308/328 book?

What an exciting project. I feel however, there would be very little market for such for a book on the 308 series. Bearing in mind the number of reference material already on the cars, the only way to differentiate such a publication would be to publish the book to end all books. A high water mark if you will. My feeling is it then becomes too expensive, limiting its appeal.

Clearly this is an inspiration:

http://www.dino-book.com/en/home/

And these as well:

https://miurabook.com/

https://parabolicapress.com/products/porsche-turbo-3-0-publishers-edition-book

https://www.chaters.co.uk/prod/19768/autobiographiesbiographies/bob-wallace-the-man-that-married-sports-cars

https://www.palawan.co.uk/the-aston-martin-v8-now-available-for-pre-order/

https://www.stuttcars.com/collectible/947/

Now, would you buy a book on the 308 series, to the standard of the ones above, for $500 USD? I admit I would, because I'm a book collector, and I know Rosey would too, because he sends me WhattsApp messages all night about books. (He also has no life). But would you? Because if you wouldn't, then you're back into the $50 to $100 price range but there's a pile of these books around already.

IMO the best of the current lot is Keith's book. It's not perfect, but could be tidied up very nicely for a future edition. So to to improve on that, it would require an absolutely herculean effort on the part of the writer. Not to mention a years of travel gleaning information to ensure the content is of a high standard.

I've never written a book. I have however contributed images to some in the Automotive and Audio fields and I can tell you the biggest issue is time and money. Even my absolutely minimal contribution to Nathan's Boxer book inside the back cover took years to secure those images. Books don't make money, it's a labour of love.

For the book to be a real reference, you'd need to contact people that were around when the cars were new. You'll need to gain access to the factory records for the road cars and Michelotto for the race cars, photograph the Rainbow properly (Apart from the press images from Bertone, no one seems to have done this), interview past race and rally drivers, source all sorts of original peripheral material such as press releases, factory and dealer invoices, photographs, tools, jacks, colour swatches, carpet swatches, brochures, owner and workshop, parts and owners manuals, dealer directories, pouches and official factory publications, a nice lunch at Fioravanti Srl and hopefully an interesting interview to go with it, key fobs, keys, tyres, wheels, #23611 "Millechiodi", luggage......the list goes on..........

And what about speaking with people who were around the cars when they were new? Add some historical images and interviews in the mix. Chase up some people from Carrozzeria Scaglietti, Bertone, Marchesi and C, Magneti Marelli, Cromodora, Campagnolo, Fiamm, Schedoni, Connolly, Glidden-Salchi (PPG).......

Then there's the problem of the cars themselves. Because the 308 values were down in the doldrums for so long, finding original examples worth photographing would send you around the world for years! Of the 100 or so 308s and 328s I've had through my shop since 1997 I can think of five 308s (two GTBs, two GT/4s, one GTS) and three 328s worth photographing for such an endeavour (first paint, original trim, engine bay etc).

But the task is not impossible at all. You simply have to be realistic about what you're trying to achieve regarding content and potential sales. I for one, would be willing to assist in any way I can.

 

You would think this would be the case, but take the example of the Miura Book I mentioned. Even the most rubbish rusty non running Miura is worth a magnitude of something like 5 times the price of the absolute best, no stories 5,000km, first paint, one owner, fibreglass 308 GTB. Yet there were Miura owners that considered the Miura book too expensive and didn't buy it.

People can be very fickle when it comes to spending money. I would guess something like 1 -2 % of all 308 owners would buy a $500 book on the 308. So a few hundred at best.

(But they would be happy to drive a new BMW daily that depreciates $500 a week)

 

You raise some good points Carlos !!
I would say if the 308 book was priced similar to the Dino Compendium at around $250or so in our money then I'd say you'd get owners and Ferrari fans buying it.
Not in record numbers perhaps but as many as any other Ferrari road or race model specific book produced.
That's just my opinion though.

 

Well, stop posting rubbish, surfing the 'net for dirty pictures and start writing! We're counting on your Rosey

 

Hahahahahah... can't I do all three ??

 

WELL SAID! Thanks Carl!
And they don't even have the cash to pay for the car and actually have to lease it..........

Marcel Massini

 

Would be a 1989 EU 328GTS with 62 mls (101 km) good enough?

 

I'm not a book collector but like them especially when I learn something and I already purchased several on which I didn't learn … a lot. And I'm not
an concour judge international specialist. A book story of xxxx with pictures and just fews word for almost €200 ! Don't remember the price but who read ( I mean watch ) the Talacrest boss book ?!
I am ready to spend some money to buy a nice book but how to know before if I just give some € to a guy who know less than me

 

The thread still does focus on a project realized by one single author.
And doesn't take into account the options we have nowadays regarding digitization.
I work on and finish projects with Americans, Chinese, Indians or VAE-folks I have never met in person but only know from video-meetings. Covid-19 circumstances even increased that workflow which is no way just a makeshift solution but improves productivity and saves time and money.
A thing I couldn't imagine back in the days when Keith's book was published.
But though books being a bit of an old-fashioned, nostalgic thing, I see increasing projects created by teams rather than lonesome single authors.

Off-topic @marcel: Leasing. Depends on the tax system of the country. But car leasing can be a great, economic solution especially for company vehicles.
Of course private braggers use it too. But then it's not so smart.


