Author        Ludvigsen

    ENGLISH

    EDITION 2.1 (January 2009)

ISBN 10    no ISBN 10

ISBN 13     9780837602356

OUT OF PRINT -- NO LONGER AVAILABLE @ BLOCKS BOOKS.COM

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

While reviewing Genesis or Genius, I mentioned that the first Porsche book by Karl Ludvigsen is Porsche Excellence Was Expected.  This is still true.  After a hiatus of 25 years between Karl’s first and second editions, only 5 years have passed to his expanded new edition.  Interestingly neither is the new edition called the third, nor has the ISBN changed.  Other than an additional 150 or so pages added to the third volume, a slightly larger box, the only change is bumping the list price from $259.95 to $299.95.  Five chapters have been added covering the RS Spyder, the Cayman and the first and second generation 997 – including the direct fuel injection motors and the DPK transmission – finally “Porsche Remains Porsche.”  None of the new chapters have anything to do with our favorite Porsche but particularly the last chapter provides impressive insight into how Porsche under Wiedeking operates and what Porsche has become.  If you have edition 2.0 you can certainly survive without edition 2.1 and there are deals to be had on edition 2.0 – but whether 2.0 or 2.1 every Porsche enthusiast need a copy of Porsche Excellence Was Expected.

Title            Excellence Was Expected

Author        Ludvigsen

    ENGLISH

    EDITION 2.0 (SEP 2005)

ISBN 10     0525101179

ISBN 13     9780837602356

Edition two was both a rewrite of the first edition and and massive expansion to three volumes and over 1000 pages.  Edition two has recently been updated -- through 2008, including the the latest direct fuel injection and PDK technical changes -- but for some reason the ISBN was not changed.

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

While reviewing Genesis or Genius, I mentioned that the first Porsche book by Karl Ludvigsen is Porsche Excellence Was Expected.  This is still true.  After a hiatus of 25 years between Karl’s first and second editions, only 5 years have passed to his expanded new edition.  Interestingly neither is the new edition called the third, nor has the ISBN changed.  Other than an additional 150 or so pages added to the third volume, a slightly larger box, the only change is bumping the list price from $259.95 to $299.95.  Five chapters have been added covering the RS Spyder, the Cayman and the first and second generation 997 – including the direct fuel injection motors and the DPK transmission – finally “Porsche Remains Porsche.”  None of the new chapters have anything to do with our favorite Porsche but particularly the last chapter provides impressive insight into how Porsche under Wiedeking operates and what Porsche has become.  If you have edition 2.0 you can certainly survive without edition 2.1 and there are deals to be had on edition 2.0 – but whether 2.0 or 2.1 every Porsche enthusiast need a copy of Porsche Excellence Was Expected.

Last issue I gave a quick review of the volume one of EXCELLENCE WAS EXPECTED, edition two – after all it is the one dealing with the era in which we are most interested.  Our esteemed editor sent me photocopies of the 2nd and 3rd volumes, fully expecting a review on all 1500 pages over the weekend, while making the print deadline.  And it’s even more difficult.  I keep finding fascinating details, which I don’t remember, necessitating my pulling out edition one to see if it is new or attributable to my (apparently) failing memory.  To make it yet more difficult, since the book is expanded as well as corrected, the page numbers do not agree.

