Book Review of
Porsche 911
Classic German Sports Car
Pen & Sword Car Craft Series
Author: Lance Cole
ISBN: 9781526756800
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $28.95
Author: Lance Cole
ISBN: 9781526756800
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $28.95
HISTORY:
Recognized as one of the most important sports cars in the history of the automobile, Porsche’s 911 represents a vital story in the annals of the design and driving of the motor car.
A true icon, 911 is a designer legend – and a driving tool par excellence; the 911 stemmed from the Porsche 356 yet created a new era and a new international definition of style amid global motor sport record of success across race and rally events,
The Porsche 911 (pronounced Nine Eleven or in German: Neunelfer) is a two-door, 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car. Introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and all round independent suspension.
It has undergone continuous development, though the basic concept has remained unchanged. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998, with the 993, produced from 1994–1998 model years, being the last of the air-cooled Porsche sports cars.
The 911 has been modified by private teams and by the factory itself for racing, rallying, and other forms of automotive competition. It is among the most successful competition cars. In the mid-1970s, the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSR won major world championship sports car races, such as Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Daytona, even against prototypes.
The 911-derived 935 turbo also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979 and Porsche won World Championship for Makes titles in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 with 911-derived models.
In the 1999 international poll to determine the Car of the Century, the 911 came fifth. It is one of two in the top five that had remained continuously in production (the original Beetle remained in production until 2003), and was until 1998 a successful surviving application of the air- (now water-) cooled opposed rear-engine layout pioneered by its ancestor, the Porsche 356.
It is one of the oldest sports coupé nameplates still in production with one million manufactured as of May 2017.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Porsche AG
Production: 1963–present
Assembly Germany: Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
Designer: Ferdinand Butzi Porsche (original design)
Body and chassis body styles: 2-door coupé, 2-door convertible, 2-door targa top, 2-door speedster
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Related: Porsche 911 GT1, Porsche 911 GT2, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 912, Porsche 934, Porsche 935, Porsche 959, Porsche Boxster, Ruf RGT, Ruf CTR, Ruf CTR2.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword is located in England.
This book is soft-bound of 64 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows 3 color photos of the Porsche 911 and a color side view profile of another. The photo at the top is a 911 GTRS.
The book holds 199 color photos.
Included is: a 911B Monza, a 911 GTRS, a 912, 28 photos of the 911, 4 photos of the 356 Cabriolet, 2 photos of the 1500 grill & dashboard, a photo of the 911S dash board and air intake, the 911 engine, 4 walk-around type photos of the 911, 5 photos of the 911 Targa and its interior, 2 photos of the 964’s engine, a 959, two walk-around type photos of the 993, a GT3, 5 photos of a 997 and its dashboard, a RS, 5 photos of the 991’s dashboard, a 901, 3 photos of the Le Mans 930S.
Plastic models shown are:
Five photos of the Amalgam brand 1/18th scale 911R Monza.
Eleven photos of the Tamiya Brand 1/12th scale 911-924 RSR Turbo.
Eight photos of the Amalgam brand 1/18th scale 911 RSR.
Ten photos of the Schuco brand 1/18th scale 911-991 Targa.
Five photos of the Tamiya brand 1/25th scale 911 GT2.
For profiles there is color 4-views of:
Two for the 911.
Also a 3-view & 5 view.
A side profile of:
The 911 Targa convertible
The 911 Carrera series:
911-930 turbo
Two of the 991
A 2-view of the 993
A 911 GTS
THE AUTHOR:
Lance Cole is a journalist and the author of over a dozen books. He has written features and news items for many of the major automotive titles. He has been a columnist with the Daily Telegraph, The Independent and the South China Post. His books include “Bugatti Blue”, “Vickers VC10”, “Secrets of the Spitfire”, Saab Cars” and “The Classic Car Adventure”.
Lance has worked in car design and he has restored several classic cars. He has off-road and 4x4 driving experience in Jeeps and Land Rovers in Africa and Australia.
