The long winter nap...
Now that our Vettes are in storage and getting that trickle of life from the BatteryTenders, their paint protected by a car cover and their propellant augmented with Sta-bil for a quick start in the spring. But the pilots and co-pilots can’t hibernate till spring. The staff here at the SSCC Website has put together a reading list for you to get you away from the glowing box in the corner. These are all car books, not specific to the Corvette, but just wonderful stories about cars and the people who love them.


The Red Car, by Don Stanford; first published in 1954.
This may be the first car story I ever read. It probably did some irreparable damage to me and the thousands of other preteen boys that found pleasure is both cars and reading with Don Stanford’s story of a young boy and his MG TC. It takes place in a small Colorado town where a rich tourist looses control of an MG-TC and totals it. Our hero Hap falls in love with the totaled car and wants to buy the wreck and repair it. This is a story of the early days of sports cars, sanctioned road racing on public roads and the pains of being 16 years old.

The Last Open Road by BS Levy; 1998
This is the first of a series of books told by and about a young man growing up in the ’50s. Our hero is Buddy Polumbo. What is remarkable about these books is the historical accuracy and the many “real life” characters that are woven into Buddy’s life. If you worked in a gas station, hung out in a gas station, or even stopped in a gas station in the 50s and 60s, these books will bring back lots of memories. All the great, and not so great cars get mentioned. This series is treat for any car lover. Others in the series are Montezuma’s Ferrari, The Fabulous Trash Wagon and Toly’s Ghost. Each book takes up right where the previous book leaves off. I highly recommend this series.

The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel, by Garth Stein; 2008
If you like dogs and cars this novel will be irresistible. Told by a dog named Enzo, it is a book that appeals to almost everyone. I first heard of it when I was thumbing through a copy of Road and Track magazine. I then stopped for coffee at Starbucks on Sunday morning and found it on display. After reading it, I gave it to my daughter who read it and then suggested it as a title for her reading group. Some of you may need a box of tissues handy while you read it.

Hot Rod by Henry Gregor Felson; 1950
I read this book for a book report when I was in sixth grade. I bought the book through the Scholastic Book Service. Every month or so our teacher would pass out the new copy of Scholastic News where we would find a selection of books that could be ordered and then be delivered to school. Hot Rod is one of several coming of age car novels written by Henry Gregor Felson. Recently, I managed to purchase an autographed set of all six novels from his widow. Hot Rod and Street Rod, two of the most popular books are in reprint. The stories all revolve around the hot rod culture of the ’50s, a boy’s first car, the tensions he has with his parents, girls friends and peer pressure. All are tragedies in the truest sense.

More books are here.