I agree with many of the already mentioned names, but want to add a few from the late sixties/early 70's Rod & Custom magazines. Jim Jacobs, Long John Thawley, and one of my all time favorites, Bud Bryon. -Greg
'' Agree with the list and Peter Egan, plus Pete Lyon and Henry Manny. This will be another great thread." Yes there are a few left and were so many at one time. I suspect that Pete Lyon is looking a bit more like my Uncle Henry every day! Please add Jenks I've been lucky, very lucky......... I think Tex Smith has had a lot to say thru others on this forum... just my .02 Maybe Tom Mc Cahill and his dog is a Nash DRIFTIN
Ryan , I for one enjoy your writtings. The automotive writer that influenced my life the most was Peter Egan, through my road racing advocation, His writtings always seem to be about me every month. The classic article about buying expensive lightweight parts for his formula Ford, and when asked by his wife if it would be more cost effective thimself loose the weight, his reply Give up Guiness Beer and Pizza???? I am new to the traditional hot rod scene so all I read is having an influence on me. jim h
Ryan, what Dean Batchelor book would you recommend as a starting point to someone that's not familiar with his work? Amazon has the Dry Lakes and Dragstrips book on sale.
I'll toss out PJ O'Rourke's name as a pretty decent automotive writer. He used to do some regular work for Car & Driver plus some others. Perhaps he is more of a writer and less of a car guy, but his auto related stuff is pretty good at capturing the moment and sensation of actually driving the cars he writes about. Similarly, Hunter Thompson had a way with describing the action of driving or riding motorcycles with an emotional accuracy that is hard to surpass.
Wow, where to begin. I met Dean Batchelor a couple of times but never had a very long conversation. I used to sell mounted photos out of Autobooks in Burbank and they would have booths at some of the races at Riverside and the Monterey Historics. One day at Riverside he was at the booth looking at my stuff and I was telling him how I had shot everything from the crowd areas. It was about 2 in the afternoon and he says "Well, I'm done for the day, you take this." and hands me his media pass. That was the first time I ever (legally) got over the fence. A great gentleman. I even got to see him do the "Snoopy dance" once. The American Hot Rod has a lot of his heart and soul in it. Peter Egan, still one of my favorites. Griff Borgeson Mark Dees - Miller Dynasty, 'nuf said. Burt "B.S." Levy - His first book The Last Open Road is probably the best piece of car centered fiction ever written. And the three books that followed are very good also. Jenks, Denis Jenkinson, a titan at 5'-1". Brock Yates older stuff is great, especially Sunday Driver, some of his later stuff grates on me though. Doug Nye, probably the best writer on road racing and Grand Prix alive. His description of driving the BRM V16 GP car is stunning. The book he is working on now with Phil Hill is supposed to be brilliant. I could go on and on....... Kurt O.
Jamie Kitman from Automobile is pretty good. His column is called "Noise, Vibration & Harshness." He is a car guy and a pretty oddball writer. Actually he's just odd. It's not HAMB material but I usually find it a good read.
The guy who wrote the How to keep your volkswagen alive. I think the guy was kind of a hippie but he wrote things so casually but were still able to be clear on what he was describing.
You are right on here, man: A lot of us have battles with these definitions with writing and photography. Spent a lot of years and money in school trying to figure that out. Got to remember that it takes passion to communicate passion, whether the writer really cares about the subject or not. The writer has to be passionate about the finished product of the writing for it to transfer.
Steve Hendrickson. Lots of good ones mentioned. I love Peter Egan's writings for Cycle World - his book,"Leaning's" is why there's a Ducati 900SS in my garage.
Spot on! I forgot about this one, but you're right. His name is (was) John Muir. He certainly was a hippie, but I've actually read two of his books (they were shop manuals for cry'in out loud!) but VERY entertaining! -Greg
For my money, Dean Batchelor is/was THE man. He was hands on, in the rite place at the rite time and told us all about it. Inspirational!
I think I'll take this opportunity to give my dad some credit. He wasn't a mechanic, but a hell of a driver and writer that piloted everything from dirt bikes in the desert to Lamborghinis on test tracks. He was the syndicated columnist and car reviewer back in '80s that started the "Transportation" section of the Orlando Sentinel here in the Sunshine State. He also had a radio show for a short time as well. Unfortunately he checked out of this mortal coil in the fall of '89 due to cancer. I have always had the car bug and the writing bug to some extent myself. I've often wondered what it woul be like to write for a car magazine or online something or another.
Let's not forget our very own Jay Carnine and Roger Jetter... and dare I say it.... GERM? In addition to many that have already been listed, I also liked reading Brock Yates and Albert Drake's writings...
B urger, B askerville and B urnham. These guys all share something in common, can't seem to put my finger on it! Anyway, I like the writing these guys do (did), not so much as literary masterpieces, for which my uncultured boob ways couldn't care less, but for the every car guy's vibe that always comes across. Baskerville, in particular, could butcher and invent words like no other. Written in a casual style without resorting to using "Z's" for "S's" and all that nonsense. Shelton has style too, plus I always learn new words when I read him!
Anybody mention FRANK ODDO? I liked his writings always looked for his stuff, and also Burnhams. Ganahl was from my end o the woods and he portrayed accurate knowledge of socal days, far as i could tell, altho he was a bit younger than me. Don Montgomery is in a class of his own with his subject matter, and knowledge.Baskerville,s enthusiasm coverd for his lack of mech aptitude, as for his writing, well he was in a world of his own! Ro Mcgonegal, he was from new yawk. I dont know why i liked his writing! Hey I lerned my kid how to reed an spel by these guys, and mags!
Pat Ganahl, Mike Bishop and Bill Burnham... and those three crazy guys from Rodder's Digest Gerry, Gary and Steve were good when they were together. Sam.
Henry Gregor Felson captured the whole essence of what it is that grabs you about hotrods and driving cars fast. His storys captured my imagination and hooked me for life. When someone who doesn't "know" or doesn't "get it" asks why? I tell them to read Hotrod by Felson. If you can read that book and still not understand you never will. Mike Bishop tells amazing storries in a fashion that makes you feel like you were there and his tech is written in a way that helps you understand like you always knew and didn't have to ask. Roger Jeeter is very Felsonesque and his writing style makes you feel like you were in the seat next to him. Jay Carnine captures the love, pain, anguish, and torture, of the split many of us feel between loving a car and loving a woman, and all we'll do for the love of both so perfectly that you feel like it is you that he is writing about. Read Pinky if you haven't already!
I've always enjoyed Gray Baskerville's style. You all keep mentioning Dean Batchelor, I'm gonna have to go see what all thats about. Someday I'll ask the HAMB who GERM is/was, but lets not go off topic...
I should mention that my list wasn't what I consider the best hot rod writers of all time... Just the list of guys that influenced me the most. My name could never be mentioned in the same breath...
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