Berlin Motor Books, a boutique book publisher located not far from the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) in Berlin, has been steadily raising its profile on the quality automotive book scene since its inception in 2011. The authors, Andreas Gabriel, Manfred Hering and Thomas Nehlert are all Porsche enthusiasts and deeply knowledgeable in the heritage of the brand. Other titles by this publisher to date, in addition to this one being reviewed here, include: Porsche 911 Turbo – Aircooled Years 1975–1998; Porsche 964 – 30 Years 1988–2018; and Porsche Cayenne.
In addition to this, Berlin Motor Books produces high-quality calendars featuring images from the 993 and 964 titles above. This is an innovative way of maximising the time and effort that goes into writing and publishing their own titles, and full-marks to them for coming up with this creative opportunity.
As the authors detail in the book, the success of the Porsche 911 (Type 993) model was paramount as the company was experiencing a downturn in sales, and the global economic slump didn’t help their position either. But Porsche is well-known for coming up with the right model at the right time, just as they did back in the early 1970s with the launch of the 911 Turbo when the oil crisis hit. This time around, not only did the 993 revive the company’s fortunes, but it also set the stage for an aggressive period of growth which saw Porsche production reaching new heights in the years that followed this model.
Type 993 (all models) production numbers
Model year
Units produced
1994 (R-Programme)
12,128
1995 (S-Programme)
14,647
1996 (T-Programme)
21,602
1997 (V-Programme)
15,972
1998 (W-Programme)
13,783
TOTAL
78,132
(Production numbers supplied by Porsche Archive)
Leading the project, 911 enthusiasts Bernd Kahnau (project manager) and Englishman Tony Hatter (design) were left pretty much to their own devices, but together with a small team, they brought their vision to life. As the last classic air-cooled Porsche 911, this was a model of huge significance for the company both in period, and for the many thousands of air-cooled fans around the world today. Loyal 993 enthusiasts and ‘purists’ today hold this car in very high esteem being the company’s last air-cooled model, the basis of almost all engine types since the first Porsche was produced back in 1948. Extensive use has been made of interviews with both of these engineers, giving inside information on the design and development of the 993 model.
As well as offering detailed purchasing advice and information on price trends in recent years, this book also goes into great detail concerning all the special models, and some unknown models too. For this book project, Porsche allowed the authors access to its historical archive, allowing previously unpublished photographs from the development phase of the 993, to be shown.
The publication is broken down into the following sections: Start of the Project/The Porsche Panamericana Study; the Four-wheel drive models; 993 Turbo; and the 993 in Motor Racing. The Panamericana design study might not have been one of Ferry Porsche’s favourites, but it nevertheless hinted at several important design cues that made their way onto the 993 production model. It was almost certainly a given, that the 993 would be offered as a 4×4 model, and also as a Turbo, as by this time these models had become more-or-less a fixture in the 911’s line-up.
Boasting the magical number of 300 bhp, the roadgoing 993 Carrera RS is today a very collectible model with a little more than 1000 units being produced. In its race car form (993 Cup, Carrera Cup and Cup 3.8 RSR), the 993 weighed in at around 250 kg less than the production model, and producing 325 bhp, it was very successful on the motorsport stage around the world. Porsche sports cars have always benefitted from motorsport, it was central to their development, and the company did very well financially out of their one-make series around the world. But apart from the financial benefits of selling race cars and large amounts of spares, the massive global media coverage resulted in huge public relations dollars for the company.
PORSCHE 993 “25 YEARS” 1994–2019 is an important publication, printed on high quality paper and comes in a protective slip case, ideal for longevity. Its impressive size and page count has resulted in a substantial product which feels really good in your hands. It is a book that you would be proud to have on your bookshelf, so don’t waste any time, get your copy ASAP as a limited run of only 1998 copies have been printed, which coincides nicely with the year the model was taken out of production.
As mentioned above, 993 enthusiasts can also purchase one of a limited number of calendars featuring this model. The twelve motifs show the diversity of the Porsche 993, from the Carrera Coupé to the 911 GT2. The individually numbered calendars have a print run of only 993 copies. The calendars are printed to a very high quality in landscape format (680 x 470 mm) and will be despatched in robust and rigid packaging.
