Porsche, Excellence Was Expected 4th Edition (2019)

Nov/Dec 2019 edition
Issue #8 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
Frank Barrett

Rarely if ever will you read a review written by someone who freely admits to not having read the entire book, but this is the case here. Let me explain–I had only a brief time to write this review, and I’d read the three previous editions. So, a little book history:

Back in “the old daze”, in the mid-1970s, automotive historian Karl Ludvigsen wrote a huge and then-complete history of Porsche: the people, the cars, and the company. Porsche, Excellence Was Expected (PEWE, for short) was first published in 1976 by L. Scott Bailey’s Automobile Quarterly. Priced at a then-astronomical $59.95 (or a then-outrageous $79.95 for the leather-bound version), it quickly and justifiably succeeded, setting the standard for marque histories. Porsche enthusiasts devoured every word.

Author Karl Ludvigsen in his library in England. Photo by Richard Holland.

Updated three-volume editions came in 2003 and 2008, published by Robert Bentley, though the original chapters were not rewritten. Now, all that has changed. This new fourth edition, likely the last (after 50-plus years, Karl is slowing a bit), has been totally rewritten and dramatically expanded, incorporating a huge amount of fresh information and photographs. Karl has always enjoyed total access to Porsche’s archives, but his dedication and experience now mean more than ever. His experience working at GM, Fiat, and Ford broadened his views.

The new four-volume edition brings much-expanded coverage of the late-1950’s 911 development and the quest to design a four-door sedan. The book employs not only the familiar chapter arrangement (132 in all) but adds 32 “Focus Chapters” spotlighting little-known cars, issues, and people: the Fageol Porsches, “Tin” Berckheim, the Paxton Porsche, the Beutler-Porsches, the Teram Justicialista and Puntero, the Zunder, the Zagato Carrera, the Type 645 Spyder, Leopold Schmid’s proposed land-speed-record car, Al Stein’s twin-engined Indy car, and many more.

One aspect of this book that fascinates the reader is it not only the details the development of all the production (356 to Taycan) and racing cars but also explores many seemingly arcane alleys that Porsche engineers explored: military vehicles, helicopter engines, off-road vehicles, aircraft engines, safety vehicles, even Studebakers. The company’s long and recently contentious relationship with Volkswagen is also well described.

​No other book has affected my life as much as this one. In 1975 I sent Karl information on the then-little-known Glöckler-Porsches, which he incorporated into the first edition. More significantly, he led me into the bookselling business. When fellow Porsche enthusiasts wanted copies of PEWE, I started Toad Hall Motorbooks.

Except for the early leather-bound edition, neither this latest, nor any of the previous editions were limited, though older editions did sell out. As for values; depending on condition…  first edition copies are still sought after, and can be found in the $150-$300 range.  The limited & numbered, author signed first edition typically sells around $400. Used copies of the 2008 edition had been selling at about $500, but when this new edition appeared, their prices fell significantly. (Editor note: Rm Sotheby’s recently sold a 2003 three-volume set for $720 at their Taj Ma Garaj Sale in Sept. - see auctions page 35)

Our only complaint is that the printer’s color reproduction fails to meet the quality of previous editions. Still, those earlier editions won all of the most prestigious automotive book awards, and I expect this one will follow in their tracks. The massive, 30-lb, four-volume set (with 2,836 pages and 2,912 illustrations) retails for $524.95 and is available now. Truly, if you have only one Porsche book, this must be it.

OK, now I can take a month or so to finish reading the book!    
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FB