A must-read for the true Porsche lover.
598324
This amazing coffee-table hardback covers a great deal of ground. With a plethora of wonderfully-reproduced photographs, illustrations and posters it's a worthy addition to every motoring collection. The insightful and detailed written text by acclaimed author Dieter Landenberger (Director of the Porsche Historical Archives) gives a decent, very well researched history of the storied marque. The lavishly crafted, high-quality volume itself stands out from all other Porsche books out there. The accompanying CD featuring the engine sounds of 30 of Porsche' s most notable models just makes it better. I've ordered this as a birthday present and will definitely purchase another one for myself and for my old man for Father's Day.
2918654
I bought a 1974 914-4 2.0 last year, and a copy of this book came with it, along with an exhaustive collection of parts and other books the owner gave me. This has proven to be an excellent way to get up to speed on the quirks of this car, as all Porsche models have their own little oddities that often take years of ownership to work out. I like working on my Porsches and this has proven an invaluable step in getting comfortable taking things off the car, fixing them and putting them back on. It's not as much a detailed how-to manual in the style of other books such as the factory manuals, Haynes and Chiltons books, but rather a good debugging tool, kind of like having a seasoned mechanic looking over your shoulder and saying, "Yep, ever' time it does that, it means the turn-signal switch is about to go", or, "Don't worry about that too much, they tend to do that all the time." I would definite suggest adding it to your collection if you own one of these fun little cars!
4092873
As a new-and completely uninformed-buyer looking for classic air-cooled Porsche 911s,this book is outstanding. Clear text combined with excellent photos will help anyone decide which !968-1973 911 is right for them and their budget. Each year and model is carefully described with both pros and cons,along with prepurchase inspection tips. Along with the solid information,is a number of anecdotes of the author's adventures(and candid mistakes)in purchasing a variety of these superb examples of rolling art. Armed with this book,I was able to find the perfect 1971 911T for my first Porsche. No matter what your level of Porsche expertise...BUY THIS BOOK!!!
1364004
The book covers the full development of the Porsche 356. It starts suitably with the chapter that's called 'birth of a legend' and in this chapter it is described in a vivid manner how the 356 came to be. All the chapters are accompanied by beautiful pictures (although in black and white). The full development of the 356 gets all the attention it needs in the following chapters. In the middle of the book there are some nice colour pictures and this part is suitably called 'colour gallery'. Even for the general car lover (not specific Porsche 356) this is a nice book to read.
3757299
Not only a history lesson about two of the greatest automobile companies the world has ever known, "Taken for a Ride" is an enjoyable exercise in junior psychology.
We actually get as close to getting inside the major player's heads as is possible in a well-written and researched book on how, after nearly destroying their own Tiffany-brand automobiles, the Germans came to United States to lay the ground work for nearly destroying the classiest auto maker on this side of the Atlantic.
Chrysler's always been the underdog, with death-defying rebounds every decade. Looks as though such a resurrection will be called for in the 2000s. This book, though written before Daimler-Chrysler's latest skid, certainly gave us a "Crystal Ball" glimpse of what was to come.
It also affords a gripping look into billionaire Kirk Kekorian's botched effort at taking over Chrysler a couple of years before the Daimler-Benz marriage.
Recommended for auto buffs, corporate intrigue addicts and others who want to feel like their on the inside of wheeling and dealing.
969889
I have loved 2nd Gen T/A's since they were new and thought I knew a lot about them.  This book offers a lot of info (I learned some new facts) that I found to be an interesting and enjoyable book.  Most photos are color (except for the ones that were in black & white originally), and are of unaltered cars, just as they were when new, or taken when new,  and on heavy stock paper.  Rocky Rotella did an incredible job on this book and of all the books I have on Firebirds and Trans-Ams, I would say this is the best I own.
2990192
I just finished reading the book and find it a comprehensive look at BMWs (in my opinion) finest work.  The author is an experienced automotive writer and he was able to recall many personal experiences when the vehicle was launched, as well as his life with his privately owned 6 series.  I liked the way the book chronicled the previous BMW coupe offerings as well as discussing the relative failure of the 8 series that replaced the 6.  I wish it would have had more color pictures, but that is a minor ding on a very good product.
4727033
This is the best car book I have read. It is full of technical details regarding the amazing engineering of these cars, with accounts from the men who drove and won races in them. If you are a Mopar fan this is a must read.
3663741
This is the second title in the Stance and Speed Monograph series and it documents the development and racing history of the Jaguar XJR7 GTP racer. Written by veteran automotive journalist, Ted West and illustrated by Peter Harholdts studio photographs, this involving little book tells an interesting story about a beautiful race car. Group 44s Bob Tullius wrote the Foreword and offers an unfiltered insiders view of the car and the efforts it took to get it on the track. Fascinating.

