Husteads Auto Body - North Berkeley

Top 5 Cars from Famous Novels

Cars have always played integral roles in some of the greatest novels ever written. A good hero, a glamorous ingénue and a beautiful car--those all go together well. Great authors over the decades have skillfully integrated fast cars into their narratives and given their characters some amazing vehicles. One of the most notable (and #1 on our list for all the right reasons) is not just simply one book, but an entire series that chronicles the adventures of James Bond. The most famous spy of all time, Bond always had a new car for each of his numerous novels, as he chased the bad guys and charmed the world's most beautiful women.

Here at Husteads Auto Body - North Berkeley, we work hard to fix our customers' cars, but that doesn't mean we still make time to read a good book now and then. So, here is our Top 5 List of Cars in Novels, containing a collection of memorable cars that are both real and fictional.  

1. The Bond Novels by Ian Fleming and John Gardner

James Bond, man of mystery, always looks cool and collected as he defeats international criminals and woos the ladies. So, you can count on Bond being behind the wheel of some of the most expensive and rare cars in existence, including an Aston Martin DB Mark III, BMW 520i and Bentley Mark VI. There are currently 39 officially licensed James Bond books authored by six writers since 1953, with the first and most famous 14 scribed by Ian Fleming.

2. On The Road by Jack Kerouac

In this history-changing classic that helped to alter American literature on mulitple levels, Jack Kerouac’s characters travel across the United Sates  driving three iconic cars in this novel--a 1947 Cadillac Limousine, a 1949 Hudson Commodore and a 1937 Ford Sedan.

3. Christine by Stephen King

Stephen King has written about demonic children, a rabid dog named Cujo and an evil clown, but in this novel, he created a 1958 Plymouth Fury that is jealous and can repair itself in a chilling story about a killer car.

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The lead character in this classic story of wealth and fame drives a 1928 Rolls Royce Tourer, which was considered as the most luxurious vehicles of its time. In this classic novel, we see  the enigmatic Gatsby living hard and being rich, but in the end things don't go well for our high roller.

5. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming is listed twice on our list, because he also wrote this children's tale. Featuring a crime-fighting, fantastical flying car that carries a family from one great adventure to the next, this novel is a fabroite with children and adults alike. In reality, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a customized Paragon Panther with all of the bells and whistles Fleming's creative mind could create.

Here in Berkeley and throughout CA, it's not likely that these cars will be traveling down our roads and highways any time soon. But, we can still read about them and dream as we enjoy some of the finest novels written within the past nearly 100 years!

Sources: Japolik, Wikipedia and CarBlog