Book Review: Porsche: The Carrera Dynasty

A Spanish noun, ‘carrera’ can mean road, track or race and since the 1970s ‘Carrera’ has been a model name synonymous with Porsche. In fact, and as the author explains, Porsche had been using the name ‘Carrera’ since 1954 to commemorate its success in the Carrera Panamericana road race, one of a gruelling and dangerous series of point-to-point competitions in central America whose heyday was during the 1950s.

Glen Smale is a seasoned Porsche writer: in The Carrera Dynasty he explains how Porsche sought to make its name through racing with vivid descriptions of Porsche’s early racing history, especially its less familiar Pan-American campaigns. From its very beginnings when the first open Porsches built in Austria were sold to Swiss hillclimbers, the company was competition-led, and its sure eye for its market made the use of the name Carrera an obvious move.