The Little Red Racing Car: A Father/Son/Car Story.

[CarBastard]

Hello GTP'ers:

A couple of months ago I came across this project in the internet, it's a guy who's about to be a father and wants to make a book for his soon-to-be-petrolhead son.

The guy's name is Dwight Knowlton and "The Little Red Racing Car" is his brainchild. Dwight has so far revealed that the story will revolve around a father and a son who find a Maserati 300S in the barn and begin to restore it to it's former glory. The reason why I'm posting here today is because the guy just started a Kickstarter campaign and I think this is a project many GTP'ers would like to support because it's a book aimed at petrolheads like us.

The project has a Facebook page (Link)where Dwight has already posted some sketches and has been featured on the online vintage car journal "Sports Car Digest" (Link). So far, I like the vintage look of the drawings and I'm looking forward to the storyline because it sounds pretty heart-warming to me. Also, wouldn't you have loved reading a book like this when you were a kid?

This is the link to the project's page on Kickstarter. You can support the project with as little as $1 and the rewards get better the more generous you get.

I must say that I'm in no way affiliated with the project (besides backing it myself), nor do I receive any profit from posting this here. I don't want to make a shameless advertisement, I just want to show you guys a Kickstarter project that might interest you.

 

[niky]

You know, he should work on an audio-video book. Selling that would raise funds for the print version, too.

Seems like an interesting project. Thoroughly approve.

 

[HumanDestroyah]

Wow, neat! I'm going to back this for sure. My son will love this! Thanks for the heads up on this CB.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Am I the only one who instantly thought of Red Barchetta?

 

[CarBastard]

Am I the only one who instantly thought of Red Barchetta?

I guess that it kind shows how deeply engraved in our minds is linking "Red Car" with "AWESOME RACECAAAAAAAAR". Ferrari, Alfa, and Maserati have a lot to do with that, obviously. Plus, the car in the story is a racing-spec Maserati 300S, and you could get those in any color as long as it was good-ol' italian red.

We already got "Red Barchetta" the short story and "Red Barchetta" the song, why not making "Red Barchetta" the childrens book? .

 

[Downhill Dino]

How cute. I'll definitely be following this story's production. I like the book cover a lot.

 

[Anathema]

For me... any red sports car I see (especially Italian ones) I think of the Rush song...

Very, very, very interesting project.

 

[CarBastard]

For me... any red sports car I see (especially Italian ones) I think of the Rush song...

Very, very, very interesting project.

The Rush song was actually inspired by a short story called "A Nice Morning Drive", a short story submitted to Road & Track in the 70s.

You should totally, defninitelly, really, read it. It's a fantastic piece of reading, a portrait of that sublime experience of driving fast.

 

[Cano]

The Rush song was actually inspired by a short story called "A Nice Morning Drive", a short story submitted to Road & Track in the 70s.

You should totally, defninitelly, really, read it. It's a fantastic piece of reading, a portrait of that sublime experience of driving fast.

Listen to this man and read it like RIGHT NOW. It's awesome.

The project announced here looks awesome too. I'll bite.

 

[CarBastard]

It's looking a bit grim at the moment, to be honest . Come on, I know more GTP'ers would ADORE this kind of book!

EDIT: Updated OP with Kickstarter tracker.

 

[CarBastard]

I'm bumping this thread for two reasons:

1. It's no longer in the front page and I think it's still worthy of attention, specially considering the Kickstarter campaign is close to 50% of funding yet with 10 or so days left .

2. Because I'd like to inform you the most recent development on "The Little Red Racing Car". Dwight received a letter from the U.K that was signed by a certain "Stirling Moss", whoever that is . Yup, you read that right. Sir Stirling goddamn Moss himself authorized Dwight to use his name!!!

So, GTP'ers, if you haven't supported this awesome project now is the time to do it! If you thought this was something sketchy, then re-read the words "Sir Stirling Moss". If you thought the project didn't need your help...well, it kind of does. So, pledge away!

 

[CarBastard]

And just before the start of the race, the pit crew manages to get the car rolling to the starting line! What a fantastic job!

The Little Red Racing Car is fully funded and ready to take the green flag! Thanks to those of you GTP'ers that contributed and also to Jordan who expressed me his support and also tweeted about the Kickstarter campaign on GTP's tweeter account. It looked a bit bleek this last week but in the final 48 hours more than $5000 were collected!

I'll keep you updated of everything important that happens with the project. Estimated time of completition is October 2013.

 

[CarBastard]

Yikes, didn't kept my promis on more info but here comes some and it's some very good news.

Indeed, Dwight delievered. A couple of months ago I received my package with two signed books, a t-shirt and a lot of pretty decals. Everything was better than promised. The quality of the materials is very good and the book itself is great.

This is the review I made of it as soon as I read it:

Short, sweet and full of colors. The Little Red Racing Car is just like childhood itself.

From the beggining of the project, Dwight Knowlton set to make a story for kids that would please grown-ups as well. A Maserati racing car was thrown into the mix for good measure, as well as the name of Sir Stirling Moss. All of that was to be coupled with a great graphic quality and the sum of all these components looked like a match made in heaven, and Dwight delievered because it is such a thing.

Unsurprisingly, the story has no complexity at all because it’s a story mainly aimed at an audience with a single-digit age, but it does have some depth and its pages have a lesson or two for little boys and big boys as well, things like: “Don’t throw something away because it’s old” or “Dissasemble carefully and organize every little nut and bolt”. Of course, like with any other book, it’s an experience that’ll depend entirely on who the reader is. I’m a bit off the target audience, I’m a 20 year old that never knew his dad, but I loved the short but endearing story. What’s left of the little kid inside of me loved it though, and I imagine any actual kid with a slight interest in those things that go “Vrooooooooom” will love it as well. Father and son couples should get an absolute blast with this, it could very well may be one of those items that allow the creation of a lovely memory, of one of those “Hey dad…do you remember that book we read when I was a kid…?” moments that people cherish ’til the day they die.

And again, the images just add to the boy-ish charm of it all, they’re colorful and simple enough for a kid to understand but they’re detailed and stylish enough for a grown-up to appreciate. The bright red colour of the Maserati will surely delight the eyes of the little ones and the little easter-eggs here and there will please the grown ups. I can’t think of a better way to show a little kid what a carburator is, or a cylinder head, or a Stirling Moss. In this days when people are starting to lose interest in anything automotive this book is a perfect way of carrying on the spirit of gearhead-ism and the love of fuel-burning to the younger generations.

Anyone who loves cars and is able to feel any kind of emotion should give The Little Red Racing Car a read. Or two. Or three. Or a million. Just like the kid he/she is, or the kid he/she was. It’s the kind of book that can make a childhood awesome, and that’s one of the best things that can be said about a book.

And it wasn't just me who was impressed. The book holds a solid 5 star raating on Amazon.com and in goodreads.com.
Dwight delivered. Good news indeed. But there are even better news. Dwight set-up another project, this time a book called "The Greatest Race". The characters? An SLR Mercedes Benz and Sir Stirling Moss. The setting? 1955, The Mille MigliaHow's that for a children's book?

Here's the link for the new project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwightknowlton/the-greatest-race

Make sure to follow it and back it! Like with the previous book, this is only possible through the support of thousands of gearheads across the world and it's an effort that's worth it, honestly!