Ferrari Book Review

July/Aug 2021 edition
Issue #17 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
Nathan Beehl

Observations on Ferrari 1946-1966 
The King’s Eyes

It’s always a pleasure to review a book that adds to our Ferrari knowledge and doesn’t just repeat what’s been written many times. 

Observations on Ferrari 1946 – 1966, by S. Scott Callan and published by Velocity Group, tells the story of the creation and first twenty years of the Ferrari company. How did Enzo Ferrari produce a competitive racing car within eighteen months of the end of World War II? Having spent the war years manufacturing machine tools, he presented the first Ferrari, the 125 S, in 1947.

In “Observations” the author doesn’t just recite the well-known Ferrari story, but puts it in context of the ruin Italy was in from when Ferrari started. The country was devastated, as was the economy, there was the Marshall Plan, and a chaotic political situation. He tells how Enzo Ferrari sought to return to racing, and swiftly went from a racing team, to racing car manufacturer, through to maker of the world’s most desirable sports cars.

He also examines the uniquely Italian relationship between the automobile manufacturer and the Carrozzeria companies, such as Touring and Pininfarina, with their concentration on fashion and style. And naturally, the development and influence of the F1 and sports-racing cars is part of the story. 

All of this is presented with unique photographs and technical diagrams, as well as detailed charts. But this is no ordinary book; this is a bespoke publication. Each book is hand-made for the buyer, with “Produced for your name” printed on the title page, along with the limited-edition number. It is also engineered to “present” the pages to the reader by using the 16-page-signature Smyth sewn method of binding and being bound with the “cold” glue method.     

When you open the book, the pages come forward and present themselves to the reader as a result of the interior spine being supplely flexible, allowing the book to be placed flat at any page opening. 

By virtue of being hand-made, the production is limited, but with no fixed limit, and there is only this one edition. Published in 2020. The book is 9" square format, 416 pages, covered in red leather with gilt embossed title, and a missal ribbon for bookmarking. Priced at $500.

​Find more details and ordering information by calling 510-388-2636 or going to VelocityGroup.net. 

​Nathan Beehl

The top illustration on the cover of AutoMobilia Resource, edition 17 is from this wonderful Ferrari book. 

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