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Post by DeadCanDanceR on Jun 14, 2022 18:41:18 GMT -5
Jaguar Design: A Story of Style - You might have to be a bit deep into the Jaguar weeds like me to fully appreciate this book. Its a hefty tome, with 512 pages in a larger format (9.5" x 11.5") which makes the over 500 illustrations, many not published before, stand out. Its an in-depth look at the styling that took place from the very beginning making motorcycle sidecars to the present, what the vision was and the various ideas, prototypes and obstacles they overcame to meet that vision. I have thumbed through the book a couple times and have started the text. I think that a quote from Ian Callum, former head of Jaguar design sums up the content of the book. When asked if form should not follow function?, he replied, "Yes of course, but one of the functions of a Jaguar is to be beautiful." Regardless of whether you agree that they always achieved that function or not, The book is an in-depth look at how they went about doing it. By the way… This post led me to buy this book. It arrived a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been enjoying it immensely! It’s a truly wonderful, extremely beautiful and interesting book! ❣️
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Post by Alfaholic on Jun 14, 2022 22:46:11 GMT -5
We share quite a few books Jerry (apart from the Jaguar ones of course ). I still need a copy of Mon Ami Mate but they go for "sheep stations" these days.
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Post by Tom on Jun 15, 2022 0:11:35 GMT -5
I could spend a few weeks there...
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 25, 2023 12:26:15 GMT -5
A book that will likely have greater interest among USA and N. American enthusiasts, Max Hoffman was responsible for the introduction of many foreign marques in this important market in the 1950's and 60's. Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Fiat, Lancia, Porsche & Facel Vega are some of the brands which Hoffman helped establish through his distributor and dealer networks. To enthusiasts outside the USA, Hoffman was responsible for using his influence with manufacturers to make the Mercedes 300 SL roadster, Porsche America and later the Speedster, the BMW 507 & Bavaria and such niceties as roll-up windows in the Alfa Giulietta Spyder. His 1950's Frank Lloyd Wright designed building on Park Avenue in New York City was his renowned flagship dealership and was used by Mercedes Benz up until 2012. Reviled or revered depending on if you were a manufacturer or enthusiast, Hoffman was a keen businessman who always used the desire by manufacturers to get access to the American market to his advantage. He put together distributor deals which always extracted the maximum dollar out of each car sold, as well as contracts that ended costing Mercedes, Jaguar, Alfa, Volkswagen and BMW millions when they no longer felt Hoffman was of further value to them. I knew of Hoffman and his distributing mostly Jaguar and the mid-50's legal fight that ensued to end their relationship. Until I read this book, I didn't know the depth and extent in which he operated coast to coast and had initially dealt and later extracted his millions from the other manufacturers. The author had access to the cooperate archives of all the major players to produce contract information, photos and other information to tell a very interesting story of this segment of the car business in the years following WWII. I though a Mercedes executive summed up their dealings with Hoffman well. The money they paid him during their relationship and after, was money well spent. They could not have bought the USA market recognition and acceptance of their products for less. It is implied that many of the other brands felt the same. Only in America!
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Post by Tom on Apr 25, 2023 12:36:26 GMT -5
A name that you come across time and time again when reading about cars. A great read, I'd say.
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Post by DeadCanDanceR on Apr 25, 2023 16:54:29 GMT -5
Excellent! It looks like a very enjoyable book!
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Post by WallOfCars on Apr 25, 2023 18:22:30 GMT -5
Jerry, that's a name I've seen in print since my car madness began in the 1970s as a kid. Would often read 'Official Importer Max Hoffman' for all the wild and off-beat brands I fancied. Didn't really understand until recently his influence. I also used to see some importer that was based in King of Prussia, PA. Is there any connection between that and Mr. Hoffman? Perhaps the book would explain if related? Would love to own this one!
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 25, 2023 20:00:03 GMT -5
Jerry, that's a name I've seen in print since my car madness began in the 1970s as a kid. Would often read 'Official Importer Max Hoffman' for all the wild and off-beat brands I fancied. Didn't really understand until recently his influence. I also used to see some importer that was based in King of Prussia, PA. Is there any connection between that and Mr. Hoffman? Perhaps the book would explain if related? Would love to own this one! Hoffman was based in New York and had operations and dealerships in Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as Germany, but no mention of Pennsylvania. His business arrangements were complex and he had area distributors and agents for some brands in different areas. Perhaps one in PA? It's also possible one of the marques once free of Hoffman could have operated for a time from King of Prussia. Volkswagen? Mercedes? Speaking of MB, did you know that for a time Curtiss-Wright was the distributor after Hoffman? Curtiss managed Studebaker-Packard and for a time MB cars, trucks were sold and serviced at Studebaker dealers?
