Official book collectors thread

^^^
See also my prior post #4487 in this thread.

 

Just a quick note of thanks to all who have supported THE FERRARI PLACE.

I realize it's a touch on the pricey side, but please remember it's a very low print run - I set the cost as low as I could and still make the endeavor possible. On the plus side, you're adding a limited print to your collection.

FYI, I will not be fulfilling orders between July 19 and July 29, as we'll be off enjoying ourselves at the FCA Annual Meet in Mont-Tremblant.
There are a couple of retailers who will most likely be offering the book, but in the meantime if you'd like a copy, please email me.
[email protected]

Cheers

PS you can also follow the Instagram. @theferrariplace

 

Ordered it last night, random coincidence—I have a friend who knows him. Looking forward to the book!

 

Ordered a copy too.

 

Being from Australia I didn't really know much about FAF and it's iconic history.

So glad I've purchased a copy of The Ferrari Place and look forward to receiving and reading.

Check out this thread for more information if you haven't already.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/remembering-faf.371652/page-7

 

I also obtained a copy of The Ferrari Place and have enjoyed reading about half of it. My motivation was the fact my Ferrari was sold by them originally. It was neat to see they referenced the tech that did the pre-delivery on my car is the second longest tech for FNA. I also several months ago pre-purchased a copy of The Dealer on Amazon. It is about the rise and fall of Ferrari of Los Gatos. I received it mid week and finished it last night. Very interesting read about the goings on during the crazy times of 1975 to 1995. What FNA did to that dealership owner is really sad, that's all I will say, don't want to ruin it for anyone wanting to read it. My only regret is not having visited the place back in the day. Book is a deal at $25 and not one serial number referenced.

 

We're on the same path, Joseph!

I just received my copy of The Ferrari Place yesterday, and coincidentally also received my copy of The Dealer at the same time. Got a lot to read now!

The Ferrari Place is very nice, very well done, pure quality—and I particularly loved that the first image in the book is a two page spread featuring four 308 GT4s (I own one, and I've been a huge cheerleader for those cars ever since I saw one for the first time back in 1987).

The Dealer appeals to me in particular as I live locally to where Ferrari of Los Gatos was located, and it's also where my 308 GT4 was bought new by its original owner!

Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

This is a THANK YOU to two super nice ferrarichatters, one on the U.S. east coast (Mr. C.), the other one in Bavaria (Mr. S.), Germany, for having found, ordered, delivered within only very few days the two Ferrari books I had been trying to find for quite some time (Tony Merrick book and Spencer Martin book).
Thank you guys for your super help, much appreciated.
(PS: The various bookstores I contacted in AUS and UK never ever replied to my repeated emails.........).

Marcel Massini

 

I'm only just now starting my Ferrari book collection, real interested in books that have stories of the early days, and technical information (mainly on the Dino 308 GT4, but any Ferrari is of interest as well). If I may ask, what are the two book titles you were searching for by Tony Merrick book and Spencer Martin?

 

See post #4625.
I already have about 2'500 Ferrari books but could not find those two publications.

Marcel Massini

 

Congratulations on finding the books. I’m not familiar with Martin’s book but I have Merrick’s and it’s very good.

Is the black banner across the nose of the 250LM on the cover of Martin’s book a symbol of mourning for someone?

Jack.

 

What is the print run please

 

Not black. Green. David McKay/Scuderia Veloce colors.
Nothing to do with mourning.

Marcel Massini

 

It appears as black on my screen. Thank you for the clarification.

 

You may want to adjust your computer settings.

Marcel Massini

 

Back when the book came out I gave you the email of the author to contact to arrange a copy, that's what I did.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

330

 

Yes, sure, but the man never replied to my inquiries. That was two years ago.
Thank you anyway.

Marcel Massini

 

The shops don't return your enquiries, the authors don't return your enquiries ??!!

Can anyone else see a pattern emerging here ??

 

I have sent numerous mails, asking if they deliver from AUS to Switzerland (where I live), also asking if they deliver by Fedex (all at my cost, of course) as I don't want to wait three or more months.
They all got my full contact details and address and everything necessary, including my own Fedex account number (to have all shipping costs charged there).
ZERO replies. I can only assume that it was "too much work" for these people. Oh well.

(My last mail to [email protected] was from Tuesday 5 July 2022 at 12.14 h.)
(My first mail to Spencer Martin was from Sunday 27 December 2020 at 16.07 h.)

