Porsche and Me - The Autobiography of Hans Mezger with Peter Morgan

By: Hans Mezger .

The autobiography of one of the most prolific automobile engineers of the twentieth century. Hans Mezger was a lynchpin of Porsche's success for 37 years. He joined Porsche straight from Stuttgart University in 1956, immediately making a major contribution in turning the Tuhrmatuf 4cam engine into a long term winner. He became a principal engineer on the later 8-cylinder Fl engine, helping Dan Gurney to win Porsche's only World Championship Fl victory to dare in the 1962 French Grand Prix. He is widely acknowedged as the 'father' of the first 9116-cylinder engine, accepting from the start its need to be suitable for both production and motorsport - arguably the most far reaching technical decision in Porsche's history.

In 1965, he formed the race design office and was directly responsible for the 907,910, 908,909,917 and the later 936 racing cars. He can call the 917 his own - and with it Porsche finally won overall victory at Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. He was the key engineer behind the development of turbocharging for the spectacular Can-Am 917s and its application to the later production 911 Turbo and Indy projects. Another Mezger 'tour de force' came in the1980s with the Fl V6 turbo engine designed and built by Porsche for McLaren and their technical partner TAG. This landmark engine delivered 3 world drivers' championships and two constructors' championships.

Hans Mezger is rightly acknowledged in every motorsport arena in the world from Monte Carlo to Indianapolis and of course, Le Mans.

This richly personal account of a dedicated and loyal engineer will quicken every enthusiast's heart and illustrate why the name of Porsche is so respected today.

Other Details