There may be people who love their Porsches because they think they are cute, but most 356 owners are techno junkies, and here is where Excellence is superb.  Ludvigsen’s style is smooth and easy to read. The provision of many period photographs and drawings makes reading a pleasure and certainly helps with the comprehension of over 100 years of the most extraordinarily prolific designers the world has ever seen.  I am struck by how much Ferdinand Piech resembles his grandfather.  Albert Speer, the Third Reich’s armaments minister, commented that Ferdinand Porsche was no war criminal, he was more like an outsized Gepetto, the toy maker.  In other words, Ferdinand Porsche was not immoral; he was amoral.  Ferdinand Piech has a similar picture painted of an extraordinarily talented designer who did (care) to see the picture other than the immediate technical challenge.  There was a long and cherished history of the development of the Porsche 356 and early 911, as well as the von Hanstein directed racing program.  With the advent of Piech all of this went out of the window.  He discarded Butzi Porsche’s 904 and designed the 906.  As Ludvigsen points out, Butzi was not asked to join the team.  The early 900 sports racing cars were designed in the wind tunnel for minimal wind resistance  – no matter that they were so unstable as to be almost undrivable.  Remembering the 1968 Daytonna race, Joe Buzetta said “”Sorry we’re doing the best we can, but these things are moving on their own.” There was nothing we could do about it.  Piech said the long-tail was faster than the short-tail, and that’s all they cared about.  They felt you had to acclimate yourself to their cars.”  Think Peter Ustinov’s Grand Prix of Gibraltar.  Relationships with the FIA and other sanctioning bodies moved from the almost incestuous but gentlemanly relationships nurtured by van Hanstein to brutally correct.  It was all very amusing to be shown the same 10 or so of 50 required cars several times, with serious eating and leisurely drinking in between.  Piech had all of 50 917s just sitting there with the keys in the ignitions – the FIA never forgave such an ungentlemanly coup de main.  And photographs of Piech during the period show a nerdy guy in a pork pie hat.

Ferry Porsche may not have had the technical vision of his father or nephew, but he did have an understanding of what a Porsche sports car should be – now and in the future.  Ferry first set up a management supervisory board of the ten Porsches and Piechs overseeing the 4-cam designer Ernst Fuhrmann, whom he invited back to run the company.  Later, amidst unending acrimony, he forced all members of the family out of managerial roles.

One of Ferry Porsche’s regrets with the initial management system run by Ernst Fuhrmann was that Porsche was initially unable to get his personal projects advanced.  It is well known that Porsche preferred his rear engine car to Fuhrmann’s front, but who knows about his desire for an “off-road car of the Range Rover type” based on the 911.  Ludvigsen speculates that there was actually a Porsche type number 926. Fuhrmann stonewalled him.  Ferry investigated the possibility of an all wheel drive VW Passat. Fuhrmann told him VW would not supply the Passats.  Later Ferry, in conversation with the VW sales director, found he had never heard of the project. Fuhrmann left Porsche.  Ferry Porsche instituted a supervisory board to oversee the management board.

Technical stuff is even better handled.  There are no pretty color pictures of restored cars.  Rather, Ludvigsen has dipped into an amazing combination of factory archive and Ludvigsen Library photographs.  Ludvigsen had the foresight to buy up the photograph libraries of automotive photographers and has the largest historical collection of automotive photography in the world. 

In one of the many expansions of the new edition, the mid 60’s dilemma of more revs (the usual Porsche solution) versus more displacement is visited.  Pages are devoted to the 916 motor – during this period, Porsche occasionally had more than one project under a type number. In this case, type 916 was not only an upscale version of the 914/6 but the type number for a twin cam 911 motor.  Unfortunately, displacement won.  Amazingly the 916 was too peaky to put in the 910 for the Mugello race run over the mountain passes of the old Mille Miglia.  So it was placed in the 911R, creating my ideal car.  We are given not just the bald technical facts but the inside lore – when Vic Elford showed up for the Corsica Rally, he found only wheels and tires in the service van.  In response to his obvious question, von Hanstein replied “there are no spares my boy, Porsches never break.”

Did you know that Ferdinand Piech made a deal in the late 60’s with Carl Hahn, VW board member for sales, in which VW would finance two-thirds of Porsche’s racing costs, with no upper limit, as long as the cars were air-cooled?  Neither did I, but it is presented in the second edition.  Surprisingly what is not in the new edition, is the first edition’s discussion of the relationship between the development of the flat 12 Panther tank for the Bundeswher.  Porsche pulled its usual economic move of using the paid contractual development for their own use, but also there was the undenied claim that the contract was overly generous – in effect a subsidy for the 917.  Many books will tell you the bald facts about Porsches – unfortunately with varying degrees of accuracy – Excellence gives you the facts and the understanding of why.

Have rhapsodized about the writing and inside stories, I find my favorite section is the listing of Porsche type numbers.

Wendelin Wiedeking was recently asked if Porsche is going to come out with a double clutch transmission to match VW/Audi; he replied in the negative with the clear implication that Porsche had its own designs and didn’t need VW’s.  Interestingly, Porsche developed this transmission as the PDK and its advocate was Ferdinand Piech – who not only was a Porsche board member but wanted it for his Audi rally cars.

