Overview

This fascinating story charts the career of Max Hoffman, the US car dealer who represented Jaguar, Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Fiat, Lancia, BMW, and many other European car brands during the decades following WWII. He pushed for distinguished now-classics like the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, Porsche Speedster, BMW 507, and Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. Hoffman built a reputation as an effective middleman, but as the car companies he represented became more successful under his watch, the less they needed their go-between. When it was inevitably time to say goodbye to Maxie, he showed his teeth with everything from lawsuits against his suppliers, to threatening executives with a mob hit. However, Hoffman also had a very good reason to be defensive. He understood the American market, and he pushed manufacturers specifically for cars that would strike a chord and make everybody involved richer. Sometimes the hero, sometimes the villain, but more often than not, Max Hoffman was the unseen puppet master behind some of today’s best classics.

Full Product Details

Author:   Myles Kornblatt
Publisher:   David & Charles
Imprint:   Veloce
Dimensions:   Width: 20.70cm , Height: 92.70cm , Length: 25.00cm
Weight:   0.655kg
ISBN:  

9781787115033

ISBN 10:   1787115038
Pages:   160
Publication Date:   15 September 2022
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

1. Early life, start in cars, and WWII 2. An expensive address (this describes his first showroom in Manhattan and the marques he sold, including Aston Martin, Dalahaye, and Jowett. 3.Jaguar. 4.Volkswagen 5. Mercedes 6. Porsche 7. The Italians (Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo) 8. BMW 9. Frank Lloyd Wright and other architecture 10. How significant Hoffman’s cars are today and a lasting legacy

Reviews

Author Information

Myles Kornblatt’s lifelong passion for automobiles has led him to search the globe for interesting cars. He has gained a reputation for rediscovering and writing the histories on vehicles that the automotive community had thought were long-lost or never even knew existed. He is an industry consultant and former museum curator. His work has appeared in publications such as Top Gear, GQ, Classic Cars, Classic Cars Weekly, Hemmings Daily, and Octane. Myles understands that a car is just metal, glass, and rubber, but when combined correctly, it creates something more: he finds the soul.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions