I prepared this abstract for the 2020 Historic Vehicle Association “Drive History” Conference. As with academic historians conferences, presenters had a twenty minute slot. Like it or not, that amounts to 2000 words. Therefore to ensure you communicate as much and as clearly as possible,...
Archives: State of t...
posted by Jon Summers
This was published in the autoshopper.com blog and in their 2013 New York Motorshow magazine. At the time of writing, it is nine years since then, and eight years until sales of gas powered cars are banned in the UK. As part of thinking about these seismic changes in motoring, I re-read this...
Open Letter to David...
posted by Jon Summers
I felt compelled to write in response to you two most recent backpage columns in Hotrod, one on autonomy, the next on the father son road trip. The first disappointed me enormously, the second coming so close after it made me keen to write. I do hope you read and think about what I have...
Senna: The Beatifica...
posted by Jon Summers
Its now 25 years since Senna’s passing, and five years since my visit to Imola. Thinking the whole experience through resulted in this paper, titled St Ayrton: The Beatification of a Racing Driver, a Commentary on How Attitudes to Ayrton Senna have Changed, which I presented at the 2018...
How Good Was “...
posted by Jon Summers
Daytona 1963: gotta love Lil’ Joe’s shoes ! This was prepared for the 2016 Drive History Conference, organized by the HVA at the NB Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was also presented at the 2016 International Motor Racing Research Center conference in Watkins Glen, read...
Monaco 1962 and Sere...
posted by Jon Summers
Part of my Motorsports in Academia crusade is about the quality of the sources, specifically film, and especially the free film on youtube. My refrain is that this is a dynamic history, where a few hours on youtube puts you on equal intellectual footing with the crusty historians and...