In his new book Variable Valve Timings, Chris Harris chronicles the vital part Tamiya played in his early life and how it still continues to do so today.

This month, leading motoring writer and broadcaster Chris Harris releases his book Variable Valve Timings – Memoir of a Car Tragic.

The Penguin book documents his love and experiences of all things automotive during his successful career as a leading motoring writer, road tester and most recently as a presenter on the BBC Top Gear show. 

The influence of Tamiya on Chris’s life also gets a healthy mention in the book.  Chris explains the lack of interest in cars in the family and how it was seeing a friend’s Holiday Buggy that got him hooked on Tamiya and opened his eyes to the exciting world of cars.  He goes on to talk about his first Tamiya RC kit, an Audi Quattro and how this progressed to further acquisitions of the Hornet and a Boomerang, plus many more.

Variable Valve Timings tells the story of how when Chris went racing, he even wanted the Tamiya logo as part of his Arai helmet design. Chris’s passion for and gratitude to Tamiya is obvious in the book, which is a must read for all car fans and those of the famous two star brand. In turn Tamiya is proud and pleased to have played a small part in the career of such a superb automotive journalist and car expert.