Giorgio Nada Editore

The Italian publisher leader
in motoring books

Visit the Libreria dell'Automobile web site

Who we are

Our Mission

“The most beautiful and important car is the one that I must still build”. The words of Enzo Ferrari when talking about the cars produced by his company bearing his name. Translating this celebrated affirmation into the world of publishing, we would say, “The most beautiful and important book is the one we must still publish”. 

Such is the philosophy that has driven and animated Giorgio Nada Editore in over 30 years of activity. From the pioneering books of its debut which, even then, were written by the great journalists of the sector – but also including eager enthusiasts – to the most recent publications, the spirit and the goal of our company have always remained the same: to introduce and popularise the story of the car, the motorcycle and, more in general, engine-powered means of transport as a whole.

A story, or rather many stories, that create culture and that recount the technology and techniques of industry, of sporting feats, but most of all of men – well or less well known – all able to realise their dreams and nurture their passion. A story that we hope to be able to tell for many more years to come.

History

1973

It was in 1973 that Giorgio Nada acquired the Libreria dell’Automobile in the centre of Milan at 43 Corso Venezia in the historic building of the Automobile Club of Italy, a stone’s throw from Piazza San Babila and the city’s famous cathedral. A small shop, already known to the enthusiasts of cars and engines, which imports, acquires and sells Italian and foreign volumes on the world of four and two wheels. In the years in which motoring and motor sport publishing was taking its first steps forward and specialist publications were anything but numerous, the Libreria dell’Automobile soon became a point of reference for all lovers of the sector.

1977

Selling books is great, but publishing them under one’s own name is even more so. It was in 1977 when a book appeared on the market that was destined, paradoxically, to become the biggest success of the future publishing house.

The volume was entitled “Moto Guzzi” and it was by Mario Colombo, the great historian and enthusiast of the Mandello del Lario marque. Next to the author’s name on the frontispiece was written “Edizioni La Libreria dell’Automobile”.

1978-1986

The Edizioni La Libreria dell’Automobile became a reality and, at a rhythm of one or two new publications a year, actually created its own catalogue in which monographs devoted to car manufacturers or single prestigious models alternated with others about motorcycles.

A top level stable of authors was immediately established: Michele Marchianò, Angelo Tito Anselmi, Antoine Prunet, Mario Colombo, Roberto Patrignani, Brizio Pignacca, Gianni Cancellieri, Ferruccio Bernabò, Pino Allievi, Gianni Rogliatti and Griffith Borgeson are some of the names among those that began to appear with ever increasing frequency on the covers of the books published by the renowned Milanese book shop.

1987

It was at the end of 1987 when Giorgio Nada saw the need to separate the activities of the Libreria dell’Automobile from that of purely publishing. So the publishing house was born. On the covers and frontispieces of subsequent books, the logo of the Libreria dell’Automobile made way for the armillary sphere and the words Giorgio Nada Editore, the four letters of the surname all in capitals, placed between two thin horizontal lines that mark its boundaries.

1988-1994

Among the titles that made their debut carrying the new logo on their front covers were “Ferrari L’Unico”, written by Gino Rancati a few months after the death of the Grand Old Man in August 1988. But in the pages of the first slender catalogues of the new marque could also be found a luxurious book on Rolls Royce, a monumental work on OSCA, others about Jaguar and Lamborghini, but also works on prestigious body stylists like Zagato, Fissore and Boneschi.

More brief and lively works were devoted to single cars in the series “Le Vetture che hanno fatto la storia” , (“The Cars that Created History”) which have now been completely updated. At the end of the 80s, Giorgio Nada Editore also became the publishers , until the middle of the following decade, of the “Manovella e ruote a raggi”, (“Starting Handle and Spoked Wheels”), the official information organ of the ASI.

1995-2000

The second half of the 90s proved to be no less significant; it was a period that saw the marque active in a number of major editorial undertakings. At the end of 1996, there appeared a monumental work in two volumes devoted to the production cars of Alfa Romeo, specifying every model from 1910 onwards. The books were written by two great connoisseurs of the company from Arese, Maurizio Tabucchi and Stefano d’Amico. A year later, another important name from the world of journalism, Gianni Cancellieri, took on the responsibility for a volume that was no less pretentious: “Ferrari 1947-1997. Il libro ufficiale”, (“Ferrari 1947-1997. The Official Book”), created together with Karl Ludvigsen.

