Grand Prix Summum - Le Grand Livre d'un Pilote de Grand Prix (Etancelin) 1926-1954

THE MARVELLOUS LOGBOOK OF A GRAND PRIX DRIVER, a rare work of art.

For the first time in the history of World Motor Sport, a Grand Prix driver amassed all the documents concerning his participations on a daily basis race after race. These archives have reached us intact surviving moves, the war and the ravages of time.

The inside story of yesteryear's GPs :

- An incredible number of photos of exceptional quality, 870 in all, most of which have never been published before. They present the circuits, races, drivers and cars.

- Revealing exchanges of letters with Ettore Bugatti, Enzo Ferrari and Maserati, and also with the organisers and Automobil-Clubs (Monaco, Rheims, RAC, BARC,etc...)

- Unbelievable anecdotes, such as the first Monaco GP (1929), the tragic Deauville GP (1936), the first GP driver's strike at Dieppe GP (1933), and many more...

Fascinating historical eyewitness accounts :

-The book takes the form of a race by race (total 170 !) diary with copious illustrations and Memorabilia beautifully laid out ;

-No fewer than 98 maps of legendary and/or forgotten circuits (Antibes, Tripoli,...)

-The social atmosphere of yesteryear lyrically described by famous journalists from L'Auto, The Motor, Autocar or L'Intran ;

-Iconic GP racing drivers like Ascari, Nuvolari, Varzi, Caracciola, Fagioli, Farina, Fangio, etc, and top cars Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Delage, Lago Talbot ;

-Each race has different items of Memorabilia, such as race notes, programme covers, telegrams, regulations, Automobile Club badges,...1790 in all !!!

-These diary type entries are not mere race report, although lists of finishers are included.

Sumptuous drawings :

-79 illustrations, caricatures by Geo Ham, magnificent paintings by Michael Turner, Nicholas Watts and Rob Roy ;

-Superb reproductions of Memorabilia (e.g. The Gala Menu of the first Monaco GP illustrated in water colour).

A book for collectors :

- Top quality graphic presentation.

Because so much use is made of graphics , an ability to read the French text is not essential or even necessary. Nonetheless an additional booklet containing the English translation of relevant text will be available.

- Luxury production giving added value to the 1790 documents, thanks to the huge art landscape format (42 x 30 cms or 16,75 x 12,9 inches), which comes in a slipcase

- Destined for a special place in the bookcase of collectors of rare editions. Only 500 numbered copies will be printed, so the run will soon be out of print.

This marvelous logbook is the first book ever devoted to the career of a pre and post-war GP driver in chronogical order, Philippe « Phi-Phi » Etancelin. But the book is NOT a biography ; it is a superb and very rare insight into the atmosphere of the Golden Age of Grand Prix racing.

This marvelous book, which relates the untold story of tracks and GPs, is the ultimate living testimony – a summum in Grand Prix litterature- for people who are passionate about historic motor racing.