Review: Group B book

29th October 2011

By Anthony Peacock

There are a few books at the really top end of the literary market that arrive in their own special box. But none of those boxes are knee-high, and it’s been a while since any of us came across a book that was priced at €999. If you’re surprised by that, prepare to be surprised further: Reinhard Klein’s Group B magnum opus (there’s no more appropriate way to describe this epic) represents astonishingly good value for money.

With more than 1000 pages to it, that works out as less than one euro per page, for those who like to reduce value to a mathematical formula. That’s before you even begin to consider the staggering amount of research and the worth of the previously-unseen photographs that have gone into this beautifully-crafted work, which was in the making for almost as long as the Group B period lasted: four years from 1983 to 1986.

What’s more, the Group B book is limited to a strict run of 500 copies (denoted by a bespoke plaque on each copy) and signed by all the World Champions who are still with us – so it will only go up in value.

The quality is breath-taking, with the photographs forming a natural highlight, and the words by John Davenport telling the inside stories of one of the most fearsome periods in rallying’s history.

Suddenly, that €999 Euros starts to look like a brilliant investment – not that anybody who buys a copy will be interested in selling it: particularly after they see the benefits in bicep growth and upper body strength that manhandling the books bring.

‘Group B’ takes a year-by-year, month-by-month look at the entire era, going into exhaustive detail about the cars, the rallies and the drivers. This book is all about authenticity and credibility, as Klein and Davenport were right there when it all happened, documenting the period comprehensively so that we can all re-live it now. In particular, the development of all the cars is covered in exhaustive detail, using technical drawings, blueprints and prototype sketches from all the manufacturers, who decided to give the authors full access to their archives. Or at least what was left of them.

Klein’s genius behind a lens is a well-known phenomenon, but what none of us appreciated was how many brilliant photographs he produced that have never been seen before – either because he thought they were too ‘behind the scenes’ and banal, or – as the man himself subsequently confirms – because he was saving them for something special.

 This is that special production. Anybody who has seen Klein’s limited-edition commemorative Safari book will have some idea of what is coming. The rest of you are in for several hours – and more likely years – of mind-blowing indulgence. Everything about the Group B era is finally here in one place and because of that, Klein has not only given his readers a huge treat, but also performed an invaluable service to the sport’s heritage as a whole. If there were such a thing as a knighthood in rallying, there would be no more deserving person to receive it. Herr Klein, we salute you. Please visit www.thegroupbbook.com for more details.