Autodrome: The lost race circuits of Europe, by C.C. Collins & Gavin D. Ireland, published by Veloce Publishing Limited (2005), 176 pages, hardback

For the month of November, I’ve decided to continue with the theme of forgotten and abandoned racetracks, or as they would have been called in Europe, the Autodromes. After finding the two books featured in last month’s post, I happened to come across this title while pursuing through a used bookstore.

Autodromes: The lost race circuits of Europe is the story of nine ‘arenas of speed’ lost to the past and brought back to life in this well researched and finely presented book. The reader is taken on a tour through Europe with stops at Brooklands (England), Monza (Italy), Reims (France), Nurburgring Sudschleife (Germany), Crystal Palace (England), Keimola (Finland), Masarykring (Czechia), Avus (Germany), and Linas Montlhery (France).

The book provides a clear and concise history of the tracks, including layout diagrams, black and white photos from ‘in-period’ events, and examples of old race programs and posters. But the highlight of the book features contemporary photographs documenting the state of each track as they currently exist (at the time of publication of course). Each image is beautifully crafted, featuring very aesthetically pleasing views, in vivid color.

Since 2018, family ties have allowed my wife and I to visit and explore the UK quite often. My plan is to utilize that access to research and visit the Brooklands and Crystal Palace locations. This will hopefully evolve into a project I intend to write about in the coming year. Stay tuned.

Autodromes is a real favorite of mine. Though the echoes of racing cars have long since faded, these places still exist to be seen and explored, as treasured relics of the past. Happy reading!

TJ…..2025