Porsche Racing Cars: 1953 to 1975

Reviews / Votes

this book should not be missing in the library of anyone who dares call [themselves] a Porschist. Oldtimer Magazine/ Dreamcar Magazine Startline magazine, December 2008UK magazine The words 'Porsche' and 'racing' go hand in hand. This book follows Porsche's year-by-year exploits in top flight motor racing, and looks in detail at the pure competition cars that brought the German marque such immense success in motorsport, and, with it, worldwide acclaim. This volume begins with the story of the giant-killing 550 Spyders of 1953 vintage and takes the reader through a series of racing models, including the glorious 917, up to 1975 via contemporary photography and deeply researched, extremely readable text from an acknowledged Porsche authority. A second volume covers 1976 onwards. Australian Classic Cars, March 2009Australian magazine This title is the first of two books Brian Long has written on Porsche racing cars. In this volume, Long concentrates on the exploits of Porsche's pure, early racers beginning with the 550 Spyders appearing in 1953 through the GT cars in the 1960s to the supercars of the mid-1970s. He identifies the cars falling in between as motorsport and design milestones that other manufacturers used as benchmarks for automotive development. The first chapter, named 'Setting the Scene', will help Porsche newcomers with detailed biographies of Professor Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferry, set in the context of their company's growth. This growth begins with the design of the Volkswagen and later motor sport projects with Cisitalia and Carlo Abarth after WWII, even before the 550 Spyders. Though Long's approach, focus and presentation throughout this book are undeniably technical, the contemporary photographs and other images, all thoroughly captioned, save the day for readers like me, more attuned to history and the human side of this story. He has written a chapter for each year from 1953 to 1975, and gives readers an important tip in the first of these chapters the harshness of the war has influenced Porsche thinking, and the concept of 'evolution' is crucial at the factory. "Nothing ever goes to waste, and the gentle refinement of ideas takes precedence over making headlines with revolutionary concepts at odds with theories established by Ferry Porsche and his father." The philosophy is in evidence through the ensuing chapters. Each race that Porsche entered became a learning opportunity for improvement. Instead of adopting radical innovations, progressive changes kept Porsche at the cutting edge at Le Mans, Targa Florio, Mille Miglia and Monte Carlo, and Sebring and Daytona. "