Frankly Frankl - New Book Launch Party at Ferrari of San Francisco - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My adorable neighbors Bill and Sandra told me that writing a book is just the  beginning. They specialize in military books but the principle is the same. First you write it, then you get an editor and an art director, send it to the printer, pay him and hey presto your book arrives in no time. Yeah right. On pallets with 10 copies in a box weighing 28 pounds each. Thank God Ferrari SF's service people came to my rescue and allowed the copies to be unloaded at their San Rafael premises. So far so good. Then, if this is your first book you realize that you have to  fulfil all your orders from people who have been kind enough to trust you without seeing anything apart from your articles in FORZA. No problem apart from figuring out postage, packing, shipping, labels, invoices,  the sort of things all big publishers employ lots of people to do. So with all of that falling on my shoulders ably assisted by my lovely wife things are getting a bit hectic. Still, we have a launch party organized for Wednesday both October at Ferrari of San Francisco, 595 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941. Cline are very kindly pouring the wine, Piatti will be serving refreshments and I will be happy to sign personalized copies. Neither purchase of a 458 Spider nor of my book are obligatory although Sales Director Mark Paddack will happy to part with one. The book at 40 dollars costs less than any part of a 458 apart from the documentation, without the leather binder of course. Please let me know if you can make it,

e mail andrewfrankl@me.com 

http://www.franklyfrankl.com

Frankly Frankl - Meadow Club - Formula 1 and the Columbus Day Parade My New Book - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles

Some local friends very kindly invited me for a gentle drive to the rather spectacular Meadow Club, not far from Fairfax in Marin County.

 

The variety of cars was simply mind-blowing. The organizers- Ken and Carole Jesmore did a superb job and in addition to making sure that everybody was happy led the way in a light blue 1957 Thunderbird. It has been superbly restored but there was more to it. For once in my life I didn't have to drive settling instead into the very comfortable back seat of Mel Owen's 1956 Bentley. In mint condition it ran like a Swiss clock. There was of course a bright red Ferrari California Spider owned by Tom Price. This is part of Tom's collection which also includes a priceless Maserati 250F. Not to be outdone good friend Dave Olson came along in his 1934 Packard owned by a certain Al Capone. Dennis Barry turned up in a 2012 Bentley Continental. Apparently he went to buy a Lamborghini and ended up with this rather fine convertible. I' ve driven an awful lot of Lambos over the years and I simply could not imagine him or his good lady trying to get into or out of one. Mind you, once you are in an Avantador Spider there very few cars in the World to touch it. A good time was had by all/

Thank you Ken and Carol.

 

 

 

Moving on to Formula One I have to admit that Vettel is rapidly becoming a true champion. He and Horner seem to have got the message and have toned down the sometimes juvenile celebrations. The Japanese Grand Prix showed Vettel at his finest. Alonso already congratulated him on his fourth title and even though there are mathematical chances for a last minute America Co style change of fortune I do believe that in this  instance it is a pipe dream. As for all the driver changes Hulkenberg star seems to be rising, Massa's falling. You have to feel sorry for the plucky little Brazilian who was World Champion for all of 15 seconds before Hamilton took away the title.

I have had a lot of e mails concerning my new book-- Frankly Frankl-:ife, love, luck and automobiles. I too would like see copies arrive to fulfill all the orders. The minute they reach me they'll be on their to you. Thank you for your patience!

 

 

In case you missed it - The Columbus day in the city was fun filled with a Ferrari float and a lot of fun had by all

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.franklyfrankl.com

 

Frankly Frankl - My New Book - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles - My Heroes

Many people have asked me why I didn’t cover  current F1 in my new book-Frankly Frankl-life, love, luck and automobiles which will be ready for shipment by the end of October. Simple. These heroes are not my heroes. Well , some of them such as Alonso and Hamilton are but I simply could not face writing about Sebastian Vettel. It seems that I am not alone. The booing that started several races ago seems to follow him all over the World. Maybe not in Korea as I am sure the locals haven’t got a clue about what is going on and possibly not in Japan either. But come Austin Texas I can guarantee a less than friendly welcome.

I can think of several reasons. The owner, the team, the PR lackeys are all incredibly arrogant. Mix this with a young man who is surrounded by adoring sycophants and you have a mixture that many people find hard to digest. Sticking  up a finger after being fastest in qualifying and again after winning the race might go down well in Austria at Red Bull’s HQ but it turns stomachs in the rest of the World. Vettel is not the first World Champion and certainly not the last. Senna was gracious in victory as was Jackie Stewart. Lewis Hamilton’s victories are a delight to witness, as are those of Alonso. Vettel and his boss Christian Horner both come across as a couple brilliant but preprogrammed parrots. Having said that one has to admire them and their design genius Adrian Newey as well their unsung yet  brilliant Renault engine.

So maybe now you’ll understand why I concentrated on Stewart, Peterson, Cevert and the rest. Anyway, as you can see from the enclosed  front cover it is now only a matter of a few weeks before I start visiting the post office on a regular basis.

For the benefit of those who are new to my blog Frankly Frankl in its first, hard cover, coffee table format will sell at 44.95, 35 pounds in the UK. 499 copies all told with about 400 remaining, 99 having been pre sold. Of those 50 have been reserved for the launch party at Ferrari of San Francisco and another 50 for a book signing at Sardi’s in New York where the monthly meeting of the Chowder Society is held. Take away another 50 reserved for the Royal Automobile Club in London and if my mathematics is right leaves about 250 copies for the rest of the World . If you are going to be in Austin for the Grand Prix next month  and would like to buy a copy please  let me know and I would be happy  take a signed copy for you.
 

