How to Build a Car
$0.99
Price: $0.99
(as of Mar 19, 2025 15:04:03 UTC – Details)
The world’s foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain’s greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.
How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian’s unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he’s been involved.
A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian’s thoughts naturally emerged in shape and form – he began sketching his own car designs at the age of 12 and took a welding course in his school summer holidays. From his early career in IndyCar racing and on to his unparalleled success in Formula One, we learn in comprehensive, engaging and highly entertaining detail how a car actually works. Adrian has designed for the likes of Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, always with a shark-like purity of purpose: to make the car go faster. And while his career has been marked by unbelievable triumphs, there have also been deep tragedies: most notably Ayrton Senna’s death during his time at Williams in 1994.
How to Build a Car encapsulates, through Adrian’s remarkable life story, precisely what makes Formula One so thrilling – its potential for the total synchronicity of man and machine, the perfect combination of style, efficiency and speed.
Customers say
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the technical details provided in a clear manner for non-engineers. The design and construction of modern Formula 1 race cars are also interesting topics covered. Readers enjoy the autobiography by one of the sport’s great figures. They appreciate the insights into personalities and the business of Formula 1.
Paul Hedman-Dennis –
A technical book wrapped in personality.
Super readable. To my pleasant surprise, Adrian’s anecdotes about his life, work ethic, and the politics of F1 are as interesting as his technical insights. A quick and charming read, there’s a world where this book came out very dry. Instead, it’s bubbling with Adrian’s goofy personality.The only things I would have wanted beyond what’s on offer:an update for 2018-2021, and the current generation of cars, which for obvious reasons probably won’t happen until 2026, if at all.A little more depth and explanation on the technical discussion/drawings. Adrian and his ghost writer do a pretty admirable job here, and I know there’s probably a slew of valid reasons they didn’t do this. Still, I think it might have been cool to have an appendix where, for example, they fleshed out the math used in figuring out a new gear box, or to elucidate some of the discrepancies between CFD, the wind tunnel, and the track that pop up at various times. Maybe that would be boring. Still, even though I loved the book I’ve wasted most of my review talking about it, so I guess nobody wins.
Jeremiah Doom –
Required read for any motorsport fan
I really enjoyed this book as it didn’t have any dull moment. I am just an engineer interested in the design process but after reading this book I’ve become very interested in F1.
Amazon Customer –
Great reading for F1 fans
This is a great book, and a sensational peek inside the world of some of the most successful teams in Formula 1 over the past 40 years. It’s also a great testimony of how things have change, going from a handful of engineers tinkering with models on regular wind tunnels, to the super organizations of today, using a lot of computer power and trying to find differences in small details rather than big concepts. His depiction of Ayrton Senna is very emotional, and one of the highest points of this book.However, bear in mind that this book is written by a highly competitive individual at the peak of his career. Don’t expect a thoughtful reflection on his past career, a sense of wisdom and gratefulness towards his former rivals. No no. This man is still competing, and his rivals still deserve no sympathy.
Sean –
Great read. Enjoyably technical.
It is technically an autobiography in that it includes a bunch of details about Adrian Newey’s personal life and follows his life story. But I think many F1 fans would thoroughly enjoy this even if they don’t much care about the author himself. It’s mainly centered around a series of designs as his career and the F1 regulations progressed. If you like Steve Matchett’s more technical writing like The Chariot Makers, then you’ll definitely love this. It goes a little more in depth on finer details of the cars, and includes a bunch of drawings to illustrate the designs, but still feels like very light reading. It’s thick with tons of material, but I tore through it while on vacation. Very enjoyable read. Even as a long-time follower of F1, it explained a lot of historical and technical context I had remained unaware of that’s still very relevant today.
slobob5 –
Great if you are a formula 1 fan
The history of Adrian’s accomplishments in formula 1 were very interesting. A well written book that I could not put down
Vikram Aditya Kumar –
A fascinating memoir by one of the all-time-great figures in Formula 1
I thoroughly enjoyed Adrian Newey’s reflections on his development from a racing-obsessed kid into one of the most prolific engineers and technical leaders of motorsport. As an aerospace engineer and aerodynamicist myself, I found many of his stories of overcoming challenges to eventually succeed to be very relevant to my own career and life experiences – his grit and ingenuity are truly inspirational. Furthermore his mention of personal/family challenges along the way make Adrian even more relatable as a person, and someone even more respectable for having achieved what he has despite going through hard times in his life. If I had to level one minor criticism at the book I would say some of the discussions get a bit technical (though they do avoid resorting to numbers and equations), and in Newey’s defense he has included some figures and sketches to try and help explain things. What’s really cool though is that those sketches are probably straight off of his drawing board from his successful stints at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull when working with legends such as Senna, Hakkinen, and Vettel!I highly recommend that anyone interested in motorsport as well as engineering in general pick up this book – it is well worth the read. It certainly has it’s place in my library!
Jules –
Recommend
For for my son. He loves it
BookFan –
for the F1 fan How to Build A Car is pretty much required reading
This is a book mostly for F1 aficionados, although it may appeal to anyone interested in automotive engineering/design, especially with regards to aerodynamics. On the positive side, Mr. Newey well-describes the chassis design challenges in F1–mostly packaging the mechanical components in an aerodynamically effective package, at least as I understand it. He makes the somewhat discouraging point that exploiting loopholes in the rules is a major part of getting a leg up on one’s competition. He also affords look into a number of interesting F1 personalities. On the less positive side, he spends relatively little time on the quirks, working style, etc. of the many interesting personalities in F1–which is perhaps understandable since he is still working in that environment–and there is next to nothing about engine development, the other big piece of the car. I also didn’t find the (ghost-written) style of writing to my taste. Bottom line, for the F1 fan How to Build A Car is pretty much required reading, but much less so for everybody else.
JB –
This was a superb book. The greatest designer in F1 history takes you through his career as he crossed paths with everyone in the F1 circus. A great story about a regular guy with talent, ambition and drive, who became the best in the business. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Jorge Cervera –
Se logra simpatizar mucho con Newey, hay muchas historias divertidas (como la vez que hizo que su director de equipo haga una danza de la lluvia para que ganen la Indy 500). Te deja ver su tren de pensamientos que le hizo tomar las decisiones que tomó (sean buenas o malas). También dedica unos capítulos a hablar del accidente Imola 94 y todo lo que significó para el como el diseñador del vehículo.No necesitas de un inglés avanzado para entenderlo, lo único ocacionalmennte complicado es el execivo uso de jerga inglesa
Gabriel –
Livro muito interessante para amantes de F1 e automobilismo em geral.Autor descreve várias dos carros que construiu durante sua carreira e fatores que influenciaram na suas tomadas de decisão e inspiração.Para o meu gosto, achei algumas partes muito técnicas, mas entendo que para quem entende do assunto, deve ser muito interessante. Os rascunhos não ajudam muito no entendimento dos detalhes. Algumas fotos reais dos carros seriam bem interessantes.Ao meu ver, as partes mais interessantes são quando Adrian está contando causos aleatórios do paddock e de corridas, sem tanto foco em descrições técnicas.Também parece ignorar ou não falar muito dos projetos que não foram de muito sucesso.Ótima qualidade da edição, papel, etc.
Amazon Kunde –
Gut geschrieben und viel Information. Klasse und hochinteressant.
Cliente Amazon –
Libro molto scorrevole e interessante. Offre un assaggio del backstage del mondo della f1. Consigliato a tutti gli appassionati.