Alfonso de Portago biographies

A couple of months before Christmas 2005 two authors joined in our Fchat and predicted that the books they were writing about the Spanish Marquis and Ferrari racing driver, Alfonso de Portago Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, would be out around the holiday season. I have been on the lookout for these biographies ever since, but haven't seen either one. Did I miss them or do they remain unpublished?
Ricardo

 

Great post, Ricardo.
I'm also interested in any new Fon de Portago biographies.
--Matt

 

I am too. I believe the two writers in question are Manel and Edmcd. If anyone knows the status of these two books, please let us know.

 

Thank you for your interest on my AdP bio.
Apparently, prospective publishers have changed their mind. I am looking now for an alternative deal elsewhere.
Shall keep you informed.

 

Please do!

I´m very interested in such a book.

 

sorry to kick this one back up, but is there still a chance this bio will become available to the public?

 

Hopefully so....I need to scan a cool article from Playboy May 1958 I ran across, they had hired him to write about his experiences in the race, and instead it became a story of his fatal accident.....

 

Ed McDonough's book was published, of course, and is available for about $100.

 

I wound up with Stan Nowak's pictures and negatives on this driver

Stan's files were not brought to the dump as thought, but instead were in the office furniture that was sold off.

I have many files/pics and negatives with the exception of George Carrick's California Spyder data.

I found the guy who bought the office furniture!

 

Well done, Tom!

I recently read of an early female race driver whose story was found in similar manner...her personal scrapbooks were thrown away when she died.

Good for you.

 

I do own the 1955 personal racing scrap book from Alfonso de Portago and will post some interesting letters and photos shortly. If I had known Ed McDonough was a creating a biography I would have offered it to him to include.

steve

 

Just found the book on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/M-de-PORTAGO-Scuderia-Ferrari-1957-Mille-Miglia-NEW_W0QQitemZ400003951924QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d2217ed34&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Kind regards.
Cris.-

 

I have 2 perfect photos/negatives -one in very rare color!!- of "Fon" standing beside his Maserati A6GCS in Le Mans 1954. He owned s/n2076, although I strongly doubt that he used that chassis in the race that year.

Ciao!
Walter

 

There are 15 copies of McDonough's book on www.abebooks.com (allowing for the one I've just ordered)

 

I started to post some de Portago photos under a new thread if anyone is interested.

 

Hi, thanks for the info.I have ordered from ABE before and just ordered again. just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

I will order a copy as well. I understand this book is from 2006?

 

Yes, 2006. Mine arrived this morning - looks good.

 

Mine arrived to day. At first glance it looks like a fascinating story about a fascinating character.

 

I did an interviewa month ago with Jo Bonners best friend Robert Dethorey who hung around Jo most of the time before he went on to become a big Boss at Volvo. He told me a few stories and one of them was about de Portago. At the airport he falls head over heals in love with a swedish girl and cant forget about her so Alphonse figures out that a girl of that caliber MUST frequent stockholms best bars. Sohe and Bonnier and Dethorey do the rounds to early in the mrning, bt no girl. So he goes back to the Hotel and.. there she was .. in the Bar. I have to ceck my tae for the full story.. The day after he goes to the market square and buys every rose that there was to buy2 or hree car loads.. and sends them to her..... I dare say it worked.. There was another one
when Masten Gregory had reted a small french car at Le Mans. They actually carried the car up the second floor and put t outside Gregorys door the day before LeMans practice.. Dare say he was a itte shocked..

 

Probably Helle Nice (her nom de guerre), the "Bugatti Queen." I'm currently reading her excellent biography by Miranda Seymour. Fascinating story.

Jack

 

I've always loved the story on how race organizers in Karlskoga panicked in 1956 when they realized that Portago was coming and they didn't have a Spanish flag. Well, fortunately they managed to find one in time, but it later turned out that it was not a Spanish flag but the flag of a Spanish communist party... Best wishes, Kare

 

I've always loved the story on how race organizers in Karlskoga panicked in 1956 when they realized that Portago was coming and they didn't have a Spanish flag. Well, fortunately they managed to find one in time, but it later turned out that it was not a Spanish flag but the flag of a Spanish communist party... Best wishes, Kare[/QUOTE]

As I have been told by a direct witness, it was the flag of II Spanish Republic.

 

I just received a copy of this. I won't have time to really read it for a while but a good look thru tells me this is more than just a history of Fon as a race car driver. It is a must for any good collection. just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

Almost right.. The Karlskoga organizers had asked the local Flag shop for a Spanish Flag and they only had a republcan flag ( according to DETHOREY)So he refused to race because he was of royal heritage .. Evenually Dethorey insisted that the flag was for him.. half spanish as he is.. So he drove..