There are really many books for car enthusiasts and they represent an original gift idea. From biographical volumes that tell the deeds of the great racing car drivers to novels that put four wheels to one hundred and fifty. Some, however, are truly unmissable and deserve to be present in the library of those who love engines. The passion for cars and engines is something that affects all aspects of life. It ends, for example, also in the readings . Those who love engines, in fact, also find pleasure in reading books that tell the thundering world of four wheels . Not surprisingly, the list of books for car enthusiasts gets longer every year. A full-bodied catalog, made up of biographies of famous drivers, of historical reconstructions of the most prestigious brands, but also of novels that put cars at the center, with all their wealth of emotions and suggestions. Many titles for as many gift ideas. The following list does not pretend to incontrovertibly identify the best novels for car lovers, but it offers a list of five truly special texts, which deserve to enter the home library of those who dream of a life as a driver.

Here are more gift ideas for car enthusiasts

On the road – Jack Kerouac

Let’s start with a timeless classic of American literature , as well as a milestone among twentieth-century novels. In 1951, by publishing “On the road” (original title: “On the road”), Jack Kerouac gave life to the symbolic book of the Beat Generation . Thus it was that an autobiographical tale turned into the manifesto of an entire youth movement. The novel tells the travels of Sal Paradise , the alter ego of the same author, who crosses the United States far and wide, aboard his car, sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of his friend Dean Moriarty (who in the reality is Neal Cassady, also a writer). Page after page, you never tire of savoring the adrenaline and freedom of a true “on the road” trip .

Christine and Buick 8 – Stephen King

We remain in the United States, but completely changing genre. It is the turn of two titles signed by the king of horror, Stephen King . These are ” Christine – The infernal machine” and “Buick 8” . In the first novel, which has also become a film, the protagonist is a 1958 Plymouth Fury , capable of transforming itself from a harmless car abandoned on the side of the road into a bearer of profound upheavals. The car, in fact, has a cynical and ruthless soul, which changes the personality of those who come into contact with it. And this is how Christine leaves behind a trail of death and despair. Equally mysterious is the profile of the car featured in the second novel: a 1954 Buick Roadmaster . Again, the car takes on a life of its own and turns Ned’s life upside down, for no apparent reason.

Bottom stroke. Mille Miglia, a life and a cat – Giorgio Terruzzi

The third proposal, on the other hand, is an entirely Italian work, both in its signature, which is that of the famous sports journalist Giorgio Terruzzi, and in its story, which retraces the deeds of the mythological Alberto Ascari (to whose memory a variant of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit is dedicated). The narrative starts with the surprise victory of the Mille Miglia in 1954 , and then unfolds throughout the driver’s life, also analyzing private aspects. An exciting journey at full speed.

Read also: What to give to a Formula 1 enthusiast

Virtual Senna – Roberto Boccafogli

From one myth to another. “ Virtual Senna” is a novel that intends to celebrate the unforgettable Brazilian driver, who tragically died in 1994, on the Imola circuit. And it is precisely from that painful Grand Prix that the plot conceived by Roberto Boccafogli begins, who decides to play with history and changes the course of events. Senna, in fact, does not die during the race but arrives at the end and wins it, also mortgaging the conquest of the Automobile World Championship. At that point, the story then takes a leap forward, up to the 2000s, and the reader comes to terms with a Formula 1 in public crisis. To revive the fortunes of the competition, the organizers invent virtual Grand Prix , in which Senna also participates. This parallel and unreal reality, however, gives rise to the desire to satisfy an ancient curiosity: who is the strongest driver ever?

The art of running in the rain – Garth Stein

Denny , the protagonist of this latest literary proposal for car enthusiasts, is an extraordinary driver, capable of giving his best in the rain. His ambitions, however, are held back by the need to make ends meet by working in a workshop. A complicated and suffering life seems to remove him forever from his dream: to drive a real Ferrari . Luckily, next to him is his faithful dog, who is not by chance called Enzo, in honor of the patron of the Maranello team. The intelligent four-legged friend will show his owner the right path to happiness.

Learn about the history of the Monza circuit

 

The original contents of this article are produced by an external service without any involvement of the press office of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.