The Story Behind Janis Joplin's Psychedelic Porsche 356: and 49 other
Highly Entertaining Tales From the World of Rare and Exotic Car
Collecting
Join author Wyss as he takes you behind-the-scenes on missions with barn
finders the world over. Author Wyss, well known for books on Cobras,
Ferraris, Corvettes, etc. focuses on selecting only the most
eye-opening, jaw-dropping, eyebrow-raising stories regardless of marque
because, as he says: "I'm here to tell the story of The Hunt." Here are
just a few of the "can-you-believe-it?" stories: -a genuine big block
Cobra stolen and dumped in the Erie Canal after a fatal accident -a
mailman in France buys a Ferrari that he cant afford. He reluctantly
sells it and today its worth over $38 million dollars! -a purebred F1
Ferrari single-seater is rebodied by some New Zealanders into a wanna-be
250GTO. -a Porsche factory 356 four cam race car--one of only two
built--is being piloted through Paris when the engine blows. The owner
sells it in exchange for a $200 plane ticket back to Portugal! Movie
stars and celebrities get their share of ink too, with stories on Diana
Dors' delicious Delahaye, Elvis Presleys BMW 507 and Steve McQueens
Ferrari NART Spyder. Plus, there are stories of cars Wyss says could
still be out there... million dollar cars such as the pair of
lightweight 1957 Mercedes 300SLS roadsters raced by Paul OShea; James
Deans white pre-A Porsche 356 Speedster or the Corvette XP700 dream car.
Wallace Wyss is a native of Detroit who recalls first seeing Porsche 356
cars racing on the frozen ice of Lake Orion, Michigan. Little did he
know that a half century later, he would be chronicling their history.
After stints as a soldier, public relations man, and Montana cowboy
(really!), he enjoyed a career as an ad copywriter, writing Corvette and
Camaro ads during the original Muscle Car era. His foray into journalism
began with a staff job at Motor Trend, before he set up shop as an
independent author and publisher. He has published fifteen automotive
histories, including the Incredible Barn Finds series (Enthusiast
Books), and one novel. In 2009 he picked up a paint brush for the first
time, and you can occasionally find his fine art in galleries on the
West Coast. Along the way, he barn-found and restored such cars as two
Mercedes gulllwings, a Ferrari 365GTC/4, and a Porsche 356 Convertible D.
Porsche: All the Cars
Porsche, the great Stuttgart-based manufacturer, certainly needs no
introduction. In over 60 years, it has built unforgettable road and
racing cars, which have every right to be part of the fabric of motoring
and motor sport history. Their designations may be numbers, but behind
each one of them there is a legendary car; the 356, 911, 928 and 959,
the 550, 906, 908, 917, 956 and 962 are just some of the cars that make
up this first 'virtual gallery'. An assembly of all Porsche's
fundamental models in chronological order, their stories told in brief
passages complete with their technical and design specifications. A true
vademecum that has to be part of every Porsche enthusiast's library.
