Books, Nonfiction, Automotive, Luxury

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Jeroen Van Bergeijk
My Mercedes is Not for Sale: From Amsterdam to Ouagadougou...An Auto-Misadventure Across the Sahara
by Broadway (Paperback) (Release Date: 2008-07-15)

“Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?”—Janis JoplinA journalist’s intrepid endeavor to sell his used car abroad results in a high-spirited and revealing look at West Africa.“Look, there’s my car,” I say, pointing at my Mercedes in the parking lot. “Where?” a fellow desert traveler asks.“There, that Mercedes,” I say.He looks at me, questioning. “You want to drive that through the Sahara?” Jeroen van Bergeijk came up with what seemed like a great scheme for making a quick profit: buy a clunker of a car in his native Amsterdam and resell it in the Third World, where a market even for jalopies still thrives. His chariot of choice is a rusted-out 1988 Mercedes 190D with 220,000 kilometers on its odometer; his route will take him from Holland through Morocco, across the Sahara, and into some of the least trodden parts of Africa. My Mercedes Is Not for Sale is a rollicking tale of an innocent abroad. The author finds himself facing a driving challenge ...

Dennis Adler
Porsche: The Road from Zuffenhausen
by Random House (Hardcover) (Release Date: 2003-11-04)

A lavishly illustrated history of the most recognized sports-car maker in the world—Porsche—a story that began more than a century ago.Porsche: The Road from Zuffenhausen is the first book in more than twenty-five years to chronicle in such meticulous detail the early years of the renowned automobile company. Perfect for the more than 500,000 Porsche owners and the millions of Porsche enthusiasts, Porsche is a lively narrative of the cars and the people who created them. In the opening chapters, the reader will find the true heart of Porsche and its dedication to design and engineering, and then move on to the pre–World War II development of the first Porsche prototypes, as well as the development of the Volkswagen by Professor Ferdinand Porsche in the late 1930s. The story of the company’s early postwar years in Austria is a tale of commitment to an idea, an idea that resulted in the first 356 model and in a very short time established Porsche as one of Germany’s ...

Vic Elford
Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook
by Motorbooks (Paperback)

It’s been more than a decade since the first Porsche High Performance Driving Handbook set the standard for getting the most out of a Porsche. If driving techniques haven’t changed since then, technology definitely has. This book, by the world’s foremost expert, takes that new technology into account as it gives readers the latest information on how to drive a Porsche to its limit. Once upon a time, the Can Am and Trans Am race series changed their rules because Vic Elford and his Porsches were winning too often. Here Quick Vic shares his insights into ride control systems, new tire compounds, and Tiptronic and Direct-Shift Gearbox transmissions, all of which have transformed the experience--and the challenge--of driving a Porsche. As he discusses recent models, ranging from new generations of the 911 to the whole-cloth inventions of the Boxster, Cayenne, Cayman S and Carrera GT, modern images and historical photos immerse the reader in both the history and the evolving ...

Peter Gantriis
The Art of BMW: 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence
by Motorbooks (Hardcover)

BMW began its life in aero-engineering--as anyone who’s ever ridden one of its motorcycles might guess.  These are bikes as close to airborne as any get.  And what’s more, fifty percent of all the motorcycles BMW has manufactured are still flying down the world’s roads.  These are the best, and in this book, the best of the best get their due, with brilliant, full-color photographs of BMW’s classic models and detailed descriptions of their features, all located within the context of a concise history of this legendary marque.  From the first of BMW’s bikes, the R32, through the models that catapulted the company out of the ruins of World War II, to the latest bikes with the revamped opposed-twin-cylinder “boxer” engines that brought BMW its first fame--these are the bikes that made history, and, better yet, gave the most demanding riders a taste for flight.

Randy Leffingwell
Porsche 911: Perfection by Design
by Motorbooks (Paperback)

No other sports car has had a run like the Porsche 911, on the street or on the world's racetracks. On the eve of Porsche’s 60th anniversary, this richly illustrated volume tells the story of that fabled marque. Renowned automotive writer and photographer (and Porsche aficionado) Randy Leffingwell focuses his lens on each important model. His pictures, in-depth analyses of each car and its context, and interviews with key personnel comprise a complete, compelling, and often revealing history of the world’s premier name in sports cars.