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Post by Alfaholic on Apr 26, 2023 2:45:24 GMT -5
His name pops up in many car related stores, so I can understand if this one is a quality read.
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Post by JSB33 on Apr 29, 2023 10:51:15 GMT -5
That looks to be a super interesting book to have on hand.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 29, 2023 14:27:32 GMT -5
A name that you come across time and time again when reading about cars. A great read, I'd say. Excellent! It looks like a very enjoyable book! His name pops up in many car related stores, so I can understand if this one is a quality read. Yes, Hoffman was very much a name that will come up and the book was very helpful in understanding the role he played in the development and introduction of many great cars. He was by all accounts a very well liked individual by those who met him at a cocktail party, but not who had close business dealings with him. It was interesting to read about his behind the scenes hijinks, wheeling and dealing. He definitely put his interests above all, including the customer. In today's world, a business operator wouldn't successfully get away with the deceptive advertising (no one ever bought a car from Hoffman at the advertised price) and his bait and switch tactics. I was especially interested in how cavalier he was with the manufacturers he distributed for. It wasn't any great mystery why they all ended up terminating their relationship with Max under unpleasant circumstances. One of the stories I thought was rich was a letter Mercedes Benz received from a potential customer in a small East Coast town inquiring on the availability of sales literature since Hoffman's dealer didn't have any. The "dealer" as it turned out wasn't a dealer at all, it was a travel agency recruited by Hoffman to take orders for cars by interested customers. Needless to say, this was a common ploy apparently, with parts and service availability always an after thought. No wonder manufactures all reached the conclusion they could distribute their cars without the services of an expensive middleman. Hoffman wasn't all bad. Besides his influence to get exciting cars made, Hoffman, a keen racer of Porsche's in his own right, actively sold cars to the motor racing fraternity. He also sponsored cars including one of the first Jaguar C-Types in the USA and secured Jaguar's first C-Type win in N. America. What makes it even more interesting is that Hoffman was already on the skids with Jaguar and had setup his distributorship with rival Mercedes Benz without Jaguar's knowledge or approval. The book inspired me to make a reproduction of the Watkins Glen Seneca Cup winner driven by John Fitch in 1952 from a Top Model C-Type I had in my spares box. He later sold this car to friend and customer, Dr. M.R. Wylie who raced the car on occasion, but more often, entered it for his wife Margaret, a successful, pioneering woman race driver in the USA. That looks to be a super interesting book to have on hand. Indeed!
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Post by oldirish33 on Aug 22, 2023 14:56:51 GMT -5
Le Mans, Michelotti and Ferrari Big and Small - I have been trying not to buy more books to add to my already over burdened shelves in my library. However, sometimes titles come along that pique my interest by either their subject matter, to aid in research, rarity, price, or a combination of any of these things. Therefore, I have recently added four books which are welcome additions to the book collection. One even came with prizes! (Please note I have used some online images where mine were crap) 24 Hours of Le Mans Curriosities by Carlos de Paula
I was intrigued by the title when this book came up on a suggested list from Amazon. Published this year, its content and subject matter where of great interest. I can tell you right now this is not a book that many are liable to sit down and read from cover to cover. What it is not, is a book chuck full of interesting pictures and dialog, or information you could probably find online if you knew where to search. What it is, is a year-by-year account of Le Man races through 2022, which has collated facts and figures that even a passing Le Mans fans will find interesting. Besides the winners of each class and index, types of cars entered, driver nationalities, number of laps, miles and kilometers driven, average speed, etc., etc.; it also contains many interesting trivia tidbits, like the name of the Senegalese driver for Porsche in 1975. If you want to know the names of the F1 race winners that raced at Le Mans, it has a table of those names and several more! A great paperback reference book that has me interested in buying the authors similar book on F1. Giovanni Michelotti - A free stylist by Edgardo Michelotti and Giancarlo CavalliniMost car enthusiast, particularly of British and European cars need little introduction to Michelotti, probably the most prolific of sports car designers. This hefty biography of the great designer was co-authored by his son and he is able to offer insight into the man who worked at one time for all the great automotive design houses in Italy, that no one else could. The book has hundreds of images of designs known and unknown (he designed over 1200 cars) in-between the chronicling of his life, thoughts and passions. This is the