It's definitely a heavyweight, the book that Michael Köckritz, Michel Zumbrunn (photos), Jürgen Lewandowski and Charles Blunier have published to mark Ferrari's 70th birthday, just in time for the Christmas sales. And with its velvety surface, it is very pleasant to the touch, even though it weighs around 4.3 kg. The 416 pages and the large format of 29 x 37 cm also show that the book is more likely to be placed on the coffee table than on the library shelf.
Ferrari from the beginning to the present day
Chronologically, the authors cover many important models in the 70-year history of the sports and racing car manufacturer Ferrari. There is (unfortunately) no table of contents; the reader has to find out for themselves which cars have been portrayed in detail. These are: Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa from 1948, Ferrari 212 Export Spyder Vignale from 1951, Ferrari 342 America from 1952, Ferrari 375 America Coupé Agnelli from 1953, Ferrari 375 MM from 1953, Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta from 1953, and so on, up to the Modern Ferrari F12 TDF from 2015.
A short text explains what each vehicle is all about. A historical photo sets the context, while brief technical data, production years and quantities round off each ten-page portrait.
Powerful images
Because the book is written in four languages and is also very generously designed, the viewer's attention is focused on the pictures. The large-format color photos, often stretching over two pages, are by Michel Zumbrunn and were all taken in a studio environment. As usual with Zumbrunn, the background is dark and careful lighting ensures that shapes and edges are emphasized.
The pictures in the first part of the book in particular are something for gourmets, as some of these vehicles are hardly ever seen at a meeting or concours. The Agnelli Ferrari 375 America from 1953, for example, designed by Aldo Brovarone, is a gem that you can hardly get enough of. The same applies to many of the racing cars portrayed in the book.
In contrast, the photos of a Ferrari 308 GTS printed in the 328 GTS chapter seem somewhat strange. I wonder if something got mixed up when selecting the pictures.
For design enthusiasts
This book is primarily aimed at people with an eye for detail. And for them, there really is a lot to look at and enjoy. The pages with their razor-sharp photos show every aspect of the design, without many detailed shots, giving a view of the whole car. This also makes it easy to compare the different body variants and recognize the special features of the individual vehicles.
So if you are enthusiastic about the beautiful shapes and not so much the engines of Ferrari sports and racing cars, attach less importance to text than to photos and also want to invest over a hundred euros, the teNeues heavyweight is the right place for you. Background information on the cars can also be found online or in other books, but the big pictures are only available in the book.
Bibilographic information
- TItel: The Ferrari Book - Passion for Design
- Authors: Michel Zumbrunn (photos), Jürgen Lewandowski, Michael Köckritz, Charles Blunier (design)
- Language: German, English, French and Italian
- Publisher: teNeues Media
- Edition: 1st edition November 15, 2017
- Format: Bound, hardcover, 29 x 37 cm
- Size: 416 pages, about 250 color and black and white photographs Price: EUR 128.00, ISBN: 978-3-96171-020-1
- Buy/order: Online at amazon.de, at teNeues or in relevant bookstores
