Treat Your Coffee Table To Some P-Car Content This Holiday Season
Find these books and more from the library available for purchase in the Petrolicious Shop
If you aren’t aware of Porsche celebrating its 70th anniversary of road car production this year then it’s safe to say you’ve already missed the major celebrations the automaker has held over the course of 2018—like the always-excellent Rennsport Reunion—but with that said, it’s never too late to become acquainted with the marque’s deep and storied history. The subject of Porsche and the 911 in particular have filled untold books and countless numbers of virtual pages on the internet, however, as is the case with great stories like this one, there is no harm in telling it time and time again—little details are uncovered, new anecdotes arise, and then there is the increased potential for insight and perspective that can only come with time.
In other words, the origins of the beloved sports car brand from Stuttgart are well-known, but that doesn’t mean we’ve exhausted the myth. Read a book about the 901 published 20 years ago and compare it to one from the last decade and you’ll find a noticeably contrast in the way both handle the same piece of subject matter. When you’ve got a topic this vast there’s always room to add something new to the story, which is why we’ve added a slew of new Porsche books to the Petrolicious Shop. Please note: Gestalten’s Porsche 911 is currently sold out, but we will be restocking copies next week. Each book previewed below is replete with frame-worthy images, and will make an fine addition to your coffee table collection.
Porsche Milestones (click for info)
The milestones stand beside the race tracks and roads of the world, marking the now 70-year history of the sports car manufacturer.
In the world of motorsport, Porsche has always taken the unconventional route. The lightweight hill-climbers, for example, or the powerful 917; the first turbo victory at Le Mans; the first racing prototype with ground effects; and the first sports car victory contesting the famous desert race from Paris to Dakar; it goes on like this for almost every era of the company. Then in 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Porsche hat trick at Le Mans thanks to its unique hybrid technology.
A journey along the various milestones illustrates Porsche’s long-held approach of breaking with tradition and striking out in new directions while staying true to itself and remaining unmistakably Porsche. That makes Porsche Milestones a spellbinding read for those inspired by the joy of a Porsche.
The Porsche 911 Book (click for info)
The introduction of the Porsche 901 in 1963 marked a milestone in automotive history, and although the name later had to be changed because Peugeot had patented having a “0” in the middle of car model numbers, the 911 didn’t let anything stand in the way of its becoming an icon.
This success story spans all the way from the 901 and the Carrera RS 2.7 (which with its characteristic rear spoiler—the so-called “ducktail”— was the fastest production car of its time) right up to the last generation of the 991. The famous automotive photographer René Staud showcases the most important models—all in his typically radiant and distinctive style.
The Porsche Book: The Best Porsche Images by Frank M. Orel (click for info)
This collection of imagery is an exciting and dynamic look at the brand’s most influential sports and race car designs throughout its seven decades of production. As you browse, you embark on a nostalgic, visually-stimulating journey through the annals of high-performance motor engineering and design.
The book’s dynamic layout and design capture every element of these ultimate rides—power, freedom and speed. Captivated from the first glance, you will keep coming back for more! After a while, the book becomes like your own personal road movie as the sights and sounds come to life. Revel in innovative images of all the most famous Porsches—shot in glamorous locales across the globe.
Porsche 911: The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon (click for info)
Porsche 911: The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon explains how this German car became a global phenomenon and a symbol of aspiration, freedom, and the appetite for perfection, and even more, why, around the world, the 911 continues to fascinate gentlemen, ladies, and rogue drivers.
In this book, Ulf Poschardt sends Porsche drivers to the shrink and concludes that a little narcissism can be a healthy thing; he then takes them on an engaging journey through the checkered history that defines their pride and joy. Not everyone can, nor indeed should, drive a Porsche, but Porsche 911: The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon lays bare the raw driving force behind the 911 for anyone intrepid enough to discover.
Porsche Unexpected: Discoveries in Collecting (click for info)
In Porsche Unexpected: Discoveries in Collecting, we will journey with Robert Ingram and his family as they fall in love with Porsche and create their own world-class collection of the marque. We learn that what started as an innocent trip to the Monterey Historics led to a familiarity with the marque to an intense relationship that attempts to quantify the Porsche experience from its earliest days to its future direction.
Porsche Unexpected is researched and written by Porsche historian Randy Leffingwell, and Cameron Ingram, the second generation of Ingram Porschefiles. After being mesmerized by the early 356 Speedsters, Cam created Road Scholars which has become one of the most respected Porsche restoration houses in the world. This title relates the Ingram family experiences as they began collecting, analyzing their efforts with those from major collectors who also jumped into car collecting. Porsche Unexpected will then delve into the collection which reads like an all-star list for any fan of the marque. From Gmünd Coupe to 550 Spyder, Speedsters, 356 Carreras, every variation of 911—L, S, RS, SC/RS, Turbo, GT3—and the 959 and Carrera GT supercars, this book is also a must-have for anyone interest in Porsche.
