- A new book shows how cars are more than transportation, but part of our culture.
- Different narratives and viewpoints shed more light on why we love cars and driving.
- Our Book Garage series showcases what every enthusiast should have in their library.
Never Stop Driving, the latest in a seemingly endless line of well done automotive books from Quarto Publishing (Motorbooks), is a 200 page meditation not entirely on cars, but the act of driving itself; what it means to us, the gearheads, what it should mean (if you believe the authors), and what it ends up meaning when you realize cars aren’t the thing, the destination isn’t the thing, but the journey is the thing.
Or something like that.
Never Stop Driving: A Better Life Behind The Wheel
It’s easy to wax philosophical about cars and what they mean to us gearheads, since we seem to be on the verge of their demise, yet again. Do not worry, my young Padawans, this BS happens every so often. Cars have been on their deathbed since 1946 (give or take). Who knows, this time it might take. This time a combination of resources and finances; and lack of desire and environmental impact might brew up the perfect storm for the demise of our favorite way to feel our hearts beat faster, but maybe not. We might cheat the death of the automobile again.
The Life We Live
Bowman’s section is called The Commitment and is more about choice, and how we, all of us gearheads, pickthis life. No, life is too prosaic. Choose cars and speed and going from here to there; and what choosing this ride gets us. It’s in three parts: The Debate, The Hunt, and You Have The Car – Now What?
Peace in The Wrenches is a more meditative part by Webster, former Editor-in-Chief of Road & Track. I’m glad someone else noticed that despite all the noise, there’s an odd but peaceful, Zen-like center with cars. Webster cuts his section into three parts, Left, Right and No Brain, The People You Meet, and Family Hour. All worthy topics that are not at all ancillary to what we have chosen to do with our free time and the skin on our knuckles.
On The Open Road
The Joy of Driving is Jack Baruth’s piece, and he even goes so far as to start off Chapter 8 with a quote from the vaunted and peerless Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, a true roadman if ever there was one. Of course, Baruth doesn’t live up to that standard; very few writers came close besides Tom Wolfe and such, but be that as it may. Baruth muses on breakthrough designs and how they age, the endless nature of the road itself, and what takes place to us along the way.
The Important Questions
My Last Drive is comprised of three questions asked of famous gearheads like Bob Lutz, Dan Neil, Peter Egan, and Jay Leno. The three questions are: Where I’d go, What I’d drive, and Who Would Join Me? As usual, Mario Andretti gives the quote that stops you in your tracks. “Who would join me: I would love to have my wife with me, but I lost Dee Ann on July 2nd, 2018.”
It’s that kind of book, from time to time.
Never Stop Driving by Larry Webster
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Motorbooks (July 23, 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0760363412
- ISBN-13: 978-0760363416
- Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1 x 9.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
Price at the time of this writing: $15.12 (Kindle) or $10.15 (Hardcover) on Amazon.
About The Author
Larry Webster is Hagerty’s Vice President of Content, where he oversees all print and web strategy. Webster is a longtime automotive writer who ditched an engineering career for Car and Driver in 1994. Since then, he’s test driven a Formula 1 car, raced in the Baja 500, served as Automotive Editor at Popular Mechanics, and Editor-in-Chief of Road & Track. Webster resides with his family in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
