LIMITED NUMBER OF SIGNED COPIES ORIGINALLY PRICED AT $75
ON SALE NOW FOR ONLY $40 USD US SHIPPING FREE
$60 USD FOR ALL OTHER LOCATIONS INCLUDES SHIPPING
Porsche: Brochures and Sales Literature, A Source Book 1948-1965.
By Susann C. Miller and Richard F. Merritt
Hardbound, 317 pages, black and white
Send Check or Money Order in US Funds to:
Susann C. Miller
Suite 1703
4734 Stratford Court
Naples, FL 34105
susannart@aol.com
Review by Pete Vack
Back in the 1980s, Susann Miller lived in Clifton, VA outside of Washington D.C. (she has now settled in Florida) and we met once or twice. A Porsche expert, Susann was the author of several books on the marque and was about to become famous along with Dick Merritt, for their work which has become a standard reference source for Porsche enthusiasts, the Porsche: Brochures and Sales Literature, A Source Book 1948-1965. It consists of “all the known sales literature on the Porsche 356 including paint numbers, accessories, Beutler, 904 and Spyder brochures; a rare look at the 917, Carrera RS, Marine and Aircraft Engines, and Rotorcycle; and the early Speedster to name but a few.”
Ferrari specialist Dick Merritt also lived in the D.C. area. Although Dick owned a large number of Ferraris, he drove a Porsche 356SC coupe that was, he said, “the best car I ever owned.” Merritt not only co-authored Ferrari: The Sports and Gran Turismo Cars with Warren Fitzgerald (1968), but in 1976, with John Barnes and the help of many Ferrari owners, created the Ferrari Brochure and Sales Literature- A Source Book, 1946-1967.
Merritt and Miller teamed up with Barnes again to publish the Porsche Brochure and Sale Lit book. Known among Porsche owners as the “M&M” book, it was first published in 1978, a second edition in 1985, and the third edition, with 28 new pieces found since the first edition published again in 2005.
The Merritt Ferrari brochure book can still be purchased through Veloce Press, (a company this writer co-founded in 1999 with Stephen Glen). Susann went on her own to take over publication of the third edition of the now classic M&M brochure book from her home base in Naples, and we are proud to be able to offer a special signed edition for only $75 with FREE shipping through VeloceToday.
A list from the book's back cover shows the titles of brochures included in the book.
Isn’t this stuff on Google?
One might wonder if buying such a book of brochures in today’s digital world is still worth it. So, type in “Porsche 356 Brochures” in Google and see what comes up. Who needs to buy the M&M book with all that online already, free and in color? But never read a Google by its cover and go a bit further; while the M&M book has 83 brochures with ALL the pages of each brochure printed in order, you’ll not find near that many on Google. Most images are ads for copies of the brochures, or the real thing (highest price paid for a Porsche Brochure seems to be $1625) but despite the hundreds of images, none are complete and only a few of those in the book are actually online anywhere.
In fact, dig a bit deeper and you’ll find that almost all of the sites involved with Porsche brochures list the brochures by M&M page number, the standard among the Porsche world. For example, that high sales price for a brochure was a Speedster item, referenced by the M&M page number 75, or just “M&M75.” So one resorts to buying the book in order to reference everyone’s references! That in itself says a lot about the book in the world of the perfectionist pedantic Porsche purists.
There are some who have published many of the brochures in full color but they would be very pricey. Publishing in color was and still is almost cost prohibitive for a 320 page hardbound book. We might add that the Ferrari Brochure books were not done in color. However, the text not only provides a key as to how many pages of the brochure, how it was folded, if printed in color, and what the colors were and where. In addition, there is further information provided about the accuracy of the photos (some were older cars put on newer brochures) and the rarity of the item (rarest of the rare was a German-language Speedster brochure).
Going through a well-done brochure book is like scanning through the history of the company and its products. We page through as Porsche grows from its tiny origins at Gmünd to a fully-fledged car manufacturer with a multitude of products and accessories. For the restorer, it is essential, for the curious, an eye-opener (now we can properly repair the dashboard of our Distler Porsche), and a valuable aid to the historian.
We’ve provided a few examples from the book below.
A word about our prices and what is now available and when: First the M&M books on sale are not the numbered series, which are virtually gone. All copies sold here are signed by both Susann Miller and Dick Merritt. The normal cost is $75 plus s&h.
However, for VeloceToday customers, we have included the cost of shipping worldwide. Since the holidays are upon us, orders will not be shipped (from Naples FL) until after December 26th.
More on Susann and her books at Porschebooks…
The book begins with one of the few brochures dating from the Gmünd years.
This is the back cover of a pre 356 brochure. It was not dated but probably from around 1950.
356 era here and a great black and white photograph helpful when restoring the early Porsches.
Jumping ahead about a decade, this is a brochure for the rare Beutler 4 seater from 1962.
Another rare Porsche was the fixed Hardtop of 1962 and part of a 16 page brochure. Only a few Hardtops were made.
Still with the 356B, a stylish brochure from 1962-63. The M&M book only covers the 356 series.
I recently purchased a copy of the new “Porsche Brochure” book.
Please contact me by email as I have 10 different Porsche brochures in my collection which are not shown in the new edition.
Some are variations while others are not illustrated.
Hope I can be of some assistance,
Shane