By Peter Higham

This book is the third in Evro’s multi-volume, decade-by-decade series covering the entire history of Formula 1 through its teams and cars. This instalment examines the 1980s, when the sport moved into its spectacular turbo era, first with Renault, Ferrari and BMW-powered Brabham, then with sustained periods of success for McLaren with Porsche-made TAG engines and Williams with Honda power. After the last win for the evergreen Ford Cosworth DFV in 1983, turbos prevailed until regulation change for 1989 brought back normally aspirated engines, now of 3.5 litres. Besides Formula 1’s high achievers, this book also covers the entire supporting cast, where much curiosity lies in discovering the travails of obscure and unsuccessful cars. This wide-ranging, colourful and authoritative book will be treasured by all Formula 1 fans.

• Year-by-year treatment covers each season in fascinating depth, running through the teams — and their various cars — in order of importance.
• Two teams dominated the decade, McLaren and Williams taking all but two of the drivers’ and constructors’ titles: McLaren’s World Champions were Niki Lauda (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986 and 1989) and Ayrton Senna (1988), while Williams’s were Alan Jones (1980), Keke Rosberg (1982) and Nelson Piquet (1987).   
• The two other significant winning teams were Brabham, which took Nelson Piquet to two drivers’ titles (1981 and 1983), and Ferrari, which won two constructors’ titles (1982 and 1983).
• Other winning marques were Benetton, Ligier, Lotus, Renault and Tyrrell.
• Over 600 photos — entirely in colour and all from the magnificent archives of LAT Images — show every type of car raced by every team and driver, presenting a comprehensive survey of all participants.
• The sweep of the decade covers sustained technical advances, particularly in carbon-fibre construction and ever-increasing power outputs.
• Detailed text includes car specifications and technical essentials

“I made the conscious decision not to rush through the 300 pages of this book, but instead to keep it safe, like a fine wine, until I had the time to enjoy it properly. And enjoy it I did.”
historicracingnews.com

“Ideal for die-hard fans… To call this 304-page tome comprehensive would be an understatement, and its results tables are a geek’s feast.”
Classic & Sports Car

“In line with author Peter Higham’s other works, this is a deeply research labour of love, which leaves no stone unturned in its quest to report the technical details and nuances of every entrant… a must.”
F1 Racing

“This book is full of great, evocative stuff.”
Classic Cars

“Higham is a reliable historian and this is every inch as good — if not better — than his previous works… The wealth of information contained in its 304 pages is remarkable… excellent production values and equally fabulous imagery.”

Absolute Lotus

“When such a heavy reference book lands on your desk and it has been penned by Peter Higham, you know you are in for a treat. It’s a veritable goldmine on some long-forgotten cars, backed up by wonderfully evocative images… worth every penny.”

Historic Racing Technology

“Fans of the series (Higham has already covered the sixties and seventies) will not be disappointed by the third instalment. Both as a reference work and an entertaining guide to the period it’s indispensable.”
racefans.net