Official book collectors thread

What an outstanding concept. I would be interested in obtaining a copy.
Difficult to ascertain a price point, but under $150 US would be reasonable given I haven’t seen the final iteration yet.
Good luck, and count me in!

 

Great idea and I want one, given the format I would say 50-60€

 

Very, very, very original! Looks wonderful, you'll have a lot of takers.

 

What an absolutely terrific - and urgently needed - addition to the vast ocean of GTO literature!!!

Without knowing many details, I would be prepared to pay between 50 and 60 euros.

 

......some notable replicas are also covered......???

To make them more "genuine" or "original" or more "official"?
Is there a version of your book without the replica section available?

Marcel Massini

 

Great idea. I can see where this book would be very useful, I think the price should be under $100. I would like to buy a copy, but... would prefer it without any of the replicas. So, maybe you can also offer a version as Marcel asked, without the replica section.

 

unfortunately, guys like myself don’t know about all the replicas, so letting me know which are, it’s an aid

 

Dear Marcel, please make no mistake the aim here is to explain to spectators that the cars they see are not always originals, but that they can be fooled by replicas - even at prestigious events. My point of view is clearly that these cars are fake, however close they may be to reality.
It's just a few pages long chapter, and shows a few well-known replicas, such as those regularly seen at Goodwood.
I have added a list of chassis numbers of known replicas based on 250 GTE, 330 GTE, etc (Garnier, Favre...).
Once again, the aim is to explain and avoid some shameless deceptions.

 

I think it would be out of @Yan-Alexandre 's reach to make these replicas official with his humble publication.

In my view, it’s a good idea to include them to give the full picture and make them known to readers with less profound knowledge of Ferrari history.

 

The idea behind adding them was: don't be fooled by what you see, it may look like a 250GTO, but it's not.

When I heard Karun Chandhok say how happy he was to be driving a 250 GTO at Goodwood, I wondered if he even knew what he was driving... This chapter could be dedicated to him.

 

I think it is quite right to include replicas for exactly the reasons you state. I used to think, when I saw the Breadvan, for example, that I was seeing the Breadvan and I didn't look at it in minute detail thinking it might be a replica because it is only fairly recently I learned there was a replica at all, I did, however, come to the conclusion some years ago that I had seen two different examples of Bamford's SII GTO at different events.

Incidentally, I thought you worked for a publisher? Will they not publish your book or, if not, Evro or Porter Press (for example). The self-publishing options that I'm aware of tend to charge quite a lot per copy for their costs (and profit).

 

I see your point. And, I can see where it would be very helpful and educational if you have the fakes clearly shown in a separate chapter all their own with info - explanations about what/where/how/why they were created (like the Frankenstein monster) to help people identify and understand.

 

It's true that self-publishing is expensive, but it's also a solution I've found that allows me to start production without having to advance money I don't have ;-)
I work for a magazine publisher, and books are unfortunately not his business...
To be honest, two years ago I contacted a few publishers whose work I liked. Two of them were kind enough to politely tell me that the project was interesting but didn't fit into their plans. Many others didn't even reply...
I'm trying this as a sideline to my job as an automotive journalist, which is a rather precarious job these days. Earning a bit of money is part of the plan, even if I originally did this book for myself without counting the hours...
So I thought, I might as well do it myself. This allows me to have total control over the product (with all the limitations of self-publishing, of course), right down to the graphic design - I wouldn't have minded if I didn't like the aesthetics of the book.
My reasoning is: maybe it will work, and so much the better - if it does, I've got a second book in the pipeline, I thought of this one from the start as part of a collection about important racing cars (Ferrari or not).
And if it doesn't work, it doesn't matter: I had a lot of fun, and I have learned a lot. About the GTO and about bookmaking!

PS: I hope what I'm saying is correct, English is not my mother tongue, but my book has been fully proofread by an English friend ;-)

 

Congratulations, do it!

 

I’d still try to contact some of the known publishers. For instance, Taschen from Germany are known for their unusual books. But it should be a viable project for you in the first place. Don’t let anyone steal it!

 

I'm also interested in your book, and I also have no idea what a good price would be. Whatever you decide, good luck with the project!

 

Thank you all for your encouragement!
I'm now starting a long phase of re-reading and checking all the information... I'll then do a second test print on a different paper, as I'm not completely satisfied with this first version. I hope to have the book ready by the end of the year!

 

Agree with Marcel : you should remove the part of your book about replicas. Talking of these pieces of s... legitimizes the process of destroying a real Ferrari. Just my point of view...

 

+1 Absolutely. The Shelby American Club (SAAC) recognizes replica Cobras and GT40s. At the annual convention this year there was not ONE original Cobra in attendance.

 

No. You first need to educate so that the replicas can be identified. If you pretend they don't exist or try to ignore them THEN you legitimize them because there is no way for people to learn what differentiates them. If you or Marcel don't like that part of the book then you can always remove the relevant pages

 

Disagree with leaving out the replicas. A separate section which clearly lists and describes the replicas will help non-connoisseurs to discriminate between real and fake GTOs. Lets keep the owners of replicas honest!

 

My principle is never to tear out the pages of a book !

 

Have I just sparked off the biggest literary controversy since The Satanic Verses?

 

What a fantastic project, well done to you. I know from my own projects just how much work is involved so hats off to you.
Re price, the only person who can say is you, as enthusiastic as we all are here, it is a fairly limited market.

 

To reiterate, and at the risk of repeating myself, I would vote to include the replicas in a separate chapter. I'm not knowledgeable enough to discern the nuances between the real cars and the replicas. This is the sort of information that calls out the real thing vs the 'copy'.
More information is better than less information. Along as you identify the copies from the real cars, I don't see any harm. Those that are troubled by the inclusion of replicas can ignore that information.