#76 Richard Hammond: What Not to Drive

[bellinghman]

Richard Hammond: What Not to Drive

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (13 Oct 2005)
ISBN-10: 0297848003
Category(ies): Motoring journalism

The obvious rejoinder to the title of this book is "A 300mph drag car". But as I read this a day or two before the author managed to nearly kill himself in his famous accident, that particular phrase didn't come to mind.

This is pretty much what it says on the cover. It describes those cars which it is naff, for one reason or another, to be seen driving. Sometimes the reason is that the car doesn't match the driver - a TVR is allegedly great for a woman, naff for a man. But the whole thing is done with the irreverent attitude that Hammond brings to BBC's Top Gear: you feel perfectly allowed to disagree with him on some cars, and as he admits himself, at least one of the naff cars depicted is one that he himself owns and loves too much to give up.

If there's one place where the title doesn't fit, it's that it also includes some cars to drive.

Amusing, rather than deep.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

None of the vehicles pictured on the front are rocket-powered, which really are the ones not to drive!

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Well, we have seen him crash a normally driven vehicle before now (up in Iceland, racing against a powered kayak).

[the-warwick.livejournal.com]

There's a customer review there...

"A great read but it's probably best to wait for the updated edition which will include "300mph Jet Car With Wobbly Wheels"."

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

*snork*

The problem with books like this is that they're so quickly out of date, like wine guides.

But I don't think the Hamster expected such an egregious example to appear.

[the-warwick.livejournal.com]

I like the current drug regime, but I did just have to check the meaning of egregious just to make sure I was right.