Marcel Massini

 

All good, I was having a light hearted jab at you rather than the book sellers but yes, I agree, you can't supply more information than what you did.

 

Lovely book. Nice read. Great images. Well produced.
Superfast shipping from the States to the UK.
My copy (# 117) arrived with me on Saturday after only ordering earlier that week.
Thanks Jim.

Paul

 

Good luck starting your Ferrari library.

Just a word of caution, a drug habit will cost you less and be less addictive !!

 

Unfortunately, Instagram seems to have a limit as far as the length of a text is concerned. So, against my initial purpose, I will publish my review about the 12C Alfa book here. Because, as you will read, the review is a little bit tricky and takes some time to tell ... After my summer holiday, I will publish a short version of the review together with some images at Insta.

Here my review:

Usually, I have no difficulty in writing my reviews. Not so this time. Because I have not formed a clear opinion, yet, whether „The Missing Link? Alfa Romeo 12C Prototipo“ by Stefano Martinoli has been worth buying and paying the considerable price (with 113.00 euros shipping costs from Switzerland to neighbouring Germany alone) or not. 50 per cent of my collector’s heart say „Yes!“, the other half says „No!“.

Martinoli’s book clearly has been worth buying when you consider its rarity (only 250 copies) and the effort which went into it, including a very high-level quality of production. This culminates in fitting a re-created historical Alfa Romeo badge made by the manufacturer of the original coat of arms, O.M.E.A., to the slipcase. Fantastic!

Furthermore, the book comprises three sections, each of which has been printed on a different kind of paper, which makes this book exceptional and a pleasure to browse through.

The first part comprises 164 pages and deals with the history of Alfa Corse, Scuderia Ferrari and Auto Avio Costruzioni as well as the relationship between Alfa Romeo and Ferdinand Porsche, who played a part in 12C’s creation. Thus, the big picture is told which led to the construction of this V12 for the Mille Miglia race in 1941 (which never took place, so that 12C fell into oblivion).

Apart from many period images, many documents are reproduced in very good quality, for example a great number of construction and styling drawings. Thus, you can retrace the path to the birth of 12C closely.

The second, 18-page part consists of a series of studio shots of the restored car as well as period images and documents, while at the same time, the story of 12C after 1941 is told up to the moment Stefano Martinoli acquired the car and decided on her restoration.

And the third part with 72 pages, which is my favourite part, tells the story of the car’s frame-off restoration by Egon Zweimüller (engine, gearbox, chassis) and Dino, Roberto and Paolo Cognolato (bodywork) with a plethora of images. You can follow the restoration step by step. This is a very enjoyable read.

After this praise, what makes me wonder whether it has been a good idea to buy the book? Well, all the book’s qualities notwithstanding, the first time I took it into my hands I was disappointed, and that came from the slipcase.

Yes, the publisher had the great idea to apply a re-created historic Alfa badge to the slipcase. But the slipcase itself, which had been described as “metallic” and looked great on the pictures on the Web, is a rather simple carton box, and the effort to apply a metallic livery to it failed in my view completely. Thus, its appearance clearly falls behind the great slipcases of other recent books. And the contrast between the precious Alfa badge and the rather simple carton box is sharp. It would have been a great idea to use a slipcase made of linen or buckram in dark red, for example.

As far as contents are concerned, in my personal view, it turns out to have been a bad idea to engage five different authors to write the first part about the historical background. In sum, these five chapters, which hardly follow any strict chronological order and sometimes appear to be redundant, make it very difficult to win a clear overview about the string of events.

Whether this part of the early history tells you anything new depends, as always, on the number of Ferrari and Alfa books you have read before. For me, the Porsche chapter offers great stuff, while the chapter by Karl Ludvigsen tells the things which have been told so often and shows the images which we have seen many time elsewhere. Why engage such a capacity as author if that part could have been done by anyone with some knowledge of basic Ferrari literature?

One further, minor, criticism of mine concerns the decision to write all captions in capital letters, which makes them almost impossible to read - as any undergraduate student of graphic design learns in his first course.

And there is one thing which I really miss: images of 12C in the wild! Why not add some nice pictures of the car in picturesque Italian surroundings? Or about the car’s appearance at classic racing events or while just taking her out for a ride? There are only two double-page images of that kind, which show very similar motives and which both have been artistically treated to a degree which, in my private opinion, makes it difficult to enjoy them.

Thus, my review ends with a draw. And the reader has to decide

 

Brilliant, thanks for that!