23 replies to this topic

[Ron Scoma]

Just finished "Flat Out, Flat Broke" and was wondering what other humourous car books are out there.

I would ask for a Top 10 but all I can come up with are the above and "Touch Wood."
Others?

Ron Scoma

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Ron Scoma
Just finished "Flat Out, Flat Broke" and was wondering what other humourous car books are out there.

I would ask for a Top 10 but all I can come up with are the above and "Touch Wood."
Others?

Ron Scoma

I'll go with your suggestions so far and add the following...

Smokey Yunick's three-volume autobiography is the funniest set of car books I've ever read, although I wouldn't even let it them kept in the same town as any maiden aunts I might happen to have.

Although not all of it's humorous, parts of DCN's Cooper Cars are laugh-out-loud funny, and there's more than the odd laugh in Mike Lawrence's books too (particularly his history of March). Same goes for Innes Ireland's All Arms and Elbows. Steve Matchett's two books Life In The Fast Lane and The Mechanic's Tale have a lot of funny stories in them too.

Nick Brittain's How To Go Saloon Car Racing, Gerry Marshall's Competition Driving and Frank Gardner (and DCN's) Castrol Racing Driver's Manual all have a lot of laughs won from the school of hard knocks. I haven't yet been able to find a copy of Gerry Marshall's autobiography but I'm sure it'll be at least as good.

As for fiction, there's more than the odd laugh in BS Levy's novels.

[petefenelon]

And how could I forget Stuart Turner's Twice Lucky?

pete

[David Birchall]

Innes Ireland's " All Arms and Elbows" is a must have.

If you like cartoons "The Best of Brockbank" is a howl.

"The Racer's and Driver's Reader" edited by Anthony Harding is good.

"The Motorist's Miscellany" by Harding again. Funny in parts and good reading.

Happy reading! Regards, David B

[Gerr]

"Stand On It" by Stroker Ace.

[David T.]

It beats working by Eoin Young.

[Frank de Jong]

"Het gaat niet om geld", by Tonio Hildebrand, in Dutch is a very funny book about cars and racing in the 60's. I've tried to translate a little piece in the thread about racing in Mozambique.

[don hodgdon]

John Morton's "The Stainless Steel Carrot".

[ensign14]

Originally posted by petefenelon

Although not all of it's humorous, parts of DCN's Cooper Cars are laugh-out-loud funny...

Oh yes. Mainly to do with Charlie Cooper!

My fave? When Charles Cooper, proud pig farmer, eagerly confessed to Stirling Moss' girlfriend: "'Ere, Sally, I've named my best sow after you..."

[Dave Ware]

As previously mentioned, "Stand on It". I read an Autoweek review in the early seventies that stated that if all the actual quotes and real-life incidents were removed from this novel, the book would be about 15 pages thick. Exaggeration, of course, but when I read A.J. Foyt's biography years later I was delighted to see that many of the humorous incidents in his life were included in "Stand on It."

So I'll add Bill Neely's biography of Foyt to the list. I think the title is "A.J.; The Life of the World's Greatest Race Driver", or something like that.

Dave

[wildman]

Originally posted by Dave Ware
As previously mentioned, "Stand on It"....So I'll add Bill Neely's biography of Foyt to the list. I think the title is "A.J.; The Life of the World's Greatest Race Driver", or something like that.

Neely, of course, was the author of both those tomes.

[marat]

John Bentley/Carroll Shelby: "The Cobra Story".

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Dave Ware
As previously mentioned, "Stand on It". I read an Autoweek review in the early seventies that stated that if all the actual quotes and real-life incidents were removed from this novel, the book would be about 15 pages thick. Exaggeration, of course, but when I read A.J. Foyt's biography years later I was delighted to see that many of the humorous incidents in his life were included in "Stand on It."

So I'll add Bill Neely's biography of Foyt to the list. I think the title is "A.J.; The Life of the World's Greatest Race Driver", or something like that.

Dave

Neely's book is filled with extremely funny, marginally fictitous stories about a number of race drivers-- Foyt, Turner, B. Unser-- appearing as "Stroker Ace." The movie was an abomination.

[Doug Nye]

'Stand on It' - as far as I am concerned - is a true and enduringly rib-aching classic...the book I mean not that pathetic Burt Reynolds film

DCN

[Keir]

"Brockbanks Grand Prix" - a very rare bird these days, and a great read!!

"Stand On It" - Yes indeed, another gem!!

"It Beats Working" - More bittersweet than outright funny, but one of my favorite books.

I understand there will be some funny bits in the upcoming "Forza Amon."

You can always check out the progress with Eoin Young or go over to the "famous Amon" thread and do some heavy duty reading!!

[lanciaman]

Sam Posey's autobiographical "Mudgepond Express" has some funny moments but is better noted for some fine writing, especially his description of the sensations and emotions of racing. Well described, in my opinion.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by ensign14
Oh yes. Mainly to do with Charlie Cooper!

My fave? When Charles Cooper, proud pig farmer, eagerly confessed to Stirling Moss' girlfriend: "'Ere, Sally, I've named my best sow after you..."

Incidentally, thinking of acetylene mortars (something that Doug documents fairly thoroughly in Cooper Cars, a sometime driver acquaintance of mine was terrorising Camping Beausejour with a fearsome spud gun made of drainpipe, piezoelectric igniter and deodorant this weekend!

pete

[fines]

Originally posted by petefenelon
a fearsome spud gun made of drainpipe, piezoelectric igniter and deodorant this weekend!

Yeah, I know that! A friend of mine used to have one (actually two, iirc), rrreally grrreat fun!

[Doug Nye]

As a cautionary - don't try this at home - note....yes, they are great fun until you over-charge or over-use a piece of suspect tube and it shatters on ignition. That's not very funny at all as a maimed local lad here discovered to his regret....

Sorry to be - just for once - a wet blanket...

DCN

[Macca]

Back to the books:- "Four Men and a Telephone: the Story of March" by Mike Lawrence (and the updated one just out).

For Robin Herd's unmatched driver management skills! Also it overlaps quite a bit with the Chris Amon thread, of course.

I seem to remember Tony Lanfranchi's autobiography (long out of print) as being quite a hoot - now THERE was a character.

Paul Mackness


"He's driving better than me - making fewer mistakes." - Pete Aron

[Bruce Moxon]

Back to the fiction, Evan Green's "Dust and Glory" is full of Evan's gentle humour. There's also a fair amount of Gelignite Jack Murray-isms.

More DIY explosives:

Take a big garbage bag (the light plastic kind), some hydrogen, a tealight candle and a couple of feet of string. Tie the candle to the open end of the bag and pump some hydrogen into the bag. Hold the bag upright while you light the candle (this is the tricky bit - have you put too much gas in?)

Let it go! It will act as a hot - air balloon and float away. Soon, the candle will heat, and therefore expand the gas, which can only expand downwards. Gas meets flame and BANG

Don't do this at home - go to someone else's place. Seems to go well with beer.


Bruce Moxon

[Ray Bell]

Now that reminds me of one...

Don't know the author, but the book was called You Can't Get There From Here... quite funny, about motoring in Australia generally, and in the outback in particular. Drew on a lot of Evan Green's companions' material... there's even a chapter called 'You can't get here from there!' as I recall... the expression of the doubter when adventurers come from a direction not often explored.

[D-Type]

Murray Walker's "Bedside Book" gives his classics plus his excuses!

[rdrcr]

Ron, any of Peter Egan's "Side Glances" volumes should be fairly amusing...