The Autoshite Book Club. Shite in Fiction.

[warren t claim]

Over the years I've read a few horror novels that have had the protagonist linked with shite.

 

The Dark by James Herbert has a scene where a petrol pump attendant burns alive the occupants of a Mk1 Escort 2 door.

 

Shaun Hutson books always seem to feature a Datsun of Granada.

 

But my latest bedtime read is this...

 

http://www.chrissimms.info/owl_main.html

 

The creepy social misfit with a very dubious hobby drives a STANZA. And as a bonus the main psycho drives an RS Turbo.

 

 

Any other books out there with a high shite content?

[pogweasel]

 

The creepy social misfit with a very dubious hobby drives a STANZA.

 

Is the dubious hobby watching second-rate action films, illegal minicabbing or collecting low-quality foodstuffs and cans of obscure pop from west yorkshire convenience stores??

[eddyramrod]

Any other books out there with a high shite content?

 

Yeah, mine! But for obvious reasons I can't tell you exactly what yet... so far, a heavy American presence and a diesel 106...

[M'coli]

The first book I ever read was this:

[Richard]

Two of Charlie Williams' extremely odd trilogy have shiteworthy covers.

 

 

[Shep Shepherd]

The Dark by James Herbert has a scene where a petrol pump attendant burns alive the occupants of a Mk1 Escort 2 door.

 

There was a Granada in one scene, too

 

As I recall, his 1983 novel "Shrine" features one of the main characters being chased by some guys in a Capri, which crashes horribly with a bus and petrol tanker, engulfing a car showroom containing a Maxi, a Marina and an SD1 in flames. He uses the SD1 to escape from the burning showroom and forecourt with a female character by driving it through a plate glass window

[Guest]

 

The creepy social misfit with a very dubious hobby drives a STANZA.

 

Is the dubious hobby watching second-rate action films, illegal minicabbing or collecting low-quality foodstuffs and cans of obscure pop from west yorkshire convenience stores??

Right, that's it, everyone's getting sued.

[Richard]

Most James Herbert books involve shite, and he always gives the make and/or model.

[messerschmitt owner]

JG Ballard's Concrete Jungle also gives the shite in it too!

[Shep Shepherd]

JG Ballard's Concrete Jungle also gives the shite in it too!

 

Pity that "Crash" doesn't, apart from Vaughan's battered Continental, but you can easily imagine what sort of 1960s and 1970s tat the vehicles might be from the vague descriptions he gives of them

[mattblack]

James Herbert's 'Lair' (IIRC) features a flasher with an Austin 1100.

[Albert Ross]

Can't remember the title, but I recall a tome which referred to a 2CV as "The alleged car"..........!

[Vin]

In the books Wallander always drives a Peugeot

[eddyramrod]

You do get details of the cars in Bond books, notably Goldfinger.

 

Also Christine, obviously! I think Stephen King must be a closet petrolhead, as he's now done two books and two short-stories about cars (probably others, but these are the ones I've read) and usually offers some description. Even if Christine, supposedly a Plymouth Fury Coupe, seems to have four doors....

 

It's worth trawling Elmore Leonard and Dick Francis too, one character or another is often fond of his car. The first three Dick Francis I read, the heroes drove a Triumph Dolomite, Triumph Herald and Mercedes SL. Cars feature in Brian Lecomber's 1970s flying adventures, but you'll most likely have to hunt for those in the charity shops now.

 

Finally, seek out the Taffin series by Lyndon Mallet. Our hero likes a V8. The first book ("Taffin") features a chase between his 1966 Mustang and an XJ6.

[Richard]

I seem to remember Douglas Rutherford describing cars in great depth, and wrote a whole novel about a SAAB Turbo. IIRC the SAAB was bulletproofed and the extra weight took the performance back down to "adequate".

 

[michiel]

Design Faults in the Volvo 760 Turbo springs to mind. Have read it, it is sort of about the car, can't remember in what way though. Must reread it.

