French Kiss with Death special offer now on website

“While Supplies Last!” We now have a new special offer for the French Kiss with Death softcover live on the website. For $59.95, folks can get a copy of the book along with author Michael Keyser’s The Making of Le Mans DVD. The DVD has some extra photos and slideshows of artwork from the book, as well as stuff that didn’t make the cut, but the very interesting thing for fans of the Le Mans movie is an actual 14 minute documentary about the making of the movie that was filmed during the production. You can see a two-minute clip of it here:

Check out the product page for the special offer here: Product page

 

Porsche History – Part 4

In the 1950s the bodies for the Porsche 356 were built and fully painted at the Reutter factory and then delivered with windows and interior equipment. Porsche subsequently undertook fitting of the engine and running gear. In 1964, Porsche purchased the Reutter carbody factory. This meant that for the first time Porsche was in possession of an independent automobile factory.

In 1969, vehicle assembly moved into the newly built multistory building on Schwieberdinger Straße. At that time, vehicle interior equipment was fitted on the third floor. Installing the engine and bolting together the running gear followed on the second floor.

In 1979, a second production line was introduced for the production of the Porsche 928.

This was the first time that a hanger system was used in running gear installation, which was adopted for the Porsche 911 a short time later. At the beginning of the 1980s, Porsche converted to movement on skids on the third floor. The assembly process was still executed on a static vehicle. However, at the end of the cycle assemblies were forwarded automatically within the respective production section. In the meantime, production technology at Porsche has been developed further so that the Boxster and 911 are now both assembled using the mixed-model system on a continuous line.

Since 1987, bodies welded previously in the main plant have been transported from a newly erected body shell production site over a bridge to the paint shop and then fed to the assembly hall.

 

Porsche History – Part 3

The upholstery section was initially housed in the body shell assembly building belonging to Reutter. The front and rear seats, convertible tops and interior trims were produced here for the Porsche 356. With the run down of the Porsche 356 model range, seat production was transferred to Recaro. As from this point the Porsche 911 was manufactured exclusively as a Coupé, production of convertible tops was no longer required. In 1969, the upholstery section was moved to the newly constructed assembly building. Since this time a continued growth in the proportion of leather used for panel trim can be observed, a trend which continues today.

The expansion of capacity for vehicle assembly made it necessary to move the upholstery section to the building previously used for engine assembly.

After 1982 all upholstery areas were brought together and accommodated in the high-bay warehouse building. Production of convertible tops was taken up again for the 911 Cabriolet and Targa models. However, partially with the introduction of the Porsche Boxster in 1996 and then completely on the arrival of the new Porsche 911 in 1997 it was transferred to the subsidiary jointly owned with DaimlerChrysler.

Despite numerous technical innovations, such as the use of automatic sewing machines since the end of the 1980s or the spraying of adhesive, work in the upholstery section is characterized by its craftsmanship to this day. This is also reflected in the number of employees, which increased from around 60 in the mid 1950s to 250 today.

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Ferdinand Porsche–Genesis of Genius wins New England Book Show best of Pictorial Books!

The results of the annual New England Book Show have been announced by Book Builders of Boston. Karl Ludvigsen’s Ferdinand Porsche–Genesis of Genius has won Best in Category within the Pictorial books category. Full listings of the 52nd annual New England Book Show winners is on the Book Builders of Boston website.

Description of The New England Book Show from the website:

The New England Book Show is an annual juried show that recognizes the year’s most outstanding work by New England publishers, printers and graphic designers. Winning books are selected for their design, quality of materials, and workmanship. Books, covers, and other media are judged in categories that include el-hi, college, trade, juvenile, etc.

The winning entries are displayed at a festive dinner, where attendees receive a handsome catalog containing photos, specifications, and production credits for each winner.

The 2009 New England Book Show will be held on Tuesday April 21 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston.

 

Author Karl Ludvigsen wins three awards at annual Guild of Motoring Writers dinner

Ludvigsen with Lord Montagu

Bentley Publishers congratulates author Karl Ludvigsen for his honors at the annual Guild of Motoring Writers dinner Friday, December 12 at the Royal Automobile Club in London. Ludvigsen took home three awards, including the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy, presented by the Lord Montagu himself (pictured above on the right with Ludvigsen), for his landmark book Ferdinand Porsche – Genesis of Genius. This trophy is given annually to “the Guild member who makes the greatest contribution to recording, in the English language, the history of motoring or motorcycling.”

