Denis Jenkinson 356

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sng45
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Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by sng45 »

I've been off work this week with the most severe case of flu' known to mankind so in an effort to find something to do before I go round the bend started sorting through some boxes and found .............. a whole host of 356 books I haven't seen for ages including
"Porsche 356" by Denis Jenkinson which I think is the most wonderful story of actually using a 356 usually on trips around Europe to report on various race meetings.

Considering how this cars are so closseted nowadays and not even taken out in the rain, some of the photos are amazing, - one shows the car in Spain, jacked up by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere "in the shade of a large tree to perform some roadside maintainence, changing the rear shock absorbers and gearbox mount" and another "when the engine mountings broke away due to old age " so the photo shows the engine lid open and "the engine hung by rope from the hinges of the open lid and around the exhaust which allowed us to carry on our journey" ! presumably no AA/RAC roadside recovery and the story/pictures wouldn't be half as good if there were and of course no motorways.

In the section on handling there are some excellent quotes, amongst them, " I had always preferred the old-style Porsche accident of spinning off backwards" - " about every part of the body had to receive the panel-basher's art at some time or other" - " I was on the wrong side of the road doing 70mph (112kph) with no hope of stopping and no obvious escape route, by deliberately bouncing a front corner of my car into the rock face at the edge of the road, which then cannoned me obliquely into the Gogomobil, rather than head on, I got away with two very dented sides to the front of my car and no other damage" !!!

Every trip must have been the most fantastic adventure, if you don't have this book I'd certainly recommend it

Steve
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hot66
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Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by hot66 »

Agree, it's a great read :)
James

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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by JB-L »

A great book.

Never forget all cars (including early Porsches) were designed and manufactured to be driven...fast!
I love the smell of burnt rubber and hydrocarbons in the morning, it smells of......victory.
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by KEVFITZ »

Agree a great book....also got man flu in Yorkshire...just watched dvd of Harper (Paul Newman) just to see 356..made me feel better.

No sympathy...women don't understand how bad it can be !!!!!!


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KS
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by KS »

They witter on about childbirth and all that, but manflu... A whole different league. My sympathies.
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by rathur »

a top top read. just makes you want to jump in the car and drive to sicily on no motorways , as he did often....total player
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by TheBaron »

Does anyone know what actually happened to Jenks car, does someone own and if so who?
mdmax72
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by mdmax72 »

Yes defo a good read. Not read or seen mine for some time but your description brought it all back.

I bet it's still alive somewhere.
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by waltham wanderer »

I've not read this book - and I've noticed on a couple of book sale sites that there are two editions by Osprey Auto History - red car on cover and white car on cover [ earlier ?].

Does anyone know if these are the same as I'm about to purchase one after these postings have made it look like a ''must read'' ?

Thanks and Merry Christmas to all .
Steve

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svens
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by svens »

The book you want first is the one with a red car on cover "Porsche 356". The other one is "A Passion for Porsches" which is another book I can recommend.

But it's "Porsche 356" book that's a must have...
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sng45
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by sng45 »

Another great book I've got on the go at the moment -

"Backfire" by Alan Clark, ex MP and "Classic Cars" magazine columinist - some fantastic stories of his 356's, 550 and 911 mixed in with his assortment of Derby Bentleys, Jaguar C-Type and Citroen 2 CV (in which he manages to" overtake (and leave) an idiot banker in his Ferrari 275 in the snow going over the Alps on my way to our chalet in Zermatt")

Absolutely wonderful and motoring as it should be !
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hot66
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by hot66 »

sng45 wrote:Another great book I've got on the go at the moment -

"Backfire" by Alan Clark, ex MP and "Classic Cars" magazine columinist - some fantastic stories of his 356's, 550 and 911 mixed in with his assortment of Derby Bentleys, Jaguar C-Type and Citroen 2 CV (in which he manages to" overtake (and leave) an idiot banker in his Ferrari 275 in the snow going over the Alps on my way to our chalet in Zermatt")

Absolutely wonderful and motoring as it should be !
another one I agree with 8) Superb stories and a refreshing attitude to how classic cars should be driven & enjoyed ( although this attitude does seem easier to have if you live in a castle ;) )
James

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1993 964 C2
2010 987 Spyder
1973 MGB Roadster

Its not how fast you go, but how you go fast ;)
sng45
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by sng45 »

and to complete the set and in a similar vein - "Touch wood" the autobiography of Duncan Hamilton - another excellent read from "The good old days" !
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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by TLC356 »

In response to TheBaron, I believe that Jenk's old '55 Continental lives on in the UK in unrestored condition, Understand that I live in the US and this information is several years old. I got interested because I have a '55 and almost all Continentals were sent over here.
Jenks, as the Continental correspondent, and with great ties at the factory wanted a Continental and the factory supplied it.

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Re: Denis Jenkinson 356

Post by jb »

sng45 wrote:and to complete the set and in a similar vein - "Touch wood" the autobiography of Duncan Hamilton - another excellent read from "The good old days" !
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