Almost all of the first volume deals with the 356 period.  However, in at least the short term, volume one will not be independently available.  Those with edition one of EXCELLENCE will be in a quandary.  On the one hand, the changes are minimal – perhaps 10% with more than 10% new photographs and drawings – but on the other, anyone willing to read more than 350 pages of extremely well written, but none the less historical/technical writing, will want the latest and most closely correct version.  There is nothing else currently available which coves the entire span of Porsche.  The early Porsche history is adequate – though Thiriar’s PORSCHE EPIC volume one is more complete; as well it should be.  It’s a larger format and its 350+ pages end with the advent of the 356.  Barber’s Birth of the Beetle covers the prewar VW period in much greater depth (vied infra).  Conradt’s Porsche 356 – Driving in Its Purest Form actually does a bit better job on the 356.  But nothing does it all as well as Excellence.  Even at $240 list, Excellence, edition 2 is a necessity on the enthusiast’s bookshelf. Bentley Publishing has an introductory special of $200.00. Independent booksellers actually match and beat this offer – see want ads.  Given the current price of nice copies of edition one, you can just about buy the edition 2 for the same or even less money.

AUTHOR   Ludvigsen

   ENGLISH

    1st Edition

ISBN 10     0525101179

ISBN 13     NO ISBN 13

STANDARD EDITION

          

OUT OF PRINT -- NO LONGER AVAILABLE @ BLOCKS BOOKS.COM

    Leather, signed, limited to 1000 copies

OUT OF PRINT  --NOT CURRENTLY  AVAILABLE @ BLOCKS BOOKS

FROM MY REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

EXCELLENCE WAS EXPECTED, Ludvigsen. The single best automotive marque book written. With a publication date of 1978, this weighty (2.5 kg) tome is not too cluttered with later Gucci stuff. If you love 356s, don't fritter away your money on milk and shoes for kid until you have a copy.

ON REPRINTING OF FIRST EDITION

While not of much moment to 356 devotees, Ludvigsen's "Porsche: Excellence was Expected" has not been updated since it was first printed in 1978. Last year, after having been out of print for a year, it was issued as a second printing (not second edition) on slightly thinner paper, printed in the far east instead of Kutztown, PA. Actually the thinner paper is an improvement in that the illustration quality did not suffer and the book no longer has a propensity to break its binding. In Germany however, the translated version is large format and thinner. It is also effectively a later edition in that it includes cars through 1980-though as near as I can tell the 356 section is not "updated" just translated.

FROM Bob Lawrence’s REVIEWS IN THE 356 REGISTRY:

This volume is so much that a review on my part would be superfluous. How do you review the Bible? Ya just gotta get it. Anxiety, anticipation or whatever I just had "big" expectations. (Great expectations were realized). When I ordered it (which was instantly) I somehow expected it to be bigger or taller. Maybe I just have too many "coffee table" books. I never use my tape measure when ordering books. If you really want to nitpick you could focus on the misalignment/fore shortening of some of the photos that extend across two pages., but this is I suppose due to the inherent binding problem in a tome of this caliber.  P.E.W.E. should be a mandatory requirement for membership in the Registry, secondary only to 356 ownership.  Besides much research at the factory Ludvigsen also consulted five individual Porsche experts, three of whom I know to be Reg guys, Skirmants, Perrin and Stoddard.  So you see you are in pretty fast company when you are a member of the Registry.

    1 st GERMAN

AUTHOR   Ludvigsen

ISBN 10    340512168X

ISBN 13     NO ISBN 13

OUT OF PRINT -- NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE @ BLOCKS BOOKS

Excellence Was Expected is the best automotive history ever written.  If you have this book you have what you need to know of Porsche history.  The first edition became available at the end of 1978.  The first 1000 copies and all of the leather volumes were issued with a signed and numbered placard to be fixed to the front fly leaf.  It continued as the only edition with multiple printings through the mid 80s.  Prior to the release of the second edition a strong collector’s market had emerged with the first edition, first printing going for several times its list price.  The leather edition has maintained its strong collector price while the standard volume was slipped.  The original printing was too thick and invariably broke its binding if read with both covers flat.  Later printings used thinner paper, with no loss of print quality, and do not suffer this risk to the same degree.