Just send me an e mail to andrewfrankl@me.com or go to my website at www.franklyfrankl.com

 Thank you.

Should you RUSH to the nearest movie theatre? - Frankly Frankl - My New Book - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles -

Should you RUSH to the nearest movie theatre?

The answer-if you are a Formula One enthusiast is most definitely a YES! I go further. If you like action movies without guns and zombies you will also enjoy it even if you are not an F1 fan. In the so-called  specialist press there has been a great deal of debate about the authenticity of the film. Well, seeing that Niki Lauda was one of the advisers and Ron Howard directed it the answer has to be yes. For the out and out purists there were details  and episodes which didn't quite work  but they forget one thing- the producers poured 30 million dollars into it, consequently they couldn't have a "deadly rivalry between two racing drivers who were actually good friends. How do I know? I was there. In fact as you'll read in my forthcoming book Niki used to come to us for dinner after racing at Crystal Palace. One evening he asked me to take him to 235 Kings Road, a night club in the middle of London. I am meeting my friend James Hunt he added.

All good stuff but it does not sell tickets so in the actual movie we end up with two  baddies. Lauda was never what you might call charm personified-even before his accident in '76 and James, well, James was James. In this respect the movie is absolutely true I have seen him emerge from his hotel room in his racing overall  leaving one of two nubile ladies behind. He could be absolutely charming but could also be very abusive when he was drunk which was often.

The cinematography is stunning, the action shots are amazing and the one truly funny bit which took place in Italy you  will adore.

The film has had very good reviews in all the major newspapers so trust me-if you have a drop of Castrol or Mobil 1 in your veins you ought it to yourself. And do take a girlfriend. This may surprise you but all the wives and girlfriends who came to the preview loved it. And before I forget. The book. My book. Had a word with the printer earlier today, if all goes well it should reach Belvedere by the end of October. This seems a good time to thank all those brave folks who have placed advance orders-as soon as we have the copies the man from UPS will be in his way. If the book is news to you but would like to reserve a copy all you have to do is send me an e mail to andrewfrankl@me.com  499 copies in all at 44.95. Signed and dedicated.

http://www.franklyfrankl.com

Frankly Frankl - My New Book - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles - Ron Howard's New Movie Rush

"I don't want to be a spoilsport so I won't go into any details of  Ron Howard's new film Rush beyond saying that it really is worth a trip to the nearest theatre when it goes on general release. I knew the Niki and James well-they both feature in my forthcoming book-and hat off to the actors . When I closed my eyes and listened to" Lauda" I really thought it was the real thing. He used to eat at our place after the races at Crystal Palace -one of which features in the movie . This is a film true Formula One fans will want to see more than once, the action is so fast and furious that I found it impossibly to digest al the details. Because 1976 wasn't THAT long ago, a lot of the original cars were available plus mock-ups for the crashes. Several former colleagues were involved in the making it, good for them.

Several people asked me after the movie about my forthcoming book as they've seen it mentioned in the most recent issue of FORZA. The good news is that it is ready, it is on its way to the printers as we speak.Now if the next sentence sounds like a blatant commercial it is only partly true We are printing 499 copies all told and 40 of them have already been sold. Some kind soul bought 5!

This without any prior publicity, book signing or what people call marketing. All 499 copies will be signed by me. Some people have asked for personalised dedications presumably with Christmas in mind. At 44.95 it is certainly cheaper than a good bottle of Scotch and lasts a lot longer,

Finally I urge you to see Rush, as a fan you owe it to yourself."

http://www.franklyfrankl.com

Frankly Frankl - New Book - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles - Raikkonen admitted Ferrari move at Finnish party

Kimi Raikkonen partying with Sten Pentus 22.08.2013

Kimi Raikkonen, no fan of the spotlight, is the man of the moment as F1's summer slumber ends this weekend in Belgium.

The Finn's manager has ruled out a move to Red Bull, but some sources at Spa-Francorchamps think the fact the team has put off announcing Daniel Ricciardo's 2014 deal is a sign Raikkonen might still be in the running.

At the same time, Lotus has made clear it wants to keep the 33-year-old on board, while reports continue to insist there is a real chance Raikkonen will return to Ferrari.

Germany's Sport Bild even reports that Raikkonen recently admitted to friends during an alcohol-fuelled night out in Helsinki that he will be wearing red again in 2014.

Reporting about the Helsinki party, the German broadcaster RTL suggested Ferrari has put a EUR 11 million contract on the table, including bonuses and sponsorship of his motocross team.

As ever in the 'silly season', though, there are conflicting reports.

Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat is now quoting Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson as saying the driver actually wants to stay at Lotus in 2014.

"Kimi likes it at Lotus," said Robertson. "But we are waiting for information on certain issues that are still outstanding.

"About Kimi's future, the ball is in Lotus' court."

And the German newspaper Welt reports that talks between Ferrari and Nico Hulkenberg, about replacing the Brazilian Felipe Massa, have now kicked off.

source: http://www.worldcarfans.com/113082261739/raikkonen-admitted-ferrari-move-at-finnish-party---report

Frankly Frankl - New Book - Frankly Frankl-life, luck, love and automobiles - Guess Who is Coming Back to Ferrari

Unless I am very much mistaken Kimi Raikkonen is going to Ferrari according to a well-informed source. 

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