Porsche 75th Anniversary

Expect the Unexpected

By Randy Leffingwell

Foreword by Hurley Haywood

Perhaps it's appropriate that this excellent biopic of Porsche's 75th birthday is American, given the USA has formed the marque's best market since 1955. The book captures seventy-five years of relentless and innovative sports cardevelopment supported by glittering racing success, including nineteen wins overall at Le Mans, five at Daytona and 19 at Sebring, plus countless others and they're still competing today. 

From humble beginnings in a small sawmill in Gmünd, Austria, the multitalented Porsche dynasty created one of the most iconic global marques, but the Porsche story began long before that with family patriarch Ferdinand Porsche, a brilliant and visionary engineer, developing the Lohner-Porsche voiturette, powered by an electric motor on each wheel giving 20-mph performance, in 1900. As an engineering consultant Ferdinand also developed what would become the Volkswagen Beetle, a car for post-war Germany.

Construction started on the 'Gmünd Coupe' at the incongruous sawmill in 1948 before relocating to Zuffenhausen as Porsche in 1950 complete with research and development facilities, including a test track, at nearby Weissach which also formed its motorsport base. Both sites within the borough of Stuttgart. From the outset Porsche grasped theconcept of developing sports cars in the white heat of international motor racing to garner the valuable advertising and development potential that medium brought to the company.

During this time the success of the fledgling company was guided by several astute and loyal engineers, who spent entire careers intertwined with Porsche. Legendary names included Peter Falk, Helmuth Bott, Herbert Linge, Norbert Singer, and Jurgen Barth, also a talented race driver and 1977 Le Mans winner.  

Written by Randy Leffingwell, formerly of the Los Angeles Times, who has written more than 50 books on subjects ranging from sports cars, motorcycles and tractors and as well as being a prolific author, Leffingwell is considered one of today's top transportation photographers and historians. 

First published by Motorbooks in 2022, this top quality 255-page, 255mm X 310mm hardback coffee table bookchronicles Porsche's 75-year journey in 30 easy to read chapters covering timespans, model ranges and motorsport achievements. It is a compelling book to read as well as providing an invaluable reference for enthusiasts of Porsche and international motor racing. With a cover price of £45.00/$60.00. Ref: ISBN: 978-0-7603-7266-1 the book is available from: specialsales@quarto.com

KJD