Luxury Toys; Classic Cars

Kempen, Germany: teNeues Publishing Group, 2007. Second Edition [stated], presumed first printing thus. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Format is approximately 10.25 inches by 13.25 inches. 219, [1] pages. Lavishly illustrated (mostly in color). Minor DJ wear and soiling. Forward by HRH Prince Leopold von Bayem. Contents include Foreword, Introduction, Cars I, Luxury et Elegance, Cars II, Luxury et Racing; Cars III, Editor et Notes. Index. Thanks & Copyright Info. This was edited and produced by Goodbrands Institute for Automotive Culture. Text is in English, French, Italian and other languages. A copiously illustrated compendium that showcases more than 45 classic cars produced from 1945 on, many of which were custom-made for statesmen, entrepeneurs, and pop stars. Paolo Tumminelli is a professor of design concept at the Köln International School of Design. He is a jury member of the Renault Traffic Design Awards and the Red Dot Design Award. From the time we played with our first toy car, every automotive enthusiast has longed for the ultimate ride. Now, enter the world of those who can afford to make these dreams a reality. This stunning volume showcases approximately 40 classic cars from 1945 on. Using the finest materials and craftsmanship available, some literally are one-of-a-kind, built for statesmen, entrepreneurs and pop stars. Interspersed with photographs of these iconic vehicles are vintage images from celebrated races such as the Mille Miglia. ? With a foreword from racing legend HRH Prince Leopold von Bayem, former racecar driver and founder of the Prinz-Poldi-Racing-Team ? A must have for everyone who appreciates fine design and workmanship. Prince Leopold (Poldi) of Bavaria (born 21 June 1943) is a member of the Bavarian royal house of Wittelsbach and a former champion race car driver. He descends from King Ludwig I of Bavaria in direct line and is a distant relative to the current head of the House of Wittelsbach, Franz, Duke of Bavaria and his brother, Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria. He also descends from Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth and from King George II of Great Britain, and is therefore a distant cousin of Elizabeth II. As a Roman Catholic he is excluded from the line for the British throne by the Act of Settlement 1701. He also descends from Isabella II of Spain, through her daughter, and Leopold's great-grandmother, María de la Paz. Prince Leopold started his career with rallying and in 1969 moved to touring car racing winning the North American Championships with Porsche in 1972. In 1984 he also took part in the legendary sports car endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Walter Brun and Bob Akin, finishing fourth. In 1986, Leopold became a factory driver for the Munich based car manufacturer BMW and although he retired from competitive racing in 1998, he remains involved with the BMW racing team as an adviser. As well as competing in Europe and America, Prince Leopold competed in Australia also with a drive the 1984 James Hardie 1000 driving a Group A BMW 635 CSi for Frank Gardner's factory backed JPS Team BMW, partnering 1967 Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme. In Australian touring car racing Group A was only a minor class introduced for the endurance races in 1984 before taking over as top class in 1985. von Bayern (and Hulme) both had a new experience while racing at Bathurst in 1984. Their BMW was equipped with a racecam unit fitted in place of the left front headlight and both drivers were able to talk to the Channel 7 television commentary team while they were driving with the Prince saying at one point that "The race is very much fun for me. The automobile is a cultural phenomenon whose multiple dimensions can be experienced daily, from everyone, everywhere. Out of a century-long interaction among vehicles, people, nature, design and architecture, an automotive culture has emerged and set new lifestyles, fashions, attitudes. Myths have been created, promoted, consumed. Following predictions of a rapidly growing population of vehicles, life without auto-mobility seems impossible. And yet, to move forward, the myth has to be reinvented, a new automobile must follow. Beyond the specific viewpoints of individual makers or the market value of selected models, automobile culture is a public matter that deserves to be endorsed by an open and independent institution. To promote the heritage, monitor today and envision the future of automobility, while igniting public discourse about automotive culture, is the scope of the Goodbrands Institute. The independent researching, consulting and publishing organization has been founded 2007 in Cologne, Germany and directed by professor Paolo Tumminelli.