Classic Racing Engines: Design, Development and Performance of the World's Top Motorsport Power Units (Hardcover)

~ Karl Ludvigsen (Author)

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Product Description

This authoritative book gives an overview of fifty classic motor racing engines selected from an eighty-year period starting in 1914, when racing engines emerged as a distinct type of power unit. Including many famous engines as well as others that are less well known, it gives a clear sense of each unit's significance in terms of both its racing history and the advancement of technology. Each unit has a full description, plus technical drawings and photographs.

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Product Details Hardcover: 192 pages Publisher: Haynes Publishing (August 4, 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 1859606490 ISBN-13: 978-1859606490 Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #463,681 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #30 in  Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Mechanics > Engine #75 in  Books > Sports > Miscellaneous > Motorcycle Racing

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	76% buy the item featured on this page: Classic Racing Engines: Design, Development and Performance of the World's Top Motorsport Power Units 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Know a motorhead? Get them this book!, January 14, 2004 By  Customer (USA) - See all my reviews Wow. I own hundreds of automotive books, but "Class Racing Engines" is the one that I read over and over. It combines deep technical information, fantastic photos, rare blueprints, and most important of all, Ludvigsen's unique ability to place things within a historical context. What I like most about this book is how it puts you right in the shoes of the engine designer. What should the valve angle be? Hemispherical combustion chamber? Materials? Number of bearings? You get the picture... this book gets you deep into motor design and then wallows around in it. It's almost a sinful delight to read. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, August 22, 2007 By  J. M. Herr "the quicker vicar" (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    The photos & in-depth descriptions were far beyond what I expected. I'm hoping for a sequel. 5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Racing Engines reviewed by a Kansas Rancher, August 3, 2001 By  Chas DeGeer (Medicine Lodge,Kansas USA) - See all my reviews I'm a Kansas Rancher who works with technology based at best in the 1970's. Bailing wire and duct tape can fix most of my problems. Ludvigsen writes for my understanding level; no high math or esoteric physics, just how the engine was designed; what new, different, or improved insights were polished to make a winner out of the raw product. From the individual product of the designer of the Kuchen 2-liter of 1952 to products of cubic money and scores of engineering departments of major manufactures like the Honda V-12 of 1992, Ludvigsen explains the reasons the design worked, why problems happened, and how the engine contributed to the evolution of mechanical knowledge. I enjoyed reading and using it as a frame of reference.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars The damage to the book was worse than the description The damage to the book was worse than the description Published on September 27, 2005 by Hong J. Kim Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Haynes Publishing (August 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859606490
• ISBN-13: 978-1859606490
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #463,681 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #30 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Mechanics > Engine
  #75 in	Books > Sports > Miscellaneous > Motorcycle Racing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Know a motorhead? Get them this book!, January 14, 2004

By	Customer (USA) - See all my reviews

Wow.

I own hundreds of automotive books, but "Class Racing Engines" is the one that I read over and over. It combines deep technical information, fantastic photos, rare blueprints, and most important of all, Ludvigsen's unique ability to place things within a historical context.

What I like most about this book is how it puts you right in the shoes of the engine designer. What should the valve angle be? Hemispherical combustion chamber? Materials? Number of bearings? You get the picture... this book gets you deep into motor design and then wallows around in it. It's almost a sinful delight to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, August 22, 2007

By	J. M. Herr "the quicker vicar" (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The photos & in-depth descriptions were far beyond what I expected. I'm hoping for a sequel.

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Racing Engines reviewed by a Kansas Rancher, August 3, 2001

By	Chas DeGeer (Medicine Lodge,Kansas USA) - See all my reviews

I'm a Kansas Rancher who works with technology based at best in the 1970's. Bailing wire and duct tape can fix most of my problems. Ludvigsen writes for my understanding level; no high math or esoteric physics, just how the engine was designed; what new, different, or improved insights were polished to make a winner out of the raw product. From the individual product of the designer of the Kuchen 2-liter of 1952 to products of cubic money and scores of engineering departments of major manufactures like the Honda V-12 of 1992, Ludvigsen explains the reasons the design worked, why problems happened, and how the engine contributed to the evolution of mechanical knowledge. I enjoyed reading and using it as a frame of reference.