Keith Martin (3)

I was born into a family of motor heads that are car/racing enthusiast. And, most people I know recognize that rust buckets were once something much more than ...well...rust buckets.

Yes, fully restored might cost a pretty penny but it sure would gleam. And there's nothing better than a car that gleams unless it would be a car that...runs.

The first car I owned was red with black racing stripes but no it was not a Ferrari Testarossa.

Over the years, I have attended countless car shows and, I, along with thousands of other bystanders spent our July's at the Grand Lake Festival watching 30-40 Amphicars participate in a “swim-in'. We all experienced a fleeting moment of joy as these amphibious cars enter the water.

What's better than a car that can swim?

Perhaps, a magical car that can swim and fly.

I admit it. I love the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Partly because of Dick Van Dyke but mostly because of the car.

I'm fortunate in that I currently live close to the Classic Car Capital of the World. Yes, Auburn is the birthplace of the greatest car show on earth and simply stated, the luxurious Duesenberg uncovered by Jay Leno is smashing.

In all honesty, this is a 5 star read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed studying the details in this book. I am fond of them all. The Moxie mobile and the Bubble-Screened Boondoggle stood out as the most intriguing, for this reader, anyway.

Reviewed for Net Galley… (más)

A fun book. Can you imagine, inheriting some property from a relative, opening the garage door and finding an old car worth millions of dollars? This book has that story, plus many, many others that are just plain fun to read.
I would suggest this book for serious car buffs. There is a lot of detail that just plain went over my head.
My only complaint on the book is the lack of good photographs. Perhaps it is because I received it as an ebook from NetGalley, and future hard copies of the actual book will have them?… (más)

Available Now For Purchase!

Description

Most car collectors exhibit a healthy enthusiasm for their favorite hobby with a tendency to dig into their favorite marques, chase parts, swap stories, and generally live the car-guy lifestyle. Some, however, step over that fine line between enthusiasm and obsession–and that’s the dusty place where these legendary car-collector stories come from.

In Strange but True Tales of Car Collecting, Keith Martin and the staff of Sports Car Market Magazine recount the wildest car-collecting stories of all time. You will be blown away by these eccentric and over-the-top stories of collectors, and their collections.

Have you heard of the fellow who squirrelled away dozens of Chevelles, Camaros, and other classic muscle cars in semi-trailers? How about the president of Shakespeare fishing rods who sold 30 Bugattis for a mere $85,000? What about the English nobleman who cut up and buried his Ferrari horde in an elaborate insurance scam? Or how about the Duesenberg abandoned in a Manhattan parking garage for decades only to be uncovered by Jay Leno? They only get crazier from there.

Available Editions
EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9780760353608
PRICE $19.99 (USD)

Thanks to Netgalley and Quartos Publishing Groups – Motor Books for the ARC of this book to read and provide my honest review.

MY BOOK REVIEW:

Car collectors need to add this book to their libraries. What a wealth of information and fascinating history found between its covers.

This book shares so many stories such as the O’Quinn legacy and the famous Lexington court battle for possession of O’Quinn’s legendary car collection after his death; to Bill Cosby’s Super Snake CSX333, 427 Cobra – one of two ever built.

The author takes you on a journey through Jay Leno’s insatiable appetite for collecting rare and old cars and his findings behind “the yellow garage door.” You’ll learn the history behind Chitty Bang Bang and if it sounds familiar and reminds you of a movie starring Dick Van Dyke, then you’re not far off. This list wouldn’t be complete with the addition of the Fraudulent Lord Brocket and his many insurance schemes. You’ll read about Steve McQueen and his infamous sunglasses, and estate sale amounting to 2.9 million.

Learn about a 4.4 million dollar Barn find, a wreck buried deep with a time capsule, how the most valuable car on the planet was left to sit and decay on an open trailer for years before finally being rescued. There’s information about the sinking of the Andrea Doria & Chrysler’s lost Norseman; about a Bugatti ditched in a lake, later recovered and sold to raise money against violence.

If these glimpses peak your interest, then consider picking up this book and reading more about them and so many others. This is a worthy read.… (más)