Author Pete Lyons chronicles the story of the iconic and mysterious black Shadows. Inspiration for the book came from the numerous interviews Lyons conducted with the late Don Nichols and other members of his organization. Evro Publishing has released the book to coincide with the Shadow’s 50th anniversary in 2020. Lyons is also the author of Lotus 72.

“This is a good book,” I said, leafing through the first few pages. “Wait, this is a very good book – who did this"” I said again as I was a little farther into it. Pete Lyons, it just so happens, one of the best automotive writers currently working. He’s the perfect guy to take on one of the most interesting, fun, and enigmatic tales in racing history in Shadow: The Magnificent Machines of a Man of Mystery.
Yes, that’s a wordy title, but that’s about as bad as the writing gets. It’s also right on the money because Shadow racing cars came out of nowhere and, initially at least, had everyone shaking their heads.

Big Things, Small Packages

I remember when these things hit the scene. When I was a kid, I was a Can-Am fan; everyone was, honestly. Then one day, without warning, without fanfare or announcement, this tiny little car, all black, showed up at a Can-Am race. Now, race cars are usually much smaller than you think, including “big” Can-Am cars like McLarens and Lolas and such. But the Shadow Mk. It was simply dwarfed by the...