More on the awards ceremony below:

Hat Trick of Awards for Journalist-Author

LONDON 12 December 2008 – In a glittering ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club here, three of the twenty awards given by the respected Guild of Motoring Writers for 2008 went to a single honouree. Suffolk-based Karl Ludvigsen was the recipient.

The Guild’s Award for Automotive Technology Journalism went to Ludvigsen for his article about the evolution of the Porsche 911 engine published in AutoAficionado magazine. The award, which recognises ‘excellence in writing technical articles valued by specialists but also interesting to non-specialists,’ was presented by its sponsor, technology communications company Market Engineering.

For the second time Karl Ludvigsen received the Aston Martin International Trophy, ‘recognising excellence in journalistic achievement by a Guild member working in the international field.’ The award cited Ludvigsen’s in-depth profile of controversial FIA president Max Mosley, published in America’s Automobile Quarterly.

Ludvigsen’s third award-perhaps the most prestigious-was the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and presented by Lord Montagu, creator of Britain’s National Motor Museum. Its recipient is ‘the Guild member who makes the greatest contribution to recording, in the English language, the history of motoring or motorcycling.’

Recognised by the judges for 2008 was Ludvigsen’s Ferdinand Porsche-Genesis of Genius. A magisterial history of Porsche’s early life and work, it was published by Bentley Publishers. This was Ludvigsen’s third Montagu since he was the Trophy’s first winner in 1972.

‘I hardly know what to say,’ reacted a surprised Ludvigsen. ‘I’m very grateful to the Guild and the judges who thought these works deserving. These awards are tremendously motivating to an author. I’ll do my best to live up to their standards.’

As well as trophies the awards carried cash prizes. Karl Ludvigsen was £3,500 better off after the evening.

 

Perfect gift for the Porsche enthusiast

Cover

Ferdinand Porsche-
Genesis of Genius
Road, Racing and Aviation Innovation 1900 to 1933
by Karl Ludvigsen
Hardcover, 9.5 in. by 12 in.
496 pages
570 photos & illustrations
Language: English
Bentley Stock Number: GPGE
ISBN-13: 978-0-8376-1334-5
Price: $274.95
Limited Edition of 500
For more information on this collector’s edition, click here.

Bentley Publishers is proud to announce the publication of the newest Porsche historical book by Karl Ludvigsen, author of the award-winning Porsche: Excellence Was Expected.

This limited collector’s edition has been built to the personal standards of Ernst Piëch, Ferdinand Porsche’s eldest grandson.

In Ferdinand Porsche-Genesis of Genius, author Karl Ludvigsen reveals a dynamic young innovator who helped to chart the course of the automobile through the first decades of the twentieth century. As early as 1900, at the age of 25, Ferdinand Porsche pioneered hybrid technology to power his automobile designs. Once gasoline gained dominance as the power-source of choice, Porsche became relentless in his goal to design the fastest and most durable automobiles in Europe.

Porsche’s engineering brilliance did not stop at the automobile. He also made significant contributions to the early development of airplane engines and military transport vehicles. And in addition to his hands-on style of engineering, Ferdinand Porsche was a tireless managing executive in the automotive industry.

Ferdinand Porsche-Genesis of Genius explores in depth the unique combination of ambition, determination and genius that were the genesis of an automotive dynasty which has continued to thrive and expand for over a century.

Ferdinand Porsche-Genesis of Genius combines the dramatic story of Ferdinand Porsche’s early career with over 500 rare documents and photographs depicting his earliest creations. Developed with the personal involvement of Ferdinand Porsche’s eldest grandson, Ernst Piëch, this book is a distinctive reflection of the quality and history of Porsche values.

Chapter 3: Electrifying Automobiles 1900-1905
In neat sketches in his own notebook, Porsche worked out the electrical connections that would be needed to control the forward speeds of his powerful Panhard-powered Mixtes of 1905.

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