Graham Robson is a holler good known in the motoring world, together with he has a few events coming upwards this month. Sat volition run across him chatting to David Richards, CBE at Beaulieu National Motor Museum, together with Mon the twelfth volition run across him at Bristol Pegasus Motor Club, alongside Brian Culcheth, talking nearly the 1970 World Cup Rally.
As if he's non busy enough, Graham has also been reviewing but about of our books. Today, nosotros select you lot Graham's review of The Ultimate book of the air-cooled Porsche.
"Note carefully that discussion – Ultimate – for it told us everything nosotros needed to know nearly this monumental written report of Porsche's iconic 911. But alongside 592 pages, good over 1250 illustrations, together with plenty exceptional to satisfy whatever enthusiast's retentiveness banks, could it live anything else. We could, inwards fact, accept expected cypher less from Brian Long, who is a totally addicted admirer of these cars. Not alone has he owned 911s, driven 911s, together with been involved inwards the restoration of 911s, but has clearly been totally besotted alongside these cars for the half-century inwards which they accept been on the world's roads.
The real begin 911, consummate alongside its rear-mounted flat-six air-cooed engine, went on sale inwards 1964, together with the lastly was assembled inwards 1998, when it was finally replaced past times nevertheless to a greater extent than 911s, but thereafter equipped alongside water-cooled engines. In those thirty-four years, Long has somehow managed to include a description of the myriad dissimilar specifications, engines, transmissions, colour schemes, specialised marketplace position types, coupes, convertibles together with contest versions – together with has somehow kept it all understandable to a casual reader (who will, nosotros promise, larn an avid reader before long afterwards).
Because this is a huge, together with bulky book, which comes inwards its ain special slip-case, nosotros expected to notice beautifully-presented colour images on almost every page, together with were non disappointed, but were also vastly impressed past times the first-class motion-picture demo quality, the diversity of car, component, brochure together with advertising reproductions and, amazingly, past times the easy-to-follow means inwards which the volume is pose out. This, of course, inwards non a volume which tin live skimmed at a sitting, but needs careful written report – together with the enjoyment of reading a existent tour de force.
Over the years, together with because at that spot were together with so many dissimilar engine sizes, ability ratings, carburetted, fuel-injected together with turbocharged models, all matched to rear-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive, dissimilar colour charts for every model year, together with special specifications for special markets, a seemingly endless development of Porsche's dedication to their layout (and style) merges. You take away to know the exceptional technical specification for each model year? It's there. You desire to know what combination of trunk colour together with bring down layout was available for exceptional markets? How many cars were built inwards each model year? That's all at that spot too.
Yet Long, somehow has given this monumental volume a existent topic from begin to finish, of how the motorcar which started out alongside treatment together with other shortcomings, but which gradually became the standard past times which all its rivals measured themselves, developed. To make upwards one's heed whether this tome is worth £175, you lot take away alone remind yourself that nearly 457,000 air-cooled 911s were built, together with you lot volition run across that the magic is really world-wide."
Note: This volume is a express edition of but 911 copies together with is alone available straight from Veloce's website.
Be certain to check out the broad gain of Graham Robson books nosotros accept inwards stock over on our website.
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