Best from Germany
Martin

 

Nathan,
There's only one way to know if it will sell or not.....
Far be it from me to tell you how to write your book - and no offense to anyone - but I think the most useful, marketable approach is to create The 308 Bible.
Keep it laser-focused and go deep: tell us stories and give us information we don't know about the 308. I haven't read your 550/575 book, but from the description it sounds like this was your approach.
I think you'll still need to cover the things we all already know to create a coherent story for the more casual admirer - keeping in mind the relatively mainstream appeal of the model - not to mention brief chapters on related models GT4, 328, and GTO, but there's 11+ years of Ferrari history to mine with the 308 across many story arcs such as Styling and Design, Development/Construction/Manufacturing, Competition, One-Offs, Marketing/Media Presence/Celebrity Ownership, Serial Number Highlights, the 308 Today, etc.
I would definitely be interested in such a book priced in the US $100 - $150 range.
Best,
Dave

 

+1 Dave

 

Absolutely, because the sands of time haven't been kind to these cars. A nominal mileage unmolestered car should be photographed and documented extensively.

 

Martin I think your proposal is an excellent one, to share the load. Someone living close to the factory would be handy too!

 

Dave that's great, but you will not get the information you suggest in a book for $150.

 

There's actually someone. He even owns a 308 GTB and has already published a book.

Best
Martin

 

Carl,
hmmmm. Why not? The last price for the Dino Compendium -my benchmark- was €160.00 when it was still available from Matthias.
Of course it also has something to do with using or avoiding cash-hungry publishers.

Best
Martin

 

Martin I think it's all about the amount of research involved.

The Dino Compendium is an amazing book. If we split the versions of 206/246 we have the three series of Dino, plus the 206 and a few specials. And then the GTS variant. Lucky Matthias already owned a few when he wrote the book. So for his spectacular original cars, he needed only to walk to the garage or dig out his own archives and photographs. All these models were produced over a 7 year period from 1967 to 1974. (For the anoraks, I'll leave out the competition versions; 156, 166, 196, 206 , 248, 268, 286, Tasman). Therefore we have:

206 GT
246 GT 1
246 GT 2
246 GT 3
246 GTS 3
Berlinetta Speciale
Berlinetta GT


Of course his book is beautifully researched and it's a real credit to him. The Dino was released at a time when manufacturers had it a lot easier meeting legislative requirements as well, so the models didn't differ so much between markets. The biggest difference being the USA cars with the emissions requirements and side lights. The right hand drive cars were almost identical irrespective of where they went.


Now lets consider the 208/308 which was produced for 11 years, 1974 to 1985:

308 GT/4 1
308 GT/4 2
208 GT/4 1
208 GT/4 2
308 GTB GRP
308 GTB Steel
308 GTBi
308 GTB Quattrovalvole
308 GTS
308 GTSi
308 GTSi Quattrovalvole
208 GTB
208 GTS
208 GTB Turbo
208 GTS Turbo
Michelotto
LM
Rainbow
Millechiodi
Koenig
Straman
Probably a few more I've forgotten.

The 1970s were a dire time for all manufacturers attempting to market vehicles in differing countries and at times, insane regulations. Take a 1976 308 GTB. This vehicle differed in engine type, output, wheels, spare tyre, exhaust, speedometer, springs, seat belts, ride height, glass, sunvisors, headlining, even the font on the tripmeter, rear vision mirror just to name a few across markets as diverse as Italy, Germany, USA, Australia and the UK.

If we take the list above and plan to produce a book about only the 208/308 series plus regional differences you can see the task then becomes enormous because we have something like 50 different versions of the above vehicles. Not only that, there are production differences for each car and market at the model evolved.

I cannot see any author wishing to produce a book for $150 that covers the above in detail. The 308 GTB alone is enough for a book in its own right. I see no point in the book if it doesn't include all the above, because there is already many books on the 308 that go to a reasonable depth. Which gets back to my point, the book better be amazing in its offering, because if it isn't, it's just like all the rest. And I know of no author that collects variants of the 308 series either.

I think where this is heading is somewhere on the internet. I don't wish to sound downbeat, I can't, I have two 308s which I love, but I think many of those interested in such a book are somewhat unrealistic about what's involved.

It's probably best for Nathan to chime in, he's the one that opened a can of worms

 

Indeed, so the plan should be to ship my car to the UK, have lunch with Keith, raid the Maranello Concessionaires archive and have a whiskey with Tony, drive to Nurnberg, pick up Robert and we drive the two cars to Ettenheim, wake up with a dreadful hangover, the three of us head to Modena with a photocopier and lock ourselves away in the factory archives for 6 weeks

 

Good luck with that...........especially the last part.
Greetz to AUS.

Marcel Massini

 

That last part was actually a joke Marcel

The rest of it I've already done, not in a Ferrari however, in fact when I did, I bumped into you! (FRD 2007)

 

Sounds like a plan But what's with our guy in Concordia Sulla Secchia? Will he open the doors for us?

Best
Martin

 

We can only ask.............

 

Alberto! Where are you?

Best
Martin

 

Yes absolutely, the Koenig stuff is fabulous

 

The market size for such a book is irrelevant.

Anyone seriously considering the amount of money they will make before they start the project is not the person for the project.