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Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design Hardcover – Illustrated, 1965

by Michael Costin (Author)

5 customer reviews

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Product details

Hardcover: 147 pages
Publisher: Bentley Pub; 2nd edition (1965)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0837602963
ISBN-13: 978-0837602967
Package Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 5 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,222,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #503 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > Racing
- #627 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > Classic Cars
- #1026 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > History

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Mark B.

Five Stars

April 18, 2016

Verified Purchase

Excellent older reference material!

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Paul Muhly

Standard work on the subject

April 24, 2014

Verified Purchase

Excellent service from vendor. This is a must have reference for anyone interested in the design aspect of the sport of motor racing.

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Alan. J. Reynolds

Costin put his knowledge on paper well.

January 4, 2016

A now aged book ( my copy is a 1968 edition ) which concludes with the Lotus 18 and 19 space frame cars of 1960 as its most up to date examples of design philosophy. These days most Formula Student cars use more sophisticated chassis than these now ancient examples. Despite this, the book has considerable merit, certainly Mike Costin knew what he was talking about and put his knowledge down on paper rather well. A friend succeeded in building a reasonable Formula Ford 1600 in the early 1970's on the basis of knowledge gained from this simple volume; I know, I painted the bare chassis and blue-printed the car's first engine.

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Ian Carter

The Chassis Designers Bible, Amen

July 17, 2001

Format: Hardcover

There is yet to be a book written, that describes the why's and how's of designing a light-weight, high-performance sports car chassis in a more informative, yet pleasantly readable style than "Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design". There are other, more contemporary titles on this topic, and having read many of them, I have a strong impression that their authors were much influenced by this book; perhaps having studied it in their college and university years. That would not be surprising, for it is forty years since the author, Michael Costin, then Development Director of Lotus Cars Ltd., with technical writer David Phipps and automotive artist, James A. Allington completed what was to be acclaimed by the industry, and motoring enthusiasts, as the Chassis Designers' Bible.
Costin was also a chief chassis designer at Lotus Engineering, one-time home of many of the most creative and innovative thinkers in the history of motor-sports. He later became the Cos' of Cosworth fame. Quite a motor-sports pedigree!
The theory and basic principles of chassis design, including methods for chassis stress calculation, plotting suspension geometry, and selecting materials for a winning space-frame chassis are all comprehensively covered. The text is classically crafted, making this a reference book for the `coffee table' reader too. It is complemented with excellent illustrations and (now historical) photographs, and the reader will enjoy a revealing treatise from a fascinating period in motor-sports development. Reference to the appendices explaining the essential mathematical calculations, tables of materials specifications and the glossary will assist understanding of the engineering principles, and will be invaluable to the novice chassis designer. This is the material that contemporary writers have often, unfortunately, left out.
The sections on suspension, while now dated, examine the conflicting forces that influence road-holding and vehicle dynamics, and assess the advantages and disadvantages of the various suspension types then in use. The technology may have developed, but the principles that applied then still apply today, and would be readily recognized by todays engineering student.
If you are a motorsports enthusiast, and particularly one interested in building your own racing or sports car, then this book, though now out of print, is well worth the search. Of course, if you are planning to build a monocoque, or a composite-bodied racer, then you'll have to supplement this book with more recent titles.
As a current Lotus-Seven-inspired-sportscar builder, I value and constantly refer to my copy, and strongly recommend it to like-minded enthusiasts.
Put it in your shopping cart now,...your copy is out there.

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Bob Fann

The Original and Still the Best Book on Tubular Spaceframes

July 24, 2003

Format: Hardcover

If you are thinking of building a "Locost" replica of the Lotus Seven according to Ron Champion's Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!, you would be well advised to consult this book to see how Champion's design could be improved. As reviewer Ian Carter can probably attest, a chassis built straight from Champion's book will not pass the Australian government's mandatory test of torsional rigidity. A Web search for "Locost" will yield thousands of hits from which you can eventually dig out some minor improvements to the Locost chassis that will allegedly double its stiffness. But if the principles so clearly presented by Costin and Phipps were applied in a complete redesign, the chassis stiffness could probably be doubled again due to improved triangulation and the use of round rather than square tubing. (Sure, square tubing is easier to weld but structurally it's equivalent to round tubing that has already collapsed on four sides!)

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