The partner in that operation was Ferrari itself. The Maranello company entrusted Giorgio Nada Editore with this important book project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its legend. And the third millennium dawned with a recurrence of such a publishing event: the 70 years of Pininfarina, told and illustrated in an official volume that dealt with “art, style and industry”.

2001-2006

To accompany such major works there came a book on the story of Abarth and its creator, another celebrating the 90th anniversary of Carrozzeria Bertone, both by Luciano Greggio – the catalogue rapidly diversified, exploring motoring sectors never before examined until that time.

And to those classic titles on cars, motorcycles plus the unfailing “Formula 1. Analisi tecnica” (Formula 1.  Technical analysis”) compiled each year since 1998 by Giorgio Piola, was added a new series entitled “ Vite da Corsa” (“Racing Lives”) supervised by Gianni Cancellieri, written by Cesare De Agostini and devoted to the deeds of great motor racing champions of the past. New books also appeared on tractors written by authoritative author William Dozza. On the two-wheel front came a large illustrated volume on the Vespa and the illustrated encyclopaedia of the motorcycle, both by Giorgio Sarti that became two editorial events of major importance in those years.

From 2006 to today

GIUNTI of Florence is a publisher of long, consolidated tradition active since the end of the 19th century and is one of today’s most important Italian publishing groups. Giorgio Nada is now Italy’s leading publisher in the motoring and motor sport field. These two protagonists signed an important agreement at the end of 2006 that brought to life a new publishing and commercial partnership between the prestigious Milanese and Florentine marques.

During the last two years, the new association has already led to the publication of important works including “Ferrari 60”, which appeared in 2007 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Maranello company; a title devoted to great American cars; but also a complete monograph on Fiat tractors.

Not only books

In the course of its long life, Giorgio Nada Editore has also published various magazines for important clubs active in the world of vintage motor racing. As well as  “Manovella e ruote a raggi”, the official information organ of the ASI, over the years the Nada marque has appeared on periodicals such as “EB Bugatti”, the official Bugatti magazine, “Zagato Oltre”, (“Beyond Zagato”), the official organ of information of the prestigious Milanese body stylist, some numbers of “Rivista Maserati” (“Maserati Magazine”), “Club”, the official publication of the Ferrari Club Italia, and, until 2008, “Porsche Club Magazine” (the official publication of the Porsche Club Italia).

Until 2008, the publishing company has been active in the model sector with the half-yearly “Miniauto & Collectors”. At the moment, Giorgio Nada is also the publisher of “La Libreria dell’Automopbile Magazine”, a six-monthly periodical containing information on current and vintage cars, over 90,000 copies of which are distributed free to that number of client-readers as well as at the principal fairs of the sector.

Photographic archive

Giorgio Nada Editore has conducted a careful and targeted acquisition of documentary and illustrative material since it was established, to expand the patrimony of the publishing house itself, always on the look out for other editorial activities.

That was the purpose, for example, of acquiring the editions of “Autocritica”, a Roman publisher founded by Valerio Moretti and Gianni Bulgari, who have brought to life titles such as “Quando corre Nuvolari”, (“When Nuvolari Races”) “Carlo Chiti: sinfonia ruggente” (“Carlo Chiti: Roaring Symphony”) and “La Scommessa di Gianni Lancia” (“The Gamble of Gianni Lancia”). Other significant acquisitions have also contributed to further expanding this source over time. The first was the photographic archive of Style Auto, the most important pictures of which go back to 1989, when that publisher bought the Archivio Novafoto-Sorlini. A collection comprising official pictures of the Mille Miglia by the race’s own photographer Alberto Sorlini, who immortalised each of the celebrated post war Brescian marathons from 1947 to 1957. To help complete this patrimony was the purchase in recent years of important archives devoted to the world of motor racing. This policy has, therefore, led to the constitution of a considerable photographic and documentary archive, which currently comprises about 300,000 images. You can see a preview of a specific section.

How to acquire these pictures

While awaiting the moment when this immense patrimony is available on line, today Giorgio Nada Editore offers its clients and enthusiasts the opportunity of acquiring images for private, editorial or publicity use. For information and prices, contact: archiviofoto@giorgionadaeditore.it