Every year publishers and authors send us Porsche book after Porsche book for us to review. We do our best to read and review as many as possible, but we simply can’t get to all of them. However, what we can do, is take a look through our Amazon order reports to see which of the books we did mention (here on the site or on our social channels) were of the most interest to you based on the number of orders. Here’s a list of the 10 Porsche related books that were ordered the most by readers of FLATSIXES.com.
1. Porsche 911 Red Book 3rd Edition: Specifications, Options, Production Numbers, Data Codes and More
We first mentioned this book to you in mid-2015 yet it continues to be the #1 top seller among FLATSIXES.com readers. Here’s our short review or you can simply jump to Amazon.com and pick up a copy for yourself for $16.56.
2. Porsche Drive: 15 Passes in 4 Days; Switzerland, Italy, Austria
9 Porsches, 20 Passes, 4 days, 2000 kilometers over and through the Italian and Swiss Alps. That’s the trip a group of enthusiasts in a Porsche GT4, 964 Cup, Porsche 1970 ST, 911 Turbo, 1968 911 and more took while doing the principal photography for the book “Porsche Drive”. It’s a thick tome with copious amounts of beautiful photography, history of the Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alpine passes and Stefan’s idea of the perfect long weekend drive. You can get your own copy on Amazon for $30.32.
3. Porsche Sounds
This is the 2nd edition of a fantastic book, accompanied by a CD filled with some of the best Porsche exhaust sounds you’ll ever hear. Here’s our review of the first edition of Porsche Sounds and here’s our review of the 2nd version detailing what’s different between the two versions. If you don’t yet have a copy, the CD alone makes it worth it (we used ours to make ring tones). While the first edition is hard to come by these days, the 2nd edition can still be purchased on Amazon.com for $40.00.
4. Porsche 911: 50 Years
Originally published in 2013, Randy Leffingwell’s celebration of one of the world’s premiere sports cars, is still a top seller more than 3-years later. Porsche 911: 50 Years focuses on the major themes that define Porsche’s rear-engined wonder. Randy tells the whole story–design and development, racing and competition, engineering and technology, style and culture. It’s available on Amazon.com for $31.17.
5. Excellence: The Magazine About Porsche
OK, Excellence may not be a book, but it’s your go-to choice for U.S. Porsche fans looking for a monthly magazine. At just 28.00 for a 12-month subscription (consisting of 9 issues) it’s some of the best bang for your Porsche buck you can buy. You can subscribe here.
6. Porsche – Origin of the Species with Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld
Within Jerry Seinfeld s renowned Porsche collection resides an unassuming yet extraordinary piece of Porsche history: Porsche Gmund coupe 356/2-040. Captured exclusively for this book in a series of evocative portraits by acclaimed automotive photographer Michael Furman, 040’s unsullied originality conveys with startling immediacy the combination of artistry, innovation and determination that went into its improbable creation. This cornerstone of the Seinfeld collection serves as the inspiration for Porsche – Origin of the Species, an in-depth exploration by the eminent automotive historian Karl Ludvigsen into the specific influences and circumstances that brought forth the first Porsche-badged sports cars. Originally published more than 4-years ago, Ludvigsen’s book continues to sell whenever available. You can try for a copy on Amazon. Pricing ranges widely based on availability.
7. The Complete Book of Porsche 911: Every Model Since 1964
Porsche’s fabled 911 represents the ultimate expression of Ferdinand Porsche’s original vision of the perfect sports car. In The Complete Book of Porsche 911, author and photographer Randy Leffingwell provides a year-by-year overview of Stuttgart’s most famous car, from the original 901 prototype to today’s technologically advanced GT2 and GT3 derivatives. Along the way, he highlights the racing, prototype, and limited-production cars–offering the most complete reference available to these top-tier sports cars. Available on Amazon.com for $36.23.
8. 101 Projects for Your Porsche 911, 1964-1989 & 101 Projects for Your Porsche 911, 996 and 997 1998-2008
If you have a classic air-cooled Porsche and are interested in doing your own maintenance or want to improve the performance of your Porsche than these books are for you. Divided into three categories -performance, handling, and customization- the projects range from 30-minute maintenance projects to eight-hour performance modifications; each is accompanied by a handy chart indicating how much skill, cash, and time are needed to successfully complete the task. Each are a great resource for any Porsche owner. Available from $23.76.
9. Can-Am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out with North America’s Greatest Race Series 1966-74
This book was just published and we just received our review copy last week. It’s already blowing up and is currently the #1 best-seller in Automotive racing. I love the books introduction, “The first rule of Can-Am: There are no rules. Or at least damn few rules. No limits to engine options or output, no restrictions on aerodynamic aids or body shape. It was as close to unrestricted road racing as racing had ever gotten or would ever get again. And it was fantastic!”
We’re looking forward to reading through this and reviewing it in full. However, after just a short mention on social media we’ve already seen the sales numbers climb. You can pick up a copy for $38.56 before they’re sold out.
10. Professor Porsche’s Wars: The Secret Life of Legendary Engineer Ferdinand Porsche Who Armed Two Belligerents Through Four Decades
Regarded as one of the great automotive engineers of the twentieth century, Ferdinand Porsche is well remembered today for his remarkable automotive designs including the Volkswagen Beetle and Auto Union Grand Prix cars. Yet there is another side to his extraordinary career, for he was an equally inventive designer of military vehicles and machinery. Karl Ludvigsen’s study is the definitive guide. Available in Hardcover as low as $26.60.
