PORSCHE: EXCELLENCE WAS EXPECTED

Karl Ludvigsen’s masterwork, Porsche: Excellence was Expected, is the unrivalled history of the Porsche company, its products and the firm’s motor racing heritage, from the first Gmünd coupe in 1948, through its sixty years as an independent manufacturer, to its success under the auspices of the Volkswagen Group. Make no mistake, this is the ultimate reference library for all things Porsche.

Over four decades ago, the first edition of Porsche: Excellence Was Expected was hailed as the definitive archetypal marque history. Updates in 2003 and 2008 continued to enhance the title’s enviable reputation. For this latest edition, Ludvigsen — a regular contributor to Classic Porsche — reviewed newly available Porsche archival material, conducted many in-depth interviews and unearthed fresh facts, allowing new and surprising interpretations of many aspects of the Porsche company and its cars, as well as appraisal of the brand’s work in the field of automotive electrification. Now totalling four volumes, 2,834 pages and close to 3,000 photos and illustrations, every page has been revised and redesigned — new text, images, tables, graphs and illustrations feature throughout.

The first volume, Surpassing Expectations, covers the period 1948-1971. Comprising forty-two chapters, it documents Porsche’s origins, the design and development of the 356, four-cam cars, Porsche in F1, the birth of the 911 and contesting the big races. Book two, Hitting the Apex, features thirty chapters covering 1967-1989. The 914, 917, Le Mans victories, return of the Carrera nameplate, experiments in turbocharging, front-engined models, V8s and Group C racing are all examined in detail.

The third volume, Comeback, includes twenty-nine chapters spanning the years 1982-2008. The 944’s huge-volume production, the arrival of the 959, Porsche’s return to F1 (as an engine supplier), the end of the air-cooled era, Boxster development, Cayenne product lines and the Carrera GT are all scrutinised, while the collection’s fourth and final hardback, 21st Century, presents a further thirty-one chapters looking at Porsche history between 2002 and the present. RS Spyders in LMP2, water-cooled 911s, the four-door Panamera, 981, Macan market success, the 919 E-hybrid’s domination of endurance racing, the all-electric Taycan and Porsche’s intentions for future product development are all laid bare.

Widely regarded as the gold standard of automotive books, Porsche: Excellence was Expected is the essential element in every Porschephile’s reference library. The complete collection weighs in at almost fourteen kilos, highlighting just how much has been packed into every volume of this beautifully presented quartet of 27x36x30cm hardbacks from celebrated automotive publishing house, Bentley Publishers. We won’t pretend the cost is chump change, but the reward is priceless.

Price: $524.95

(Currently on offer at Amazon UK for £298.49)

Order direct from bentleypublishers.com