This book will be of great interest to car modelers, planning on doing a Porsche 911 variant, and also to car enthusiasts.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword books for this review sample.
All Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Recognized as one of the most important sports cars in the history of the automobile, Porsche’s 911 represents a vital story in the annals of the design and driving of the motor car.
A true icon, 911 is a designer legend – and a driving tool par excellence; the 911 stemmed from the Porsche 356 yet created a new era and a new international definition of style amid global motor sport record of success across race and rally events,
The Porsche 911 (pronounced Nine Eleven or in German: Neunelfer) is a two-door, 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car. Introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and all round independent suspension.
It has undergone continuous development, though the basic concept has remained unchanged. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998, with the 993, produced from 1994–1998 model years, being the last of the air-cooled Porsche sports cars.
The 911 has been modified by private teams and by the factory itself for racing, rallying, and other forms of automotive competition. It is among the most successful competition cars. In the mid-1970s, the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSR won major world championship sports car races, such as Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Daytona, even against prototypes.
The 911-derived 935 turbo also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979 and Porsche won World Championship for Makes titles in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 with 911-derived models.
In the 1999 international poll to determine the Car of the Century, the 911 came fifth. It is one of two in the top five that had remained continuously in production (the original Beetle remained in production until 2003), and was until 1998 a successful surviving application of the air- (now water-) cooled opposed rear-engine layout pioneered by its ancestor, the Porsche 356.
It is one of the oldest sports coupé nameplates still in production with one million manufactured as of May 2017.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Porsche AG
Production: 1963–present
Assembly Germany: Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
Designer: Ferdinand Butzi Porsche (original design)
Body and chassis body styles: 2-door coupé, 2-door convertible, 2-door targa top, 2-door speedster
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Related: Porsche 911 GT1, Porsche 911 GT2, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 912, Porsche 934, Porsche 935, Porsche 959, Porsche Boxster, Ruf RGT, Ruf CTR, Ruf CTR2.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword is located in England.
This book is soft-bound of 64 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows 3 color photos of the Porsche 911 and a color side view profile of another. The photo at the top is a 911 GTRS.
The book holds 199 color photos.
Included is: a 911B Monza, a 911 GTRS, a 912, 28 photos of the 911, 4 photos of the 356 Cabriolet, 2 photos of the 1500 grill & dashboard, a photo of the 911S dash board and air intake, the 911 engine, 4 walk-around type photos of the 911, 5 photos of the 911 Targa and its interior, 2 photos of the 964’s engine, a 959, two walk-around type photos of the 993, a GT3, 5 photos of a 997 and its dashboard, a RS, 5 photos of the 991’s dashboard, a 901, 3 photos of the Le Mans 930S.
Plastic models shown are:
Five photos of the Amalgam brand 1/18th scale 911R Monza.
Eleven photos of the Tamiya Brand 1/12th scale 911-924 RSR Turbo.
Eight photos of the Amalgam brand 1/18th scale 911 RSR.
Ten photos of the Schuco brand 1/18th scale 911-991 Targa.
Five photos of the Tamiya brand 1/25th scale 911 GT2.
For profiles there is color 4-views of:
Two for the 911.
Also a 3-view & 5 view.
A side profile of:
The 911 Targa convertible
The 911 Carrera series:
911-930 turbo
Two of the 991
A 2-view of the 993
A 911 GTS
THE AUTHOR:
Lance Cole is a journalist and the author of over a dozen books. He has written features and news items for many of the major automotive titles. He has been a columnist with the Daily Telegraph, The Independent and the South China Post. His books include “Bugatti Blue”, “Vickers VC10”, “Secrets of the Spitfire”, Saab Cars” and “The Classic Car Adventure”.
Lance has worked in car design and he has restored several classic cars. He has off-road and 4x4 driving experience in Jeeps and Land Rovers in Africa and Australia.
This book will be of great interest to car modelers, planning on doing a Porsche 911 variant, and also to car enthusiasts.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword books for this review sample.
All Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.