The Porsche Book: The Complete History of Types and Models, Barth & Busing '09

[Grady Clay]

The Porsche Book: The Complete History of Types and Models, Barth & Busing 2009


Barth, Jürgen and Gustav Büsing; The Porsche Book: The Complete History of Types and Models;
English Edition © 2009, Motorbuch Verlag and David Bull Publishing, Phoenix, AZ;
Three Volumes with slipcase, 704 + 400 + 400 = 1504 pages.

ISBN 978 1 893618 93 5


I am about 2/3 through Volume 1 and there is a large amount of information and pictures I have never seen before.
I find important information about 587/2 engines, early 901, 911R, RS America and more.
Best are the ending VINs, engine numbers, etc.

Jürgen has always had great access to Porsche’s archives and was there himself for all this.
This appears to be a well-researched book on the level of Ludvigsen’s “Excellence Was Expected”.

This is a “Must Have” book for anyone serious about Porsche.















Since it is not available from our host, I recommend fellow Pelican; Toad Hall Motorbooks for US$299.
Porsche New & Recent Titles Books
(Amazon or Barns & Noble do not have this.)

I suspect this will be ‘sold out’ and ‘out of print’ soon.

Best,
Grady

[Bill Verburg]

Thanks for the headup Grady! Just ordered mine

[Sigurd]

So did I. Thanks for info!

[djpateman]

I practically wore out my first edition of Excellence 30 years ago.
The new third edition is out, and is priced at $300. WOW!

Looks like I will have to find a way to spring for this new book. I think I will have to call in a debt, and quickly.

[tchanson]

Looks like a very nice, albeit pricey update.

I still have the Boschen/Barth single volume first edition of that book that my father gave me as a gift when I was a kid in the late '70's.







Tim

[aminter0]

Hey Tim, I have that same book! Really a great read...

[austin552]

It's not on dvd?

Ordered

[docrodg]

On xmas list! Will be great for this traveling man, something to read on the plane! Thanks Grady!

[fbarrett]

Originally Posted by docrodg

On xmas list! Will be great for this traveling man, something to read on the plane!

Docrodg:

You might want to put handles on the slipcase. The set of three volumes weighs 12 lbs!

Frank
Toad Hall Motorbooks
www.toadhallbook.com
fbarrett@aol.com
303/237-0911

[Scott at Pelican Parts]

Pelican has added this excellent book to our online catalog.

You can find it here.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Hi Grady,

If you read the 2nd Edition of "Excellence Was Expected", how does Barth's new 3-volume set compare???

[Brillo]

Originally Posted by Steve@Rennsport

Hi Grady,

If you read the 2nd Edition of "Excellence Was Expected", how does Barth's new 3-volume set compare???

I was wondering this as well.

[Grady Clay]

Steve, Ray;

Ludvigsen is the 10.0 Gold Standard of Porsche books. Thus far I’m putting Barth at about 8-9.
Every other book ever printed is less than 8.0. Ludvigsen is that good.

Djpateman said:

I practically wore out my first edition of Excellence 30 years ago.
The new third edition is out, and is priced at $300. WOW!
Looks like I will have to find a way to spring for this new book.
I think I will have to call in a debt, and quickly.
__________________
914 Historian, Keeper of the 914 database
Researching early 911 & 914 Paint codes
Addicted since 1975

I agree. “Excellence Was Expected” is the best of the best. My first $300 would be to buy
Ludvigsen’s 3rd Edition. After digesting the three Volumes (1687 pages), next would be this new
Barth book.

Actually there is not all that much overlap in content. While they both cover the same model
Porsche cars, Ludvigsen adds a great deal of history . Barth adds a huge amount of good data.



Since there is quite a large trade in used books, the Ludvigsen 2nd Ed. can be a ‘good deal’
as the 3rd Ed. only differs in Volume 3 by adding pages 1532 to 1687 (Chapters 62 to 66). This
addition covers years 2002 to 2008. If you are interested is 2001 and earlier, the 2nd Ed. can
be a good deal if priced right.

2nd Edition
img 3644


img 3640


img 3641


img 3642




3rd Edition
img 3645


img 3640


img 3641




img 3643


continued

[Grady Clay]

continuing


Volume 3 – 2nd Ed. & 3rd Ed.
The inside dimensions of the slip cases are; 125.5 mm for the 2nd Ed. (left) and 137.5 mm for the 3rd Ed.
Img 3646



1st Edition from 1977 was produced in both a ‘standard’ edition and a Leather-bound version. The books are the same otherwise.
Img 3647


Img 3648




When the 3rd Ed. first came out, the publisher offered a single new Volume 3 and the larger slip case
as an ‘update’ to the 2nd Ed. I don’t know if any of these are still available. Frank?


