Ultimate Ferrari250GTO-The Definitive History book -preorder?

Once you get bitten by the collecting bug you will find new and innovative ways to store (and if you have a partner hide) books in your home.

 

Thanks for coming through with some recommendations.

“The Autobiography of 4153 GT” by Keith Bluemel & “Ferrari 250 GTO” by Bluemel/Pourret (first edition) are on my shopping list.

I was not familiar with the last three titles (and two of them are very affordable). The book by a William Huon looks very interesting.

Thanks for pointing me to these older titles. 250 GT Competition by Jess G. Pourret is now added to my shopping list! The anniversary books have piqued my interest as well.

It would be nice to have a definitive 250 GTO book that has it all; interviews, events, race history, details on each car and current photos. I suppose that was the lofty goal set for the Porter Press book.

 

I think the "I love GTO" is also a kind of (20th) anniversary book. The copy I have is mostly partially in french and partially in italian (parts not being translations of each other).

 

IMHO, layout etc. is matter of personal opinion. A layout that I might not like might be just what another reader likes. However facts are facts. When they're wrong then they're wrong, and it is fair enough to call them out.
Nathan

 

This morning I received a reply from Mrs Airey:

“We are really disappointed that the book has not arrived with you in perfect condition. The photographs you included will be very helpful with establishing what went wrong with your copy.

We strive in creating books of the highest quality and it should not have been sent out, if not in perfect condition.

We will arrange to have a replacement copy despatched to you this week.

Please accept my sincerest apologies and I trust you will find the solution offered acceptable.”

 

Agreed, still there are different levels of layout or design of a book. For example, some of the recent titles designed by Julian Balme are just fantastic, while many others are just plain. For any regular observer to see.

 

I received #020 on Friday and have had a chance to open and read a little of it today. It arrived without any torn edges, crushed corners or stains. However I think the construction of the slipcase and covers is rather delicate and am concerned the book exterior will degrade over time from handling. My slipcase spine is already showing light signs of buckling where the edges of each volume press against it, a strand of the linen cloth on each of the slipcase and 1 volume cover were already unraveling and needed to be trimmed to avoid further damage, and a couple dots of black ink did not properly transfer onto the red cloth cover. A slight disappointment given the expensive price for the book.

I will defer to the experts on the historical accuracy of the contents. To my amateur eye, I will enjoy spending hours reading about the development & period race history of the model in volume 1 and then the history of each chassis in volume 2. Since I am not well connected in the vintage Ferrari collector world, it is interesting to me to read the owners' histories and driving impressions.

Overall, I am glad I got the book, but initially ambivalent about the value for the price. The text and photos are nicely laid out, and to me there is enough content different from the several of the aforementioned GTO titles which I already have to justify taking up shelf space. However, is this the "Ultimate" or "Definitive" GTO book and is it worth 450GBP? Use of these terms and the price set very high expectations which will take me time and further reading to decide whether they are met. I welcome others' views of the contents.

 

Standard Edition:

#20 Balsamina
#110 Rosey
#147 Davew
#148 Marcel Massini
#150 GTO Joe
#156 Andreas Birner
#171 Manfred Steinert/ MPS
#330 Zeltweg
#469 LVP488
#476 Piloti
#470 Thepinkumbrella
#600 Hannibales

Collector's Edition:

 

You may want to add #125 in Switzerland.

Marcel Massini

 

You can, I'll pass.

 

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my copy, I have the 956, Fitzpatrick and F1 GTR volumes from this series and I am very happy with these on every level.

If one is looking to get a deal on books from this publisher, I would suggest joining the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain

https://www.thesahb.com/

Members currently enjoy a 20% discount on books ordered directly from Porter Press.

jb

 

I see you frequently in TNF. Please visit us more often.

 

That is very kind of you. I will try and look in more often.

I did used to post links to pieces I wrote for my own site or DrivingLine but someone in Dubai got rather upset about that, so I stopped looking.

Now I have turned my modest abilities to books I have not got the time or enthusiasm to post much on the net.

I doubt that I will contribute much as I have no great knowledge of Ferraris, and certainly not compared with the denizens of this domain.

 

Probably best not to look at the modern pics of 4399 GT too closely in the book…

 

Has anyone else got a brown mark in the middle of the photo on p.173 of Vol.1? It's right over the racing no. on the bonnet. It's printed, not a coffee stain!
Nathan
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It’ll probably buff out.


(I’ll see myself out......)

 

Looks like a jug or something the mechanic is holding

 

The ‘brown mark’ looks like a pitcher being poured by the gentleman in the foreground. He may be refilling the radiator. But I could be imagining things.


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

It appears like that to me too, now that you mention it, although the color (sort of golden honey) and the amount of light it’s reflecting seem odd.

 

No stain Nathan, definitely an oil/ water refilling container that's been "touched by the hand of God".

 

Thanks everyone. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be.
Nathan

 

Bottom end of water pitcher.

 

Book nr. 478 arrived here a few days ago. Reading some of the stories on this board it is already a bonus it arrived in pristine condition. Some of you has found some errors. For me it was amusing to read the story on s/n 4757GT, written is "Kroymans and his son Frederico raced 4757GT in the '90's. Frits' nickname was Frederico... So, not his son.

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I have just received an email from Porter Press which, no doubt, other purchasers will also have received or be receiving, apologizing for the problems with binding on some copies and issues with the slipcase on some copies and offering replacements for any affected.

 

As a man of meagre means, I’d like to know what happens to the affected and returned copies and whether they’re resold through some sort of ‘seconds’ outlet. Maybe I should drop an email.