racing, with reminiscences of Juan Fangio and Olivier Gendebien on the occasions of their deaths, and penetrating character sketches of Dan Gurney, Stirling Moss, and Jim Hall. Hill knew and raced with them all.
Through the humor and intelligence of Hill's writing we not only learn great deal about cars and drivers, we also learn a lot about Hill himself-what he valued and how he thought- which adds enormously to our enjoyment.