The formative years of the 1950s are explored in this fourth installment of Evro’s decade-by-decade series covering all Formula 1 cars and teams. When the World Championship was first held in 1950, red Italian cars predominated, from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati, and continued to do so for much of the period. But by the time the decade closed, green British cars were in their ascendancy, first Vanwall and then rear-engined Cooper playing the starring roles, and BRM and Lotus having walk-on parts. As for drivers, one stood out above the others, Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio, becoming World Champion five times. Much of the fascination of this era also lies in its numerous privateers and also-rans, all of which receive their due coverage in this complete work. Year-by-year treatment covers each season in fascinating depth, running through the teams — and their various cars — in order of importance. Alfa Romeo’s supercharged 1½-litre cars dominated the first two years, with titles won b