Having a copy to leaf through at the Silverstone Porsche Experience Centre is one thing, but having your own copy in your kitchen is something else. I had almost forgotten how nice this book was. I heartily recommend that you all get one, too!
The huge number of pictures alone are worth it for me, but it reminds me that I really should start learning German. My eldest studies German in school, so I’ve got someone to speak it with at home.
Thanks to author and walking Porsche encyclopedia, Herr Landenberger, for signing this wonderful work of art especially for me! Something to treasure, for sure.
It’s about six weeks since I spent a day with Porsche Cars GB at the Silverstone Experience Centre. If you’ve never been there, the upstairs overlooking Silverstone’s Hangar Straight and the Porsche handling circuit is a great place to while away a few hours.
As soon as I got to Silverstone, I sailed upstairs and grabbed a coffee, then sat on the sofas to wait for the rest. On the table in front of me was a giant book I had never seen before. It was Porsche: Die Marke. Die Werbung. by company archivist, Dieter Landenberger.
Dieter had mentioned this book at our last meeting during Nurburgring 24, 2011. Standing at the top of the TUV Tower at 2am, eating ice cream and watching racing, Herr Landenberger told how his latest book examined all of Porsche’s advertising from the earliest days right to the present. Here was that book, and it was pretty special.
The whole thing is in German, which won’t upset the ardent Porsche fan. I’ve seen a lot of Porsche ads and images over my years as a fan, but there were loads in this book I had never seen before. I sat engrossed in it for almost an hour until someone pointed out it was time to get driving.
After the day, I searched the Internet for the book, finding only one copy online through an eBay store in America, but the postage was huge and the guy would not return my emails. I added the book to my Amazon wish list and set up a Google Alert but, five weeks later, there was still no sign. I decided to email the shop at the Porsche Museum.
It took a day to get a reply from Porsche but, yes, they had it in stock, and what was my address for postage? UPS came to €12, so with €50 for the book, it was worth getting sorted. The coolest thing was, I emailed the author (below) and asked him to sign it before despatch, which he was happy to do. Waiting for it to arrive now!
The Porsche Museum Shop couldn’t have been more helpful on email and over the phone. If you’re chasing something interesting, give them a shout and tell them I sent you!
In the midst of the excitement around their upcoming event, Sebring tweeted this great Porsche 906 pic with the text: “I would say this photographer got pretty close to the action at Sebring ’67.” I loved it: the sliding Carrera 6 must have clipped that tyre by microns. Clearly whoever was driving knew their Porsche well! I set out to find the driver.
First place to look was an entry list for Sebring 1967 and the drivers of car 49. Car 48 was the MG of Timo Mäkinen and 50 was another MG. All the 906s were up in the 30s, including one with Hans Hermann and Jo Siffert, but there was nothing for car 49.
A quick look on the Sebring Facebook page showed the same pic, but a few people dating it to 1966, when Siffert and Charles Vogele drove Charles’ 906 with number 49 to sixth overall. But that car was red. I dug around a bit more and found a few pics of the Sebring 1967 4-Hour, but this was another dead end.
Weighing just 600 kilos and with perfect balance, the 906 Carrera 6 with eventual fuel injection was successful into the 1970s as the 906E, so I looked at later years. Google didn’t help much, so I switched to the next most powerful search engine: eBay.
A quick search on ebay for 906 Sebring threw up this pic from 1969. Checking an entry list from 1969 confirmed a Porsche 906 raced as number 49, driven by Dr. Merwin (Merv) Rosen and Dave Morrell.
A quick google for Merv found a hardcore Illinois racer and an SCCA legend in his Porsche 906, with great results all across America. I also found an email address and have sent him a message: would be cool to hear more about his career. Merv if you’re out there, please say hello!
I’ve got three girls, but that doesn’t mean all television is My Little Pony. My two youngest are quite technically minded and like to know how stuff works, so Discovery Channel’s How It’s Made is perfect.
Here’s a piece we just watched together – the two youngest are home from school with colds this week. How It’s Made filmed this at Brembo’s manufacturing plant for ceramic brake discs. It’s pretty fascinating stuff: no wonder ceramic brakes are not the cheapest things out there.
The Porsche 912 Speedster from a few days ago went down a storm on Ferdinand Magazine’s Facebook page, which is heading towards 50,000 likes. I’ve got some more details to share on the custom 912, which previous owner Ryan tells me now lives with another friend of mine in Belgium. Small world!
The builder of this 912 Speedster had previously developed some successful race cars. He chose the 912 as it was lighter than a 911, it was a four-cylinder like the 356 Speedster, and the shorter four-cylinder engine mounted close to the firewall gave a lower ultimate height across the engine, which would help it achieve a lower rear deck line.
No computers were used to shape the body: just very careful measuring. After the roof was cut off, Wilbur Brothers bodyshop in Stockwell, Indiana removed the bodywork above the rear wing tops and replaced with a cowling constructed from two Karmann Ghia panels, which gave a lower rear end and less rake.
Like the 356 Speedster’s engine cover, this 912’s rear lid is a hatch that does not extend to the lower rear panel. It was made by welding the 912’s engine cover in place, mating two Ghia engine covers together, then cutting a hole for the 912 grill: an interesting solution.
Modified Speedster windscreen posts hold the shortened 912 windshield. The glass-free doors have custom door caps and plexiglass side windows.
To strengthen the chassis, metal plates were welded to the A-posts. Steel box section was welded into the sill sections, from front to rear wheel housings. The car went through a complete restoration and then had a fresh coat of red. Can’t wait to see this in the metal one day.
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