The Last Open Road

The Last Open Road, Book 1

By: Burt Levy

Narrated by: Greg Beastrom

Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

It's like no audio book you've ever listened to! Re-imagined by the author as a 1950's-style radio play, the audio presentation of B.S. Levy's The Last Open Road features professional Hollywood voice actors in the major roles, amazing and authentic sound effects, period music and a cast of over 40 players, including many famous motorsports personalities. The Last Open Road audio book won multiple awards as “The Best Motoring Book of the Year,” and several reviewers—including non-gearheads—have called it the most entertaining and unique audio book ever.

The print edition of The Last Open Road was originally self-published in 1994 after being turned down by major fiction publishers, but earned rave reviews in both the mainstream and motoring press and has become a genuine cult classic on the motorsports and collector-car scenes. It's also been used in high school and college-level English classes and is on the recommended reading lists at many libraries and book clubs.

Set in the spring, summer and fall of 1952, it's an entertaining and oft-hilarious coming-of-age tale told by an engaging 19-year-old New Jersey gas-station mechanic named Buddy Palumbo, whom several reviewers have likened to Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye. Buddy's a true working-class hero whose mean-spirited, bullying father is a union shop steward at a big chemical plant in Newark, and he wants Buddy to work there, too. But Buddy hates the place, and really wants to hang around the corner gas station—Finzio's Sinclair in Passaic—and learn how to fix cars from the tough, combative ex-Marine hard-hat diver named Butch and tentatively flirt around with Old Man Finzio's voluptuous, spirited and occasionally acid-tongued niece, Julie Finzio.

Then the station's top customer, a street-wise, several times-divorced, Cadillac-driving scrap-yard owner/wheeler dealer named Big Ed Baumstein (who may or may not be mob-connected) buys himself a new Jaguar XK120 sports car, and Buddy has to learn how to care for it. Which naturally involves runs to the Jaguar dealership in Manhattan run by the slick, stylish, shifty and unscrupulous ex-pat Brit named Colin St. In the process, Buddy and Big Ed are drawn inexorably into the toney, upper-crust, dangerous and occasionally decadent world of open-road sports car racing at places like Bridgehampton, Long Island, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and Watkins Glen, New York.

It's a wild, road-trip adventure through the America of 1952—before the Interstate Highway System, national motel chains and fast-food restaurants—and all the history in the book, from the real characters, events and machinery to the news headlines and social culture of the period, are presented exactly as they were, but as seen through Buddy's amazed, wide-open and oft-blinking eyes. As the reviewer for the Fort Worth Star Telegram put it: “The characters weave in and out of a story that features classism, elitism and racism, that is about triumph and tragedy, and right and wrong...a rich, compelling story that deserves a wide audience.”

©2011 Burt Levy (P)2022 Think Fast Ink

Favorite Book Series

This book series is great. If your a car enthusiast, it’s wonderful. If not, it’s still great because the story is so well written and humorous. The characters are unforgettable. This format of the radio play is well executed.

Nostalgic trip through the early 50’s

Full cast with some famous readers
Fun romp through the eyes of a young mechanic in the early 50’s sports car world done like a radio play

Incredible Audio Version of an Incredible Book

Last Open Road is a cult classic among racing fans, hot rodders, car people in general, and the gals and guys that know and love those people. This audio version is a masterpiece! Full of professional and celebrity narrators, every voice is a spot on perfect match for the book's characters. And that includes the "voice" of otherwise inanimate objects like the rumbling exhaust of a 1951 Jaguar XK 120 or a bolt snapping off a stud with the scraped knuckle curse to follow! It was 17 hours long and I wish it was twice that.

If you have not read the book, know that it is extremely well written, is hilarious, and it captures the essence of its characters so well that you actually recognize them is people you know in your own life. If you have read the book then do yourself a favor and listen to this version. It literally feels like an academy award winning screen version of your favorite novel!

Awesome

Best audio book ever! I've read the hardcover twice, and bought a signed copy for me dad. Now I know what to get him for Father's Day!

Cult classic, must read for vintage race car drivers

I bought this book year ago but never read more then a couple pages. I recently downloaded Audible and immediately started “The Last Open Road”. At first I was a little discouraged by the 17 hour length but then I found myself listening to it during any free time I had. The different voices and sounds effects enhance this Audible to a whole new level. Ended up listening to it in 4 days flat! Would be perfect for a long road trip. Burt Levy is a character on and off the track. He has a wealth of knowledge on vintage racing and writing. It’s a must to read this cult classic before adding his world famous “The Last Open Road” decals to your car.

Authentic and entertaining.

Burt Levy combined his research ability with on-track experience to truly bring this audio play to life. If you are a racer, or fan of vintage auto racing, this is a must listen.

This book is the best!!!

This is the first book of an excellent series about sports car racing in the 50s and 60s in the US. It is great and I hope the Burt Levy records and moves all his books to Audible!

Gearhead's wife

My husband has all of Burt Levy's books, so we were excited to listen to this on a road trip. I finally understand more about his obsession with all things automobile! Great read, even for just a gearhead's wife. Didn't want it to end.

A very special and unique audiobook

I read the hardcover version of this book many years ago and enjoyed it very much. I was curious about this radio play version and happy to learn it is available on Audible.
It took me a little while to adjust to the format but I was soon hooked. Mr Beastrom and the voice actors are great. It’s different from any audio book I’ve listened to. Much more like someone relating a story in person.
It’s a wonderful piece of historical fiction woven in the dawn of road racing in America.

amazing

simply put, this book might have riuned all audio books for me forever, it was so enjoyable. the play format was amazing, I thought about the book all day while at work. subject manner was fun, it made you laugh, cry and want to drive your car in traffic like a asshole. I wish all of his other books were here too. I'll have to read them the old fashioned way.