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Philip Porter writes:

Making A Good Start

Traditionally, January and February are quiet months for sales, but I’m very pleased to say that 2021 has started in lively fashion. 

We are thrilled that the first production Land-Rover, known as JUE 477, has won the Royal Automobile Club trophy for Restoration of the Year. With perfect timing (actually sheer luck!), we have just had another delivery of the book about the history and restoration of JUE 477 from our printers.

Also just received from our printers is the new softback edition of The Self Preservation Society, RAC Book of the Year in 2019. Author Matthew Field had a nicely-timed full page article on page three of last weekend’s Sunday Express newspaper.

We are more and more proud of our special editions, none more so than the latest Collector’s Edition of The Michael Turner Collection. Book and slipcase are bound in canvas-like cloth on which is printed one of Michael’s most dramatic paintings. We absolutely love it, and have included a small video with this issue to try and convey how terrific they are.

I hope the COVID vaccine is starting to roll out wherever you may be – I have my first jab booked for next week! I also very much hope that you enjoy this issue.

The Michael Turner Collection
Collector's Edition
Philip Porter excitedly views the newly-arrived Collector's Edition
with its very different binding.

Porter Press Books Update

Model T Ford - now with the printers.

The Norman Conquest - not mentioned previously, but currently being edited and designed. This is the fascinating life story of Vic Norman - historic racer, restorer, ace pilot and much, much more.

TheAutomotiveArtProject - design virtually completed, text well advanced. This will be our largest-format book so far.

Ultimate GTO - a massive undertaking for author James Page, greatly assisted by pre-eminent Ferrari expert Keith Bluemel, and editor Mark Hughes. Vol 1 is now being indexed and the individual car histories in Vol 2 are with the owners for comment.

9600 HP - an enlarged, hopefully enhanced edition of the book I wrote on this car 20 years ago. I’m working like crazy to get this completed in time for the E-type 60th anniversary celebrations this year, with great help from the Sayer family - loads of new material.

Original E-type - author Malcolm McKay is making good progress with the text and, regulations allowing, will be visiting companies such as Eagle to photograph numerous very original cars. 

BRM - Gavin Green has completed his editing duties and we are now working closely with the Owen family to pick the gems out of their family archives to illustrate this important book.

Ferrari Breadvan - thanks to Keith Bluemel and James Page, we have just discovered that during its early life as a 250 GT SWB, the car competed in two major classic races, a part of the car’s history that was previously unknown. Richard Heseltine is pushing hard to complete the text by the end of this month.

In the pipeline: Ferrari F40, Make Your Classic Car Work Perfectly, Concept Cars of the ‘60s, Vanwall, GT40 Drawings, Ultimate Works 962, Trans-Africa Land-Rover, the story of the Austin J40, Ultimate GT40, La Voiture Noire, and several more.
Was the first Porsche built in Italy?

Was the first Porsche built in Italy?

by Michael Kliebenstein

For those of you who think they know all about Porsche and its cars, here is a fascinating story that may surprise.

On my travels I came cross a cute red car with a double-bubble roof, sitting in Northern Italy. It was so beautiful and perfect that I kept going back to have a look, wondering what it was. The name of the car, I was told, was ‘Castiglioni’, or ‘Il Bolide’. I had never heard of it.

Read more >>
Bob Berry

Bob Berry Tribute
by Philip Porter

It is sad to report that R.E. 'Bob' Berry has died. A fine amateur racer in the '50s, Bob played an important part in the Jaguar story for 30 years, including one starring role.

He was to join Jaguar almost by accident. ‘I was a student at Cambridge reading Modern Languages and had an interest in motoring and motor sport. I was going on holiday in July [1951] on a summer university course in Grenoble and so I wrote to ‘Lofty’ England and said I had noticed they were going to Le Mans, and could I do anything to help. I was just fishing, as many hundreds of people had done before, and have done since.

Read more >>

Stirling Moss & A Young Fan
Young Michael Cole meets the great Stirling Moss in the mid-'50s
Maserati front view

Stirling Moss on the 250F
Extract taken from Maserati 250F - The autobiography of 2528, by Ian Wagstaff

When Stirling Moss’s attempts during the early 1950s to achieve Formula 1 success in British cars bore little fruit, he finally concluded that he had to look abroad for a competitive car. He turned to Maserati and got a 250F.

‘Here I now was, the chips were down and I had a car as good as any other out there.

Read more >>

Fast-Feed-Back!


Self Preservation Society - 50 years of the Italian Job (5 ★)
'An excellent book, very good quality edition. Up to the usual high standard of Porter Press.' Michael C.

Maserati 250F - The autobiography of 2528 (5 ★)
'Excellent. A fantastic account of an iconic car. Including some fantastic period photos. A must for anyone interested in the golden age of Formula 1.' Michael C.

Read more >>

A new book on the oldest E-type
Philip Porter talks about his new E-type book 9600 HP and delves into his archives.

JUE 477 - Interview with restorer, Julian Shoolheifer
In case you missed this video in a previous newsletter, Martin Port talks about his book, JUE 477 and interviews Julian Shoolheifer - the man responsible for restoring the world's first production Land-Rover and winner of the Restoration Class at the RAC Historic Awards 2020.
Maserati 250F
Limited Edition Maserati 250F book
JUE 477 - The World's first production Land-Rover
JCB Scrapbook
Click here to view all Porter Press books

Competition

Congratulations to Richard Selby, last month's winner, who correctly answered the question: The C-types (which is an unofficial title - the factory always termed them XK 120C) had an XKC chassis number (as did the first five D-types), commencing with XKC 001 and concluding with XKC 053. What was XKC 301 known as?
A. The light alloy car
B. XP11
C. The C/D prototype
D. XK 120C Series II
E. The D-type prototype
F. XKC 054
G. XK 120C Mark II
H. Or all of these? This is the correct answer

For your chance to win this month's prize - a copy of Stirling Moss - The Definitive Biography, Volume 1, 1929-55, by Philip Porter, please send the correct answer to the question below to shannon@porterpress.co.uk by February 28th.

What colour was Stirling Moss's privately-owned Maserati 250F?
a) Red
b) British Racing Green
c) Light Green

Who doesn't love a quiz?

If you have any suggestions of how we could improve our quizzes or you would like to submit some questions, please feel free. We would like to build on our newsletters bringing like-minded people together and having fun at the same time.

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