Porsche Spyders 1956 1964

The great success that Porsche enjoyed with its first 550 Spyders spurred its small but effective racing cadre to a more ambitious design with its 1956 Type 550A. It's stiffer space frame was inside the 550A that Umberto Maglioli drove single-handed to win the 1956 Targa Florio -- Porsches greatest victory yet. Experiments in 56 with an even smaller racer, the Type 645, ended with a disastrous crash. Not for nothing was it nicknamed "Mickey Mouse". In 1957 Porsche created the immortal RSK, a race and hillclimb winner. The RS60 arrives in 1960 to meet new rules, winning Sebring outright. It evolved into the RS61 and then the Type 718, using the Grand Prix eight-cylinder engine. Races and hillclimbs throughout the world were mastered by these agile silver cars through 1964, depicted in magnificent images from the Ludvigsen Library.

The pedigree of Porsche as car designers was brilliantly affirmed by its creation of the 550 Spyder competition roadster. See the 550 Spyder in all its variations, from its origins in experimental Porsche models to the amazing and finely crafted one-off specials of Walter Glockler. With its superb four-cam flat-four engine, designed by Ernst Fuhrmann, the 550 became known as a giant-killer for its racing successes on tracks all over the world. As tough as it was handsome, the 550 was winning races years after its official launch at the Paris Salon in 1953. Exclusive photography of the 550 in the Ludvigsen Library shows its engineering, its evolution and in action in races in Europe and North America. This book is must reading for all Porsche enthusiasts.About The Author:Karl Ludvigsen has a distinguished record of accomplishment at senior levels throughout the worldwide motor industry. He has received wide recognition for his work as an editor, journalist, historian and author. Not only has he been employed at senior levels with Ford of Europe, Fiat North America, and General Motors, but he has also been involved in editorial roles with Motor Trend magazine, Auto Age, and Sports Car Illustrated and Car and Driver. Ludvigsen is in demand from the press of North America and Europe as a source of information on industry trends, and he is a frequent speaker at conferences. Currently, Ludvigsen acts as Chairman of Ludvigsen Associates Limited (a consulting company), Managing Director of Euromotor Reports Limited and Director of Ludvigsen Library Limited.

Taking a fresh approach, this book delivers an up-to-date review by investigating the essential characteristics, design and driving experience that defines the Porsche legend and its cars. From icons like the 356 and 911, through to the transaxle Porsches and recent models of Boxster, Cayman, Panamera, Macan, Tycan and more, Porsche Model by Model offers a detailed yet engaging commentary upon the marque. With over 275 archive and specially commissioned photographs, this book presents the full marque history from Ferdinand Porsche's defining Bohemian effect to the brand and design language today. It covers the 356 to the Taycan in concise yet detailed discussions; explores historical and technical details including specification tables and includes driving descriptions and owners' views.

Porsche’s first car, the 356, entered the market in 1948 and celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. Porsche 356: 75th Anniversary celebrates this iconic sports car that launched one of the greatest brands in automotive history.

Million Dollar Classics: The World's Most Expensive Cars is a photographic collection of the most sought after models.

Profusely illustrated text discusses such antique and collectible items as cookbooks, corkscrews, coverlets, cowboy gear, Currier & Ives, cut glass, decoys, Depression glass, and detective fiction.

Introduced in 1949, the 356 is the one model every Porsche enthusiast would love to own, a simply styled performance classic whose design and engineering became cornerstones of the marque's success. This reprint of the colorful 356 photohistory which first appeared in 1992 charts the evolution and development of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche's groundbreaking design, offers discussion and images of the rare models, and examines the prolific motorsport successes of RS Spyders, the 356 offspring which became extremely popular on U.S. sports car circuits during the 1950s. All 356s through the final 1964 model year are depicted with period photography, design diagrams, and modern color images of factory-original models.

This volume starts with the introduction of the SC series and the 3.3 litre Turbo, before going on to cover the 3.2 litre Carreras and the early 959. A process of continuous evolution has kept the 911 fresh for nearly 40 years, while impeccable build quality has ensured that most of even the very earliest cars have survived as desirable and usable classics. This is the third volume of a set of books which will chronicle in definitive depth the history of the evergreen 911, from the earliest design studies to the water-cooled cars of today.