Macchina: Motorsport Book
Macchina: Motorsport Book
Macchina is a numbered, limited-edition, hand-crafted volume of the finest images which documents the best of motorsport car culture from around the world.
Published by Fyshe and developed over 3 years in collaboration with celebrated photographer, Jon Nicholson.
Text – Richard Williams | Foreword – Christopher Nurse | Editor – Mark Holborn
Description
Description
This highly desirable edition is an essential acquisition for photography collectors and true motor sports aficionados alike. A 376-page volume, it features imagery from some of the world's iconic motorsport destinations along with photographs taken during Nicholson’s illustrious career. Macchina is a timeless depiction not only of the cars, but the drivers, the mechanics, the spectators. Nicholson is as fascinated in the thrill of machines moving at breath-taking speed as he is in the spectacle of the race, the crowds and the colourful characters behind the scenes.
As Christopher Nurse writes in the book’s foreword; “At its heart Macchina is about human endeavour: people striving to excel and achieve something of significance through the application of knowledge, skill, ingenuity and willpower.”
Opening with images of road trips on two-lane blacktops crossing the deserts of the USA. It encompasses stock-car racing in Tonopah, Nevada (passing through Goldfield, home to the blind DJ ‘Super Soul’ from the 1971 film Vanishing Point), speed trials on the dry lakes in Utah, drag racing in Southern California, NASCAR racing in South Carolina, the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. Featuring a hill climb in the UK, races involving historic machinery around the ramparts of Angoulême and the streets of Monaco, the iconic race around the clock at Le Mans, and of course the incomparable Formula One.
Macchina chronicles the freedom, excitement, teamwork and poetic essence at the heart of this unique sport. These are the atmospheric images that take you behind the scenes into every aspect of the world of motor sports, from the raw, grass roots energy of banger racing to the spectacular verve and passion of Grand Prix. As such, Macchina is a fascinating social commentary as well as a unique photographic journey.
Nicholson has been granted unprecedented access to leading personalities and events. However, Jon's focus as a photographer is never merely on the personalities themselves, but how people prepare for their gladiatorial moments.
Nicholson comments, “In the process I’ve met people whose raw passion for the automobile and motor racing is second to none: people who travel the world in search of the perfect drive, be it in a straight line, around a dirt oval or on a modern Grand Prix circuit. I’ve met some who give everything they have just to race at the weekend, working hard and then even harder on their car just to go that little bit quicker. The stories behind their love of racing resonate with me. I admire people who never waver from their goals and I share their passion and commitment.”
With insightful accompanying text by writer and former Guardian chief sports journalist Richard Williams and edited by Mark Holborn, the book is beautifully crafted in Florence and released as a numbered, limited-edition of just 1000, signed by the photographer and publisher.
Macchina is destined to become a highly collectible photography edition and a treasure for true fans of motorsport car culture all over the world.
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The Formula One Experience
Macchina is a limited-edition, handcrafted photography book by Fyshe in collaboration with Jon Nicholson. It documents motorsport through the people, machines, and environments that define it.
This is not a general motorsport book. It is a curated body of work, built over decades of access at the highest level of racing. Each image is selected for what it shows clearly - control, pressure, and precision.
Iconic F1 Cars in Detail
Formula One cars are shown with nothing unnecessary added.
The focus is on structure and intent. Aerodynamics, surface, and proportion are captured with clarity. From earlier chassis to current designs, the engineering progression is evident throughout.
There is no stylisation. The cars are shown as they are - functional, exact, and built for performance.
Legendary Drivers and Moments
Drivers are central to the work.
Nicholson documents them in the moments that matter: pre-race focus, in-race intensity, and post-race release. These are not staged portraits. They are observations.
Expression is minimal, but revealing. The images show how drivers manage pressure, not how they celebrate it.
Why F1 Fans Will Love It
Macchina reflects the reality of Formula One.
For those who understand the sport, the details are familiar - the body language, the environments, the pace of movement. For collectors, it offers a considered and lasting record.
It is not built for quick consumption. It is built to be returned to.
Explore the Motorsport Collection
Macchina is not limited to Formula One.
It includes multiple disciplines, presenting motorsport as a wider culture shaped by different formats, surfaces, and approaches to speed.
Behind the Scenes at the Track
The book includes the spaces around the race.
Garages, paddocks, and preparation areas are shown with the same attention as the track. These are controlled environments where performance is built before it is seen.
The images focus on the process, the adjustments, waiting, and repetition.
Photography That Brings Racing to Life
The photography is deliberate.
Movement is defined by framing, not effects. Light is applied to make surfaces and details clear. Each image is taken and selected with intent, so nothing distracts from the subject.
This approach keeps the focus on the subject, whether that’s the driver, the car, or the moment.
Made for Collectors and Enthusiasts
Macchina is produced as a limited run.
Each copy is handcrafted in Italy, with materials and print quality selected to support longevity. The construction is precise. The book is designed to sit within a collection, not outside it.
It is made to be handled, viewed, and kept.
NASCAR Highlights
Macchina includes a focused view of NASCAR.
The format differs, but the focus remains the same: maintaining control at speed over sustained periods.
Classic Tracks and Cars
NASCAR is shown through its core environments.
Oval circuits, close racing, and constant movement define the images. The cars are captured in proximity, where space is limited and precision matters.
Celebrating NASCAR Legends
Drivers are documented within the race environment.
There is no separation between subject and setting. The images show how drivers operate within the constraints of the discipline, with sustained focus, repeated inputs, and controlled aggression.
More Than Formula One and NASCAR
Macchina extends beyond Formula One and NASCAR to document defining events across global motorsport.
Each environment presents a different demand. The focus remains constant - control, precision, and performance under pressure.
Le Mans
Endurance at its highest level. 24 hours of continuous racing, where consistency, mechanical sympathy, and sustained focus define the outcome.
Goodwood Festival of Speed
A global gathering of motorsport. Cars, drivers, and eras converge on a narrow hill climb, where control is measured against history.
Monaco Historique
Historic racing on one of the most demanding street circuits. Tight barriers, limited space, and no margin for error.
Bonneville
Maximum speed in its purest form. Open salt flats remove complexity, leaving only stability, precision, and control at the limit.
About Macchina
Macchina is a complete, limited-edition photography book.
It brings together decades of Jon Nicholson’s work, selected with intent and produced to a high standard.
The Vision Behind the Book
Jon Nicholson documents motorsport as it happens.
His work is observational. Nothing is staged or constructed. Over time, this creates an accurate record of the sport - its people, environments, and pressure.
Macchina brings this body of work into a single, considered volume.
A Premium Motorsport Photo Experience
Each book is handcrafted, printed in Florence and bound in Venice. Italian craft, executed with intent.
Paper, print, and binding are chosen to preserve detail and ensure durability. Images are reproduced to the highest quality, without distortion.
The format is restrained. Nothing unnecessary is added.
How to Buy Your Copy
Macchina is available directly through Fyshe.
Production is limited. Once sold out, no further copies are produced.
A Gift for Motorsport Fans
Macchina is suited to those who value motorsport and design.
It works as both a reference and a collectible object.
Collector’s Edition Quality
Each copy is produced in limited numbers.
The construction and materials reflect that. It is designed to remain part of a collection over time.
For Fans of All Ages
The content is accessible.
No technical knowledge is required to understand the images. The subject is clear - people, machines, and movement.
A Unique Addition to Any Collection
Macchina sits alongside other considered objects.
It is not mass-produced. It is built with intent, and it reflects the discipline of the subject it documents.