Driven (An Elegy to Cars, Roads & Motorsport)

Driven is John Aston’s hugely entertaining motoring autobiography.

This ambitious and far ranging book begins with his early days as a teenage car enthusiast and race marshal in the late 1960s before covering the wide range of subjects close to his heart. These include the best and worst of Formula One, the icon that is Ferrari, the writer’s NASCAR adventure and the delights of long road trips in his beloved Caterham Seven. But that’s not all, as you can read about why the NSU Ro80 was a prophet without honour, as well as what the writer thinks about the changing face of motoring journalism. Yes, one J Clarkson is mentioned ...  And there’s more still, as a major part of the book is a description of a year in British motorsport.

The writer’s love of the lesser known categories of motor sport illuminates the text, as does his insight into the places, people and machinery making up the sport’s diversity. He describes the mood music of events ranging from a round of the British Touring Car Championship to historic race meetings for Cortinas and Minis, before venturing further from the mainstream with drag racing at Santa Pod, speed hillclimbs, autograss and rallying. Oh - he also doubled the average age at a Time Attack meeting. Don’t expect objective reporting, as he holds strong opinions, but they are leavened by a tongue firmly lodged in his cheek. Any reader, enthusiast or not, is guaranteed to enjoy reading about these adventures as much as the writer enjoyed having them.