Red Car

by Don Stanford

This is the story of Hap Adams, a teenage boy who finds a beat-up MG TC sports car, restores it, and learns the joys of sports cars and driving from the town mechanic, Frenchy Lascelle.

Genres: Cars

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Following his discharge from the army, Don attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana-Lafayette); then worked in several fields until beginning his career with the State of Louisiana, retiring as public relations manager for the Office of Child Support.

He is married to Carol Richard Stanford and they reside near Opelousas, Louisiana and are the parents of three and the grandparents of seven.

Don wrote short stories and a novel while raising his family but that work perished when their home was destroyed by fire. Family and career demands took up most of his time, yet he hoped to return to writing. Retirement freed the time for him to pursue his love. He is currently working on other novels, including the sequel to "Southern Kingdom". "

Reviews

[thegradualday · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Car was one of the first books I owned. I was then a kid in public school and selected it from the Scholastic Book club offerings. Nothing in memory was as eagerly awaited than the arrival of this book about a young man and a damaged MG. As a kid fascinated by all things automotive, The Red Car opened doors into the worlds of fiction and sports cars. I fell in love with both. My copy, inscribed inside the front cover with my ten-year-old signature, has been with me all these years. I still love it.

[Paul St Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

121.45

[Robert Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I was in junior high school when I read this book. It is a "coming of age" story perfectly suited for boys and young men. I recommend it highly for young "boys" of any age. I worked in my family's retread tire shop growing up; my older brother attached a front end alignment shop to the back of the tire shop when he came home from the Air Force. Reading THE RED CAR lit a fire in me, a love of sports cars and racing that never has burned out. The 1948 MG-TC in the book was built the same year I was born, and I always wanted one. My first car was a 1956 MGA; my second was a 1963 MGB. In driving and working on those two MGs in my brother's shop, I learned many of the lessons Hap Adams learned in THE RED CAR. I had the opportunity to drive an MG-TD while I was in the Air Force and studying Mandarin at the Presidio of Monterey. I saw my first MG-TC at the Concours d'Elegance on the grounds of the Del Monte Lodge at Pebble Beach, which also gave me the opportunity to meet America's first Grand Prix World Champion, Phil Hill. The owner of the TC left me to tell the one remaining judge that he would be right back. Phil Hill was that one remaining judge, and we had an extended visit when the car's owner was held up by another judge on the way back to the car. Phil thought at first that I was the car's owner, and I knew the answers to his initial questions. When we both realized the mistaken identity, we talked about other things, including his collection of player pianos. But I never told him that my dream was to become America's second Grand Prix World Champion.

[Bill Wenzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was sixth grade when I first read The Red Car. I was about five years away from getting a drivers license but I lived vicariously through Hap. There was a guy in our town that had a red MG and all of the kids thought it was the greatest car.
I read an article in one of the car magazines a few years ago that talked about the book and I went to Amazon and got a copy.
Rereading it more than fifty years later brought back so many memories of a time where life seemed much simpler.
The Red Car was more than a car book for boys but a lesson in honesty, integrity and friendship. Many of us had a local guy that was not a relative that taught us some of the essential skills that we still use today. Frenchy was that guy for Hap. A great book.

[Bob Blazich · Rating 5 out of 5]

About thirty years ago, I bought a basket case blue 1958 MGA. Several years, dollars and cans of red paint later, I owned my RED CAR. I recently sold the car to a couple in Denver. I told them about reading this book in 9th grade and how it took several years before the image in my head became reality. (OK ... mine was an MGA and not a TC or TD). To my amazement, the gentleman in Denver told me he read the same book in middle school and went on to tell me how Hap and Frenchy influenced him 40 years ago. It's that kind of book. If you can't project yourself into Hap, you are missing the best part of this obviously memorable and influential book. When I shipped the car to Denver, I included my reprinted copy of The Red Car. The book and car belonged together.

[Chris Campion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tight little novel about a boy, a car, and dream. Any gear head should like it.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1954, I read this book because my Dad, who hated reading when he went to school, said this was the only book he ever enjoyed reading at school. It was a cool feeling to read the exact same story he read, putting myself not only in the story which took place around the 50's, but also in my Dad's shoes as he read it.

I'm honestly not a car person, but despite that, I was completely intrigued by the story line. Our main character (Hap Adams) wants to get a hold of a wrecked MD TD sports car, willing to work all summer to fix it up, and eventually enter it into a competition. However, between the mechanic, his father, and the insurance company, it doesn't look like Hap's fantasy will ever become reality.

Or will it?

[Greg Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in junior high, then found it again a few years back, enjoyed it as an adult to. Typical 50s-60s story aimed at adolescent boys, but added bonus (for me at least) of featuring 50s sports cars and racing. I give it five stars for warm, fuzzy nostalgic reading. Unfortunately I lent it out and never got it back, and now everybody seems to think the book was bound in gold, oh well.

[Ron Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in the 1960's as a car mad kid in New Zealand. In fact I could almost say that I was influenced to a great degree by the Story and I knew a guy who had been a racer in the 1930's to 1940's and actually owned a couple of Bugatti race cars amongst a huge collection of cars and motor bikes. My First car wasn't an MG ,but a Morris 8, the not so sporting cousin of the MG ...ha ha .

[Ralph Hayward]

I read this book as a young teenager and when I started to drive, I remembered some of the pointers from this book, particularly how to drive a small car through a sharp corner. I still remember the book today, over 55 years later. A good memory.

[Michael Spivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read this book in high school and it was my choice for a book report in an English class. I enjoyed it very much! My teacher wanted me to choose a much more serious book, one that I would not of liked.

[Chip Bollendonk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic book that still makes you want to go buy an old sports car!

[Hal Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book as a kid. Re-read now and enjoyed just as much.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone else has described this book, it is the "Black Beauty" book for boys, although our whole family has enjoyed it. We recently read it for a second time as a family.

The story takes place in the late 40's/early 50's. It was written in '54 and has great family values, hard work and old fashioned fun as elements to the story. The story centers around a red sports car. I don't want to spoil anything but suffice it to say that it's a fast paced book and holds your attention well. It was probably written for ages 11-17. Old copies are hard to find, with new ones being $20 at Amazon. I was lucky to find my paperback copy for $5 (Mass Market Paperback).

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently read an article about a classic car where the author mentioned reading this book as a youth.
It is definitely a juvenile book, but I read it in 1964 when I was in high school and throughly enjoyed it. Great introduction to the love of cars, as well as the rewards of determination and perseverance.
It is one of the few books that I kept from my younger days.

[Michael Carnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic! Aimed at the young male reader, but really hits the mark with most car loving folks of any age.

[Thom Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholastic Book Services edition, 1954.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about a boy and his first car. Really enjoyed this book.

[KarnagesMistress · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Sam Smith's personal book collection (Roundel September 2011)

[Ricky Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in my early teens. I've had a love for sports cars ever since...

[Ric Glowienka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Same thing, I read this back in public school.

[Alan Mawyer]

I read this book in the 7th grade and it was great.