[eddyramrod]

I remember Turbo! Must be 25 years since I read it. Wasn't there a rally-spec Audi Quattro involved in the same story? I also remember reading a description of a night-time drive in a DS that had been shot, and lost hydraulic fluid; sounds like a Rutherford tale.

 

James Leasor was another real enthusiast, his Aristo Autos tales are great fun and positively sinking under the weight of what we would now consider priceless vintage cars. "Modern shite" consists of Mk2 Cortinas and the like, while our hero drives an SS100, and Leasor's other main hero (in a series of his own) has a supercharged Cord.

 

Lovejoy, surprisingly, is a little car-trove. In the books he drives an Austin Ruby, though he comes into contact with a wide assortment of other stuff. An SD1 leaps to mind, which I think he drives into a shopfront (from memory).

[Doctormop]

Diesel Rose by Mick Rennison is well up on HGV shite, ageing Scanias and a Ford Transcontinental feature prominently,

A good read too for anyone whose ever driven a truck

[garethj]

Can't remember the title, but I recall a tome which referred to a 2CV as "The alleged car"..........!

Dirk Gently and the long dark teatime of the soul.

 

Dirk has an old Jag, which he crashes into the back of the 2CV

[eddyramrod]

Gavin Lyall, of course, I knew there was another author I was trying to recall, it was him. Thank you kind sir! Len Deighton? You might be thinking of Spy Story which I have, I'm sure the modified "Section" Rovers appear in that, unless I'm thinking of something else. I do remember a Cortina, likely a Mk3, in the above-mentioned.

 

Look out for Bent, by Michael Bennett, a Cyprus-based author . Our hero is a policeman who used to be a rally driver, and several cars are featured as he infiltrates the gang with his skills.

[garycox]

Design Faults in the Volvo 760 Turbo springs to mind. Have read it, it is sort of about the car, can't remember in what way though. Must reread it.

 

I have this, anyone want it? It's only a thin book, more like a short story, so won't be much to post.

 

Might be a while before I get round to it, as it's at my parents, and I've just come back from there so won't be returning for as long as possible. If I get a PM I'll try to remember next time I go.

 

EDIT - now claimed, that was quick!

[michiel]

Ah, more Self-readers here?

[eddyramrod]

Ah, more Self-readers here?

 

Self-readers? Does this mean the author is Will Self?

[michiel]

In this case, yes. Though I did write some short stories and read them afterwards... making me a double Self-reader?

[eddyramrod]

In this case, yes. Though I did write some short stories and read them afterwards... making me a double Self-reader?

 

Well that would be me too then, I guess, as I re-read everything I write, for editing purposes. In fact you've just caught me working on my novel!

[michiel]

Excellent - you'll let us know when it's out?

[CreepingJesus]

Iain Banks usually flings a few shite cars in his stories. There's a S3 Landy belonging to the main character in 'Dead Air'. There's various tatty old bangers in some of his earlier stuff, like 'Crow Road' and 'The Wasp Factory'. It's been a wee while since I've read those, so I can't name them...

I can't recall Iain having a car at all, but his brother had a fondness for TVR's.

[Doctormop]

Seem to recall Inspector Rebus driving an ageing Saab, possibly a 99 in the early novels, and in the original series featuring John Hannah; though by the time Ken Stott took over the Saab seemed to have turned into a Mercedes 190 for some reason I never got to grips with.

[eddyramrod]

Excellent - you'll let us know when it's out?

 

Of course, but don't hold your breath! Lancias have rusted in less time...

[M'coli]

Ian Banks books, from memory:

In The Crow Road, Valerie drove a 2CV, Prentice was bequeathed a Bentley S2, other mention of a mk3 Cortina. In the telly series, Aunite Janice drives a Dyane with mis-matched panels.

In Complicity, Cameron Colley drives a 205 GTi, Andy drove a Micra, and the 3 Fiat 126s at Gilmerton were mentioned more than once: