Have a look here.
Steve McQueen, the King of Cool, test drives eight of the best GT cars of the era at Riverside Raceway.
A Jaguar E-type 2+2 (now considered to be the ugly duckling of the series, but at the time a very popular car), an Aston-Martin DB6, a Ferrari 275 GTS, an Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider, a Porsche 911, a Mercedes 230sl, a Corvette Sting Ray, and a 427 Cobra.
It is an interesting read, and ironically not much has changed in 41 years! The Europeans still make better cars. Better handling, better looking, better driving cars… while America produces sloppy handling crap (with the sole exception of the Corvette.)
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!
Note that he also talks quite a bit about his XK-SS. An enjoyable read, and a fascinating glimpse into the past!
For all you’se car geeks on this here blog…
I’m rereading a *fascinating* book, by one of the BEST chroniclers of the “Golden Age’ of racing; it’s titled “By Brooks Too Broad For Leaping,” written by Denise McCluggage. She knew Steve McQueen, (he was a housemate) long before he became *THE* Steve McQueen.
Ah, by the way? Keenan Wynn introduced McQueen to the world of racing bikes and cars…:) Google it!
Were it not for the Zeitgeist of the day, Denise would well have been counted among the world’s best drivers, such as Moss, Hawthorne, and Fangio. She did the level best she could given the exigencies of the day, and gave us the gift of Competition Auto Press (nee “Autoweek”) co-founded with Chris Economaki. Her writing is simply *stellar.*
For those of us this far into car history minutiae, I can recommend *no* better book!
You can order it through Denise’s’ own concern, Fulcorte Press, Tower Suite 400, Sante Fe, NM 87501.
P.S. Chuck, regarding ‘sloppy handling crap?” Go drive a Cadillac STS 2-seater. Get back to me….:) You will be *astonished!* You know me to be no apologist for the (largely) crappy ‘Murrican cars ‘Murrican car makers continue to foist upon a largely clueless ‘Murrican public, but in this case, they hit a home run!
Now, I don’t really like the way it looks, but it beats the hell outta the “Bangle-ized” Z4 Bimmer!
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the read. Also, congrats on Autoblog picking it up!
loved the comment about the Jag 2+2 and how a man can accept a compromise… “He can put his two kids in the back, run his wife in the front and take off for his vacation.”
thanks
Jerome