English language version and printed in 2019, I think widely available. A larger format book, it comes in a nice slip case and is a book I will be pouring over on rainy days and nights this winter. For now, I am happy just to leaf through its pages. I bought the book from my friend Graham Gould who is a brilliant, journalist and author in his own right. Graham is getting on in years and is downsizing his collection. He is selling many of his books on his website (https://motorracingmemorabilia.com/) and I have check it often as the inventory of books for sale changes. I was delighted to find this book available and with it, Graham sent a small collection of pins and bits he thought I would be interested in he has collected over the years. Most with a story of where or how he got it and/or who gave it to him. Shown below is the sampling. Below the Von Trips key chain and Minardi Day 2019 pin, the sharp eyed among you will notice the Light Car Club of Australia and Auto Club of Monaco pins, as well as a Scuderia Sant Amroeus pin. Not shown is a Equipe Nationale Belge pin that I am putting with a Paul Fere/Jaguar signature piece. I am most delighted with the Sant Ambroeus pin, that has to be a fairly rare one. It reminds me I should photo and share my collection of pins and dash badges/plaques collected over the years. The next book was a recommended by a friend of mine while I was doing some Ferrari 250 GT research. Adventures in Ferrari Land by Ed Niles
This two-volume set was written by one of the leading experts on Ferrari in North America, if not the world. Ed Niles began collecting and selling Ferraris in 1960, beginning with the rare double bubble 250 GT Zagato shown on the cover of Vol 1, while on vacation in Italy with his in-laws. Not many at the time, including Ed, knew and/or appreciated what these old Ferraris were. Certainly not in the USA. Over the ensuing decades, he owned over fifty different Ferraris and brokered the sale of hundreds more. Along the way he helped found both the Ferrari Owners Club and the Ferrari Club of North America. He was also a noted writer for many Ferrari club magazines, publications and author of books, all in his unique writing style. This is another couple of books destined for a through reading with winter right around the corner. Vol 1 of the two book set is a recollection of how Ed came to own his different Ferraris, their history and stories of their owners both famous, infamous and relatively unknown. It is a good history book on the evolution and development of Ferrari production cars (and their racing influence) in the 1950's and 60's. Vol. 2 is a collection of Ed's best writings over the years on a variety of subjects Ferrari. Ed passed away in 2021 and the book was published last year. It is available on Amazon for a nice discount (how I could justify buying it). 1/43 Ferrari Miniatures by Daniele et Jean-Marie Lastu
Last, but certainly not least is this book that tries to catalog every known Ferrari model produced in 1/43 scale up until its publish date of 1992. I found it while looking for books on Ferrari 250 GT's and at less than $10 USD with shipping, I was expecting a small booklet type publication at best. Much to my surprise came this 367 page hard cover book with mostly color images of Ferrari models known and unknown, from makers that are still around (Box, Brumm, Best, Solido, etc.) and those that have faded by the wayside (Starter, FDS, BAM, AMR, Tenariv, etc.) The book is laid out by year and Ferarri models from that year by maker (kits and ready made) A chart at the end of each year details the models of Ferraris from that year, the maker, if it was a kit or ready-made, material the model was made from and race version if applicable. The illustrated examples of models offered in kits are of the built versions. At the end there is a nice index of all the manufactures and short history of each. It had to be a fairly ambitious undertaking, even at the time. Written in French, but easy enough to use Google translate. This era of modeling is very interesting to me and hand built models from this era are of particular interest. To me its like a history book in many respects and as time marches on the history of some of the companies and their products fades. When discussing my love for hand-built models of this period, my wife said that since I am older, I am just trying to get in touch with my roots.
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Post by Tom on Aug 22, 2023 15:50:30 GMT -5
Great selection of books and fantastic memorabilia Jerry! I used to have all these old books about models myself but when space was getting tight they were the first to go. I liked leafing through them- I just rationalised it for myself and said they were outdated. I might just regret that now.
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Post by DeadCanDanceR on Aug 22, 2023 17:13:00 GMT -5
Wow! Lots of cool stuff, Jerry! The book about Michelotti must be really enjoyable! I need one of those!
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Post by Alfaholic on Aug 22, 2023 21:25:11 GMT -5
That is indeed a wonderful selection and all would be welcome here. The 1:43 book along with the LM one really do appeal to my slight OCD tendencies especially . Edit: You've now got me to purchase the Le Mans book - Nice work!
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