A Former R & T editor wrote a novel set in the world of prototype cars | FerrariChat

A Former R & T editor wrote a novel set in the world of prototype cars

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by bitzman, Apr 17, 2020.

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  1. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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  2. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    I bought it off eBay for $5 or so and read it. it contains a hint of what it is like to be an auto editor with a major magazine--the way you occasionally get wined and dined at a major preview. The plot is not what i thought, about a prototype being stolen, it turns out (spoiler alert) that the protagonist, though human, has some experimental things done with his body that will prevent a virus so he is the prototype. So somehow Sam Mitani was thinking about anti-bodies more than a decade ago.

    Now reading Ferrari in the Barn by Car and Driver's former managing editor Rich Taylor. Anybody else got the name of a short story collection by a car writer? I have 15 stories of my own but need to find another short story writer from the car world to do an anthology with as 15 is not enough to do it myself. Thanks for ny tips. I can be reached directly at [email protected]
     
  3. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Wally

    I used to be close to the Motor Trend folks back when they were on Sunset and with some of the R&T guys back then too.

    Some of the stories I remember about those folks -

    Editor fired at MoTrend because he wrote an article on a POS Chrysler product that offended Chrysler.

    The Grand Am not getting the MoTrend Car of the Year award because Chevrolet offering to make a bigger annual ad buy.

    Bob Petersen going ballistic when the first Import Car of the Year went to the Citroen SM - they never buy advertising!

    Even those inside Motor Trend all wanted out - either to R&T (considered to have editorial ethics) or wanted to be the next Eric D. and become part of a manufacturer's West Coast PR group.

    I think the only happy person at MoTrend at the time was the managing editor - he was an ex-newspaper sports person that likely monthly schedules instead of daily. He wasn't a car person.

    The Hall twins doing handbrake turns in the middle of the street with magazine test cars.

    Bob Hall had to always use a test car from the fleet because his driving record was so bad he couldn't afford insurance.
     
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  4. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    Wow--you were there when I was there. Actually I was there in '65 . when the whole staff was fired except for Mike Lamm who only liked antique cars.
    Other tales out of school

    MotorTrend had some high performance Ford stolen out of the test car lot. Recovered months later on the East Coast but we didn't want to pay for it to be shipped back so we made up the test results

    -One staff member, a guy named John I saw years later but didn't recognize him because he turned into a girl. I told him "You look enough like John to be his sister."

    -A guy carrying a machine gun to Guns & Ammo dropped it in the elevator, It went off,

    -Hans Tanner writing some car stuff and some gun stuff was rumored to have been a failed hit man trying to kill Castro, Actually he couldn't see and committed suicide, killing his girlfiriend first.

    TC Browne publisher of Sports Car Graphic, was a maniac. One time he flipped his Miura and stood on top for a vicyory picture.Imentioned to him that it was coincidental that he had a wife name Heidi/ I said back in high school I had a girlfriend named Heidi. Same gal.
     
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  5. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    My time hanging out at MT was around 75-78. I know you were gone from there by then.

    Chuck Nerpel was back as Editor.
    Larry Crane was Art Director. He would go to R&T then Automobile and more.
    Larry's assistant also ended up at R&T.
    Bob Hall was one of the writers. Later he would be at Mazda and be the real person that conceived the Miata with Mark J. (contrary to the BS claims of Matano) (also friends with his brother who wanted to be at a real magazine instead of the short lived rags he was at. Just as craz if not more so than Bob.)
    Lots of stories. Know the blow up over the Citroen SM because MacMinn was part of the evaluators and he was an instructor at Art Center.

    Knew the R&T folks during that time by way of Chuck Queener; another alumni from the "land of the living dead" aka MT.
    Got to be out at Riverside for the private test session they had of Cluxton's 312B3 with Phil Hill doing the driving. The entire track with maybe 20 people.
    A far different feeling being inside their offices versus the attitude at MT.
     
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  6. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    Another guy I met while looking out the window at 8490 Sunset while at Motor Trend was a tall blonde guy who was driving a Ferrari 412P, sort of detuned P3. As if a racing Ferrari wasn't enough, it was fly yellow. I ran down 6 floors, got his number and he became the subject of a MT story. His name was Dean Paul Martin. i am writing a short story about him and his (multi-) crashes. anhybody know of any other metal he crunched?
    Vallelunga-flipped it, later cut into roadster
    Mangusta-crunched nose
    Ferrari 412 (i think that was crunched unloading so that doesn't count)
    USAF Phantom, hit a mountain in the fog, given misleading safe altitude by the tower
     
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  7. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    I remember the article on that car when originally published.
     
  8. of2worlds

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    A night in LA and the Ferrari had green wheels? I think that Ferrari came from Jacques Swaters via a Mr. Brown? Unloading the car with a fork lift was not too swift. Gave a good chance to make the race car somewhat streetable with lots of extra cooling.
     
  9. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    I think I remember it as Hollywood Sport Cars that did the work for Dino.
     
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