William Scheller
Porsche: The Fine Art of the Sports Car
by Universe (Hardcover) (Release Date: 2008-09-23)

The Porsche is the quintessential sports car—sleek, shiny, sexy, and very fast. The striking looks of the car are matched by the machine’s superb engineering and performance, making it one of the world’s great automobiles. In merging the highest standards of design with advanced technology, the Porsche has become a four-wheeled work of art. Now, in a book whose design is as refined and as smart as the car itself, the story of the Porsche unfolds from the beginning as a creation of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and his son in 1948, through forty-eight models to today’s magnificent examples. Interwoven with the history of the Porsche’s development are factors and events that influenced the development of the company, such as the imprisonment of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche by the French during World War II, the development of the Volkswagen, the ever-changing rules of national and international racing associations, and the marketing genius of people as far away as Chicago. Porsche: The ...

Graham Robson
Inside the BMW Factories: Building the Ultimate Driving Machine
by Motorbooks (Hardcover)

BMW’s Bavarian blue and white propeller logo harks back to its early twentieth-century roots as an aircraft engine manufacturer. How this venerable company weathered two world wars, moved from aircraft to motorcycles and, finally, to the cars that would provide its greatest glory is the remarkable story recounted in this book.  With unique access to BMW’s factories and archives, author Graham Robson gives readers an inside look at how the great German automaker works and how its methods have evolved over the decades.  Visiting factories throughout Germany and in the United States he offers readers a rare, behind the scenes, nuts-and-bolts account of how BMW produces its famed models.  Illustrated with rare photographs from BMW’s own archives, this book constitutes an unprecedented tour of the history and culture of one of the world’s great automakers.

Dennis Adler
Ferrari: The Road from Maranello
by Random House (Hardcover) (Release Date: 2006-12-05)

In 1945, Enzo Ferrari, the onetime director of Scuderia Ferrari, Alfa Romeo’s fabled racing program, emerged from Alfa’s shadow to create his own legend. Out of the rubble of World War II, Ferrari established an auto works whose products would surpass anything before seen. Demand for handcrafted racing cars in postwar Italy, however, was slight. At the urging of a former colleague, Ferrari found a profitable niche for his creations in America–which still remains Ferrari’s biggest market. Now esteemed automotive journalist, historian, and photographer Dennis Adler presents Ferrari: The Road from Maranello–the stunningly illustrated story of one of the most coveted and recognized automobile lines in the world. Written with the full cooperation of the Ferrari works, this sumptuous book is illuminated throughout with more than 200 color and one hundred fifty archival black-and-white photos, some of which have never before been published. Featured are many legendary Ferraris ...

Tony Lewin
The Complete Book of BMW: Every Model In the World Since 1950
by Motorbooks (Hardcover)

BMW is the most remarkable phenomenon to hit the auto industry in a generation. Celebrated for its luxury sports cars, motorcycles and aero engines in the pre-war era, it squandered its glamorous heritage in the 1950s; on its knees and near-bankrupt, it was rejected as a lost cause when offered by desperate banks to Mercedes-Benz. But thanks to a wealthy German aristocrat, a brilliant engineer and a young and inspirational manager, Mercedes would soon regret not having scooped up the once-glorious firm: pioneering the concept of the compact, high-quality sports saloon, the visionary new team systematically built BMW into the spectacular success we know today. Through the most expressive medium of all – the cars themselves – The Complete Book of BMW tells the story of one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the century. From the iconic 2002tii of the 1960s through the mighty M3 of the 1990s to today’s born-again MINI and the crowning glory of the Rolls-Royce Ph! antom. ...

Adrian Streather
Porsche 993 Essential Companion
by Veloce Publishing (Paperback)

This book about the Porsche 993 is the third of a planned six covering a range of Porsche models. It also contains absolutely everything a 993 owner needs to know. Every model and version is included. Engines, transmissions, suspension, and how to improve the performance are covered, as well as fixes for common problems.

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