The Ludvigsen 2nd Ed. (and consequently the 3rd Ed.) is one of the best researched and
edited automotive book I have ever seen. There are almost NO errors or typos. I hope the Barth
book continues to match that very high standard. I’ll report my observations as everyone should.

Frank (Porsche New & Recent Titles Books) has been able to find me bargains
and long out-of-print Porsche books for the past 40 years.



The third ‘must have’ book that compliments these two is Bruce Anderson’s
Porsche 911 Performance Handbook. This just focuses on 911 engines and is now in its
3rd Edition. It is an excellent companion to the above two books. While the 3rd Ed. (available
from our host) is a great expansion (304 pages), the publisher dropped some parts that are only
in the 1st & 2nd Editions. I keep all three editions at hand – another candidate to find used.
3rd Ed., 2009
img 3651


2nd Ed., 1996
img 3650

(I don’t know why I have two 2nd Ed. with different covers.)

1st Ed., 1987
Img
(My 1st Ed. is around here somewhere.
I’ll post an image when it turns up.)



To be fair to our host/author, Wayne’s 101 and 911 Engine books are great for their specific purposes.
I can’t imagine anyone on this Forum not having copies.
Img 3652


Img 3653





All the other trade books fall into one of three categories in my mind:

Good, worthwhile, reasonably well edited and proofed (but not perfect),
and unique information and pictures.

Pretty; nice pictures, appropriate text, not too many blatant errors and fills
in some of the periphery. Just shy of ‘Coffee Table Pulp’.
Still useful as research.

Worthless – (but I buy anyway). I’m a sucker for there being the possibility of finding
useful information. I suspect the process of finding the errors and blatant mis-statements is
still worthwhile for me. Mental exercise.



The Complete Porsche Library also needs the Factory publications. Everyone should
own a little Factory ‘Spec Book’ for their model. Of course more is desirable.
Img 3649



There is more.

Best,
Grady

[mkossler]

Got the spec book (for mine), got the Bruce Anderson book, got Wayne's books... A few more to go!

[Bill Verburg]

Ludvigsen’s 3rd Edition and the new Barth are both good and have similar information in them, though I find them both alittle light on tech.

For me Frere's 911 Story is still the best because of the hard technical info in it.

I also like Barth's From R to GT3R and it's predecessor 911-R-RS-RSR

Morgan' Original 911 is also useful

[rluciano]

Any one know the ISBN for the second edition of Excellence was Expected. It seems as though on Amazon the used copies are mostly 1st or 3rd editions. I have no interest in the 9X6 and later part of the book and would love to get a deal on the 2nd edition.

TIA

[fbarrett]

Friends:

Here's a story about the leatherbound first edition of Porsche, Excellence Was Expected. The book came out in 1978, I recall, and it got me into the Porsche book-selling business. The regular edition cost a then-scandalous $59.95. The leatherbound edition cost way more, maybe $89.95, out of my league, so I made do with the regular edition.

Then, one day in maybe 1980, I visited the book's publisher, L. Scott Bailey at Automobile Quarterly in deepest Princeton, New Jersey. We were working on a new book, 25 Years of Porsche Panorama, which came out in 1982 (published by PCA, but that's another story). While talking with Scott in his office, I noticed that he was using a copy of the leatherbound edition of PEWE as a door stop! When I "casually" mentioned that I had been unable to afford one, he walked over, picked it up off the floor, and said, "Here, with my thanks!" Made my day.

Then I went out and got into my '73 914 2.0, and the starter solenoid had failed, so Scott (then probably 65 years old and none too svelte) push-started me down Witherspoon St. Those were the daze.

Frank

[Wayne 962]

We actually sell Excellence was Expected for $240 here:

Pelican Parts.com - Porsche: Excellence Was Expected (3-Volume Set)

I don't expect them to last too long at this price, it's a pretty good deal...

-Wayne

[Grady Clay]

rluciano,

The ISBN for the 2nd Ed. 3-volume set is:
0-8376-0235-1

The ISBN for Vol. 1 is:
0-8376-1025-7

The ISBN for Vol. 2 is:
0-8376-1026-5

The ISBN for Vol. 3, 2nd Ed. is:
0-8376-1027-3

The ISBN for Vol. 3, 3nd Ed. is:
0-8376-1027-6


The 3-volume set from Pelican Parts is a bargain.
Thank you Wayne and Scott.

A year or so ago, there was a 2nd Ed. set for sale for under $100. Needless to say it sold very quickly. I posted within five minutes and was about 10th in line.

Best,
Grady