Spanish Streets and G.N.Georgano

Review by Pete Vack
Photos courtesy Autodromo and from the book

We review a book featuring Georgano in Spain, and preview an upcoming book on the GTO by the same publisher.

For non Spanish customers: Contact:autodromo@autodromo.es
Softback, 90 pages, B&W
Price INCLUDING shipping: 35 Euros to Europe, 40 Euros for the rest of the world

Google gets more formidable everyday as a valuable fact finder, assuming one can trust the source. One of these years, it may replace both personal and private libraries.

But not quite yet. Despite our penchant to use Google, one of our most effective, fastest, most accurate and comprehensive sources of information are two huge volumes edited by G.N. Georgano: The Complete Encyclopedia of the Motorcar, (1973) and The Encyclopedia of Motor Sport (1971). Even though millions of individuals have been loading the Internet with information for roughly 20 years and is remarkably complete in itself, one still has a tough time finding anything on the Econom or F.D. But there they both are in the pages of Georgano. His landmark words are with me always, and very battered and beaten but still eminently serviceable. Take that, Serge!

But wait, isn’t this about cars in Spain? Yes, and the connection is that “Nick” Georgano often visited Spain in the early and mid-sixties, and took his camera and encyclopedic knowledge of cars with him. He photographed everything interesting and old; cars, trucks, buses, anything with wheels, be it in garages or on the streets. He often tracked down the owners to verify the make year and model; his B&W photos are professional in every respect. Now, Autodromo has selected the best of the lot and put Georgano’s Spanish vacation shots into one of their Special Editions. The text is in both Spanish and English.

Born in 1932, Georgano’s interest in cars and trucks began at the age of seven. After graduating from Oxford University, he began a long career as a teacher but became well known for his many books on cars, trucks and race cars. An avid reader and subscriber to the Autodromo series, Georgano contacted the editors and arranged to have them published. And there are more, at least 100 more which will be published in a second volume in the fall.

The first round of the Georgano images were published in Autodromo Number 8; the photos were small, select (but great) and the text in Spanish only. It was decided to publish many more, in Autodromo’s “Special Edition” the third in a series of finely focused magazines which also include Pegaso by Monsalve link and Hispakart.

The photos are arranged by make; Alfa, Alpine, Amilcar, Biscuter, BMW, Chenard Walker, Delahaye, DKW, Fiat, Ford, Hanomag, Hispano Suiza, Hotchkiss, Innocenti, Isotta Fraschini, Lancia, Mathis, Peugeot, Praga, Renault, Salmson, Seat, Siata, Skoda,Talbot and Zunder. That’s just the ones from the continent…there are many more makes from the UK and US. Truly something for everybody.

Ferrari GTO SN 4153GT to be featured in the next Autodromo Special Edition

All the Autodromo Special Editions are in both Spanish and English, softbound but very high quality paper and production. At 11 ¾ by 9 inches, they are in a horizontal format and run from 60 to 90 pages in both color and black and white. Edition four will be of particular interest to VeloceToday readers. Wrote Antonio Palacio, one of the editors: “We’re preparing a 92-page special issue, in Spanish & English, with never seen photos before, some of them in color, of Ferrari 250 GTO chassis 4153GT.

Owned new by a Belgian team, from 1966 to 1969 the Ferrari was raced in Spain, and little has been told about it. During those four years the car was driven by different drivers, in hillclimbs, rallys and track races. First painted red, later yellow the car participated in almost 20 events. By the end of 1969 the it was not competitive and sat for a long time at the back of a workshop, being sold in the 1970s to France. All the races are covered, and the drivers who raced the car interviewed. The issue will be presented at the Espíritu de Montjuic.”

And…here is another Special Edition of Autodromo you’ll want to purchase…

Read book review of the book Pegaso by Monsalve