The Porsche Book
By Jürgen Barth and Gustav Büsing
This book’s title tells you everything you need to know, and if not, the subtitle, “The Complete History of Types and Models,” finishes the job. This three-volume slip-cased set is the first English-language update of the 1977 original in 25 years, and obviously contains a quarter century of new information. Beyond his work as a factory engineer, author Barth also won Le Mans in 1977, partnered with Jacky Ickx and Hurley Haywood in a 936.
Published by David Bull in observance of Porsche’s 60th anniversary, the first volume covers the 356 and 911 models with all their production and racing versions. Volume 2 tackles the mid- and front-engined variants—including the 914, 924, 944, Boxster, Cayman, and Cayenne—while Book 3 deals with the purpose-built Porsche racecars up to and including the 2008 ALMS LMP2 class champion RS Spyder.
The facts of all this are embellished with more than 2,100 photographs and drawings, plus detailed specification charts listing chassis and engine numbers. With text tending toward straightforward factual analysis in typically Teutonic fashion, aficionados of the marque will surely find nirvana somewhere in these pages.
Available for $299.95 through enthusiast bookstores or directly from the publisher at www.bullpublishing.com or by calling (602) 852-9500.