Ted West expertly weaves the tale by walking the reader through a brief history of Jaguar, providing enough background and contextual details to enable you to understand the importance of the XJR7 to Jaguars very existence - LITERALLY!!

From there, he pulls no punches when he describes the dire circumstances the British carmaker found itself in with annual sales of its road cars dropping to fewer than 3,500 units. Enter Michael Dale, a Brit who came up with the idea to promote and grow the brand by going back to racing. He knew that their cars quality was so bad that there was very little he could put in their advertisements that was believable. However, if they raced and won, they could say they were first and therefore the best. As the British love to say, brilliant.

The hook for American readers is that Dale selected USAs own Bob Tullius and Group 44 to bring Jaguar back into the sport at the highest level  Le Mans. Anyone who has worked in the politics of large corporations will recognize some of the challenges Dale and Tullius faced when they pitched the idea of returning Jaguar to the French endurance classic.
Supported by outstanding and well-reproduced studio photographs as well as a few period black and white images, West brings the development and technical story to life. Holding back nothing, he relates the challenges Group 44 faced as they took a clean sheet of paper and turned it into a wining racer. He relates their search for more horsepower, having started with an underpowered 5.3-liter V12 from Tullius XJS Trans-Am car as they competed in their first race at Road America. Despite the power deficit, they finished third behind two Porsches but ahead of many others. The road to a winning Jaguar lay ahead and Group 44 had the car pointed in the right direction.

This second volume of the Stance and Speed monograph series relates a fascinating history about a beautiful and successful car. As well as telling the reader about what it takes to build a successful racecar, the author also ties in the story about the value that racing successes bring to new car sales and how this very car literally saved the Jaguar corporation.

Recommended for any motor head and especially for you Jaguar lovers everywhere.
2482522
any 964 owner or porsche file will appreciate this - if you don't already know what singer is you don't deserve the book
2091528
I purchased this at the same time as Porsche Prototype Era: 1964-1973 in Photographs and this was the superior book. It was a consise, complete and fascinating look into the 917 family from it's roots through the 917k and finally the Can Am effort. There were also many personal stories and anecdotes and it wasn't a dry technical dissertation.

If you have any serious interest in this family of cars, I'd highly recommend it. Porsche Prototype Era is more dedicated to the photos with a sort of "skim" of the history but this is the book you'll remember.
4678068
Bought this for my Porsche-loving dad for Father's Day and he was stunned. Very high quality in every aspect, from the contents, the research, photographs, and format, right down to the printing. A must-have for any Porsche devotee.
3662837
I have yet to read or see such a beautifully done book on BMW,I am so happy to own this masterpiece on "The Ultimate Driving Machine".
The book is very elegant with a Blue Slipcase and with The Beautiully styled BMW i8 on the Hardcover. The book covers the marque's legendary street cars all the way up to the BMW i8. Favorites of mine such as the M1,2002 Turbo,and the V8,V10 AND V12's are some of the highlights for me. A Great Big Coffee table book covering the early predecessor companies and how BMW came to be until current and even covers The New Mini's. This book has something for everyone whether a fan of the Bavarian Great or a gear head or a casual observer this book is sure to put a smile on your face.
1911676
This book was recommended and highlight in the national Poreche Club of America as well as Autoweek.  It is a tremendous asset to any Porsche enthusiast full of detailed information and quality photographs.  Highly recommended.
2966933
GREAT BOOK about the Great car . If you Love VW, this book is for you.!!!
1375164
From the Matra Rancho to the Countach Evoluzione, I learned a lot on cars  reading this book, not only on weird cars but also on automotive history, engineering and design.
Very interesting but not boring at all to read, it was a pleasure to read this book, Michael Banovsky did a great job.
148852
Absolutely amazing in scope, content, and accuracy with  myriad illustrations and photos, both archival and contemporary color. Written by the foremost authority on this rare and exotic marque as a labor of love, the details in regard to authenticity alone make the the book a must for the restorer or concours judge. The history of the engineering, production, and financial difficulties reads like an engrossing thriller that will engage the casual reader as well as the serious auto buff. The art deco era in which the cars were built is reflected in the details of the beautiful layout of the book. And of course the many pictures of the beautiful cars are a treasure themselves.
 The very high quality binding encompasses equally high quality printing on very heavy glossy stock.
 There are only two problems :  One, the price is too low for this superb book ! It's a bargain at twice the price.
 Two, the very limited press run will leave many enthusiasts bareft of this treasure if they do not snap it up quickly !
 I consider this one of the very top tomes in my modest library of several thousand books on classic cars.
If this all sounds like an excessive amount of praise, it is only because the book deserves every bit of it !