Alf Francis in the late 1950s.
From the VeloceToday Archives, January 2015
Review by Pete Vack
Photos from the book unless otherwise noted
Alf Francis–Racing Mechanic****
G.T. Foulis & Co., LTD. London, 1957
Hardbound, 330 pages
A question our readers may have is, why are we reviewing a book which, on the surface, is about an “English” racing mechanic (Francis was born in Poland, moved to Great Britain; his real name was Alfons Kowaleski), who gained fame for maintaining Altas and H.W.M.s, (both British cars)?
First, on its own, the book is a treasure. Motor racing books, in fact automotive books in general, are not usually referred to as a “good read”, much less a page turner. This one is. The combination of the outspoken and often stubborn Francis and the efforts of Peter Lewis, who at the time was the Motor Racing Correspondent of “The Observer”, creates a vivid, hilarious, and evocative look at racing on the continent in the early 1950s. It is full of not only human stories, but of mechanical woes, and written so well it is almost impossible to put it down. [Read more…] about A Racing Mechanic, Alf Francis, Book Review