Book Review ... SuperFinds by Michael Kliebenstein


 

Weighing in at around 4.5kgs this large (31cms x 31cms) volume is a predominantly photographic essay of one man’s quest for hidden automobile treasures in all corners of the world. It charts the travels of renowned Italian collector Corrado Cupellini through his voluminous photo archive, which he generously provided to the author, to illustrate a wonderful journey unearthing automobile jewels all over the planet.

When cars became redundant, through being uncompetitive if they were a racing car, or just being old and out of date, maybe broken down, if they were a road car, they were frequently pushed to the back of a garage or “put out to pasture” as, even if they had enjoyed an illustrious racing career or been the epitome of luxury or sporting prowess, they were past their “sell by date”. The book captures a number of these cars, via a vast array of mesmerising images, predominantly from the sixties and seventies, the majority of which were just snapshots to record the moment and the find, but this only gives it an added charm, as they are quite literally “a moment in time”. Examples are a Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, chassis 1791GT, found in South America, a 340 MM Spider in Niger, and a 375 MM spider in Argentina. Although the quality of many of the images is not to professional standards, they are a lasting record of any particular car as it was when discovered. Thus for restorers this could provide invaluable information as to originality, assuming that it hadn’t been modified during its life.

Reinforce your bookcase to make space for this one!

Title:   SuperFinds

Publisher:     Porter Press International Ltd

ISBN Number:         978-1-907085-89-5

UK Retail Price:       £90 (Plus P&P as appropriate)

 

Keith Bluemel
11/2020