[TR] Don Stanford: The Red Car

[Greg Gelhar]

For those of you who like to read stories of cars and racing, Bert Levy has
written a series of four novels you will enjoy. They should be read in
order.

The Last Open Road 
Montezumas Ferrari 
Fabulous Trashwagon 
Toly's Ghost 

Burt Levy tells about a young man (Buddy Palumbo) and his gang of friends
from New Jersey. Good novels and documentary of road racing in the late
fifties.The author weaves his fictional characters into the late fifties -
early sixties sports car and Formula 1 racing scene with considerable
accuracy. He inserts too much of his opinion about the politics of the day
and the nature of marriage; but, other than that, it's a good read if you
enjoy the wide-open, dangerous road-racing scene from the fifties. Again,
he crafts a rich tapestry of American sports car racing's glory days in the
1950s, set against the Post-War political and social backdrop. At times the
story drags as Buddy delves into monologues, but overall, it's fine
escapist literature for anyone with the car bug. If you like racing
particulaly that in the past - this is outstanding. It is fair to say that
too much of it is being told to you through somebody else - but that is the
only way to do it and it is masterfully done.


Just my opinion,
Greg Gelhar