My first car book
10/09/2017
I had probably just turned eight when I received a book from an aunt. I was just about of reading age when I devoured it from cover to cover and it was perhaps no coincidence that the story was about a car, an Austin Clifton twelve-four from 1926 to be precise. This car belonged to a British man called Val Biro, who was also the author of the small, not quite 30-page booklet.
The book was called "Gumdrop - the adventures of a vintage car" and it was about a pre-war convertible that was loved and cherished by its owner until he got too old, had to move to the city and sold the car to a repair shop. Then an adventurous story took its course, in which the car was first used as an escape tool after a theft and then as a parts donor for a building contractor (engine) and a gypsy (wheels). In the end, the car ended up in a field, where it served a tramp as a place to sleep, until finally a young enthusiast discovered it, restored it, rebuilt it with all the original parts he could find and even won a prize at a concours. So the story ends with a happy ending.
Val Biro, the author, must have known his car pretty well, because in addition to the fairytale text, he also added a sectional drawing and explanations of the dashboard and engine to the booklet.
And so I learned a lot about old cars, or rather cars themselves, at a young age. And apparently the initial enthusiasm didn't disappear, because decades later the little booklet was joined by several meters of other car books and the odd old car. And I even remembered the story of the little "rubber ball" for the rest of my life, so when the storybook reappeared a few days ago, it seemed very familiar.
And the moral of the story? Maybe just give your grandson a little fairy tale to read and look at for his 8th birthday, who knows what will come of it ...
