The Last Open Road (The Last Open Road)

Rating:
Summary: Cartoonish fun with some real insight
Review: Burt Levy is (I'm told) an accomplished Vintage racer who writes for a number of motorsport magazines covering that venue.

TLOR is set in 1952 and written in the first person. Protagonist and narrator Buddy Palumbo is just out of high school and working in a New Jersey Sinclair station for Old Man Finzio, much to the irritation of Buddy's father, who wants him to join his union at the local chemical plant. Finzio's Sinclair is a Warner Brothers cartoon come to life, with some mechanics so incompetent they actually drop cars off of lifts, all the way off so they land on the concrete on their sides.

Finzio's has one good mechanic, Buddy's mentor Butch Bohunk, but Butch gets permanently disabled while driving drunk. (Levy likes his characters' names to evoke a certain image--After Butch Bohunk, I started to expect to see Davy Dago, Sal Spic, and Pete Polack appear).

Buddy ends up becoming the head mechanic at the station, whose best customer is Big Ed Baumstein, a Cadillac-driving, cigar-chomping, oft-married, 350-pound scrap dealer prone to saying things like "Get a scratch on this baby and I'll use your head for a bowling ball." When Big Ed comes in one day with a new Jaguar XK120, his reliance on the station jumps to a new level. Buddy is the only one that can keep the XK running right, and when the Jag needs parts, Buddy goes to Westbridge Motors, the Manhattan importer where Big Ed bought the Jag. Here we meet owner Colin St. John and his parts manager Barry Spline. ...

The Last Open Road also reminds us that some things never change. There's always a little more horsepower to be had, a little weight that can come off, a little better airflow for a little more top speed, a little time saved on the next pit stop, another lap to be squeezed from the next fillup, and a little bit better shot at the brass ring, whatever form that brass ring may take.

Rating:
Summary: A fun must-read for those of us in love with sports cars.
Review: I loved this book. The author obviously lived through the era and tells his tale in a way that is very enjoyable. He describes the sights and smells of the scenes so well, you can close your eyes and feel like you're there. This book is written in the same casual style Burt uses in his monthly "British Car" magazine feature. I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions. I can't wait to read Montezuma's Ferrari. Hurry up with the third book, Burt!

Rating:
Summary: Give Us More...
Review: Levy's strong treatise on the adventures of Buddy Polumbo and Company speaks volumes on life in the blue collar, Italian-American world of early 1950's North Jersey and its class struggle with the upper crust, and resonates with the efforts on an ambitious young man to break out and better himself. His mechanical talents and work ethic are merely the vehicles through which he strives to improve his lot and that of his loved ones. The central plot need not have been about sports car racing to be effective, but could have applied equally to athletics or any industrial enterprise. Notwithstanding the above, those who love racing and wish to understand its roots in America will find new inpiration for their passion in B.S. Levy's excellent book.

One wonders what an effective screen treatment this would make with Paul Newman in the role of an older Buddy Polumbo, reviewing the growth of Sports Car racing in America through flashback. You can almost hear the clanking of tools and cursing of Old Man Finzio in an open work bay of the Sinclair on a hot July afternoon as we fade to the first scene. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any gearhead... and his/her spouse
Review: The Last Open Road, by B.S. Levy is one of the most entertaining and true to life books ever written. If you have ever raced, or just hung out with racers, you'll recognize about every character in the book. If you've ever turned a wrench (or tried to) on a car, you'll find yourself reliving those experiences over and over. You'll also find yourself wanting to travel to the places mentioned in the book. The story is also a glimpse into a time gone by. According to everyone I've talked with at my club (what the S.C.M.A. becomes twenty years later) that's really how it used to be. Do yourself a favor - buy the book, already. I can also recommend Montezuma's Ferrari, recently published.

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any gearhead... and his/her spouse
Review: The Last Open Road, by B.S. Levy is one of the most entertaining and true to life books ever written. If you have ever raced, or just hung out with racers, you'll recognize about every character in the book. If you've ever turned a wrench (or tried to) on a car, you'll find yourself reliving those experiences over and over. You'll also find yourself wanting to travel to the places mentioned in the book. The story is also a glimpse into a time gone by. According to everyone I've talked with at my club (what the S.C.M.A. becomes twenty years later) that's really how it used to be. Do yourself a favor - buy the book, already. I can also recommend Montezuma's Ferrari, recently published.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Wonderful
Review: This book is a pure joy for anyone who loves automobiles, racing, and nostalgia. I literally found myself laughing out loud and felt I had known some of the characters personally. Mr. Levy spins a delightful yarn with colorful backgrounds, characters, and situations we can all recognize. This one is a real keeper to read over and over again. If you read this one, you must follow up with "Montezuma's Ferrari" Mr. Levy's next installment in the life of Buddy Palumbo.

Rating:
Summary: Ecellent!
Review: This is an excellent book that captures the ssence of sports cars, early sports car racing and life in general. The first time that I picked it up I intended to read for a few minutes before falling asleep -- 270 pages later I had to force myself to put it down at 2:00 A.M. -- I had to get up in three hours and go to work. This is the best book that I have ever read -- I've read my copy (a signed first edition) five times now. I even bought another copy to lend to friends and family.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good read!
Review: This story is a fun, easy read. The plot is fun and believeable (well, for the most part) and Levy knows his cars!

What I liked best was that this was a story that centered around cars, instead of having car stuff thrown into a storyline. I enjoyed this book, but it was a bit pricy.

However, I'd like to read the next in the series, so let that be your guide!