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One of the best things about racing is its ability to make what otherwise appears as a collection of metal, rubber and oil into legend, and few have earned that legend as well as Lotus. It’s through the publishing company of our newest Selection Committee member, William Taylor’s Coterie Press, that some of the best of these stories get told through great automotive books.

William started Coterie in 1996, shortly releasing its first work, “The Lotus Book“, documenting the automakers storied history with a huge array of photographs. In subsequent years, Coterie has released works covering vintage racing, famous drivers, and other storied automakers, but Lotus remains a favorite, with William owning and racing a few himself. Another of his ventures, Auto Archives, based for now primarily in his own home, seeks to document every piece of automotive literature, automotive books and other memorabilia ever (you should go and see their model racing car collection!). We’re happy to welcome such talented and passionate publisher into our ranks.

Coterie’s latest work demonstrates William’s commitment to great automotive literature and examines what’s probably the most famous Lotus-engineered racer: The John Player Specials. Solid black with delicate gold accents and understated script, the cars exuded an unmistakable sense of class. Once the national flag of the host country dropped at the start of a Grand Prix, these Lotus-engineered cars performed in historic fashion as well. 

“Black & Gold: The Story of the John Player Specials,” features storytelling straight from the source: prolific automotive journalist and writer Johnny Tipler. Tipler spent time as the team’s own Press Officer in the 1970’s and has written 15 books on Lotus cars so far. New and vintage images come from Ian Catt, the team’s official photographer. 

Beyond Formula 1 fans, there’s something for everybody here. Though best known for their Formula 1 cars from 1972 to 1986, JPS also sponsored Trans Am Mustangs, Formula 3 cars, and even powerboat racing. All of these are covered. Fans of a few particular racing drivers will also find something special. 

Two different limited, leather-bound “Special” editions of the book have been autographed by one of two racing legends. You can get one of 72 copies autographed by Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the Formula 1 title in 1972, the first year of the JPS program. (His version of the car was the Lotus 72.) Or you can order one of 79 copies signed by Mario Andretti, who won the F1 title in the Lotus 79 in 1978. The “Special” Edition comes in a clamshell case with JPS badging on the front.

In addition to Fittipaldi and Andretti, the book features interviews from JPS drivers such as Nigel Mansell and Johnny Dumfries. Several of the original engineers and mechanics offer up their recollections, as does JPS Project Manager George Hadfield.

The Standard edition will sell for $64.95, and the Special Editions will be $250.00. The book will be available in September, but you can pre–order it at www.coteriepress.com. While you’re at it, check out the rest of Coterie’s work. If you’re a car person, there’s definitely something there for you. 

As we welcome the addition of model kits to our categories, we also welcome a Selection Committee member who stands as one of the world authorities on the subject: Dean Milano, a former employee at Revell-Monogram as well as a lifelong collector and kit builder.

Dean fell in love with cars early on, as a front seat passenger in his family’s ‘48 Plymouth. From there, he moved on to model cars after convincing his parents to buy the Jewel Tea Company delivery truck sticking out of a delivery man’s basket. From ‘59 on, Dean was beginning to build 1/25th scale cars and various others. In 1965, he won the second place in a contest at a local hobby shop for his Custom ‘56 Ford, the first of several such wins.

For years afterwards, models took a backseat while Dean channeled his passion into music, leading to a long and successful career with bands like the New Seekers, although a love for models remained.  Later, In the early 90’s, he began working at what was then Revell-Monogram, where he spent the next 12 years. During those years, Dean’s influence could be felt throughout the Revell range and he naturally amassed a keen knowledge of all things model kits.  

Beginning in customer service, he eventually moved into Product Development, writing all sorts of copy that anyone who has ever built a Revell kit has probably seen, including instructions, advertising and kit descriptions. He also built many models, designed a few kits, such as the Highway Scenes and Blacktop Warrior series, and worked to sort out which new ideas might make it into production.

Dean’s love of model kits did not stop at Revell’s door, of course. His own collection now stands at around 2,500 models, a mixture of finished kits, as-yet-to-be-built kits, diecast, resin and plastic cars, as well as pretty much every other form of transportation and even H.O. scale buildings. 

In recognition of his immense model kit knowledge, Dean has been recognized in publications such as Scale Auto Enthusiast and books like Arthur Ward’s Classic Kits, among many other articles. His very own toy museum, open from 2001 to 2004, saw more than 4 thousand visitors. 

With such a vast knowledge of the subject, Dean naturally caught our eye as a candidate for the selection committee. He’s the perfect guy to find the best model kits among a huge array of options. We look forward to putting his various talents to use. Model Car Hall band anyone?

We’re excited to announce the newest member of our Selection Committee, Fireball Tim Lawrence. Fireball is a unique talent in the automotive world, and not just for his name. Many people find their niche in one section of car culture or another, but Fireball has made an impact in all of them.

Earlier in his design career, Fireball submitted a few sketches for an as yet unnamed Batman movie with Tim Burton. After his ideas ultimately shaped the film’s Batmobile, Fireball went on to a 25-year career designing cars for hundreds of films, such as Jurassic Park, the Avengers, Gone in 60 Seconds and many, many more. A lot of these cars eventually made it into diecast.

With so many big-name designs credited to his memorable name, Fireball soon became recognized as a figurehead in the automotive world. This led to television roles hosting shows like “World’s Most Expensive Rides” on Discovery Channel, as well as shows on Speed Channel and TLC.

As media began to shift online, Fireball used his blog, Fireball Malibu Vlog, as a launchpad to build his successful Youtube channel of the same name. The show now boasts over 760 videos with 30 million viewers across different platforms.

Before, during and after becoming such a big name in the 1:1 car world, Fireball always had a love of models. Since he was a kid, Fireball has collected Corgis, Dinkies, Hot Wheels and Matchbox, with a special emphasis on film cars. That basic theme has remained unchanged as the collection has grown. Fireball doesn’t just collect, he’s helped design models, including a special run of Johnny Lightning cars bearing his name. 

Johnny Lightning even run a popular Fireball Tim Series with many more models planned before the brand was sold to Tomy.

That’s already enough to hold a vaunted position in the car world, but Fireball’s most memorable trait is the absolute commitment to spreading positivity through car culture. For Fireball, collecting is a way to stay in the moment, and allow everyone in the community to be more creative and do more with what they love. The newest outlet for this commitment from Fireball is a series of books and coloring books, some of which are automotive themed, whose proceeds help support Hope For Paws Charity Dog Rescue. 

This prodigious passion and knowledge will be a huge asset to the Model Car Hall, and we look forward to making a even bigger, more positive impact with Fireball on board.