For the true Tom Warth buying experience, you have to go there in person.
A couple of years ago, I was plotting a tulip rallye from Minneapolis to
Osceola, WI for Classic Motorbook's annual "Wheels and Wings" car show. I
thought it would be a bit more fun than just having the club drive up en
masse. One Wednesday afternoon in August, a few weeks before the event, the
sun was bright and hot, and I sneaked out of the office to look for some
good roads. Just me and the Midget, and the bugs and the humidity, scouting
routes in Washington County. I was up north of the cities just far enough
that farm fields and ponds began to outnumber planned developments and
"executive" estates. The sun was hot and the dust was up and I thought I'd
veer off east, down into the St Croix River valley and stop in one of the
little towns and get something to drink.
So I headed generally east to see what I would find. As it happened, I came
upon the River Road just a bit south of Marine-on-St.Croix, a tiny town
that still has a gazebo in the town square, and a general store and a guy
on a chair in front of the gas station whose name is probably Hank. I
pulled into the town square stopped in front of the grocery and hauled
myself up out of my Spridget. I intended to go in and get a lemonade, but
I spotted a sign about a half-block down: Ice Cream. That sounded better,
so I strolled over to a little wooden ice cream parlor and got me a cone.
They serve really big ones, and there is no way to eat a big ice cream and
drive a Spridget with anything like the sort of panache that
Spridget-driving requires, so I figured I was hanging around for a little
while. I wandered around a warren of little shops, and a tiny post office,
behind the ice cream place and discovered an out-of-print bookseller. No
real sign on the door, just a dusty little book shop. I finished my cone
and went inside. It was like stepping through the looking-glass. This
couldn't be real. Here in this cool, shadowed room were shelves upon
shelves of books about old European sports cars. Piled into every corner,
stacked on top of the book shelves, books about MGs and Healeys and
Maserati and old races and suspension design and - it was eerie. There was
no one behind the counter, and no one answered my "hello." I snooped
around; nothing but desirable books and sunlight, slanting through the old
double-hung windows, illuminating the dust in the air. I felt for a moment
that I should grab all the books I wanted to buy right now, for it seemed
like I was in a place that I wouldn't find again, if I tried to return. I
half expected the devil himself to appear behind the counter and offer to
make a deal for my soul. I slowed down and began to pull down books, one at
a time, and check them out. How could this place be here and I not know
about it?
The front door opened. I was in the stacks and couldn't see who came in. I
heard the door creak and saw the top few inches of it over the book cases,
so I stepped out into the aisle by the counter, and said hello.
The poor young lady who worked there almost had a heart attack. The shop is
mostly mail-order and is only open to the public on Wednesday afternoons
and by appointment, or chance if there is somebody in there when you happen
by. Having no idea that there was someone in the shop, she was coming back
to work after taking her afternoon break outside, enjoying the summer
sunshine. After she regained her composure, she told me to go ahead and
browse and gave me a catalogue. Tom came in later, he was driving a Mk2 Jag
sedan and asked if it was my Midget around the corner at the grocery; a
very pleasant guy. I bought a couple of things and remembered that I had
to be on my way. I still have the catalogue.
Tom Warth was the founder and past president of Classic Motorbooks, and
this is kind of his hobby, now that he's retired. He can get pretty much
any book you want if you are willing to wait for him to find it. Some
aren't cheap, and in most cases he recommends being sure you can't get it
somewhere else before paying him to find it for you. He has a big list of
in-stock books, of course it always changes, but you can call at
651-433-5744.(that's the new St. Paul area code) He's is in
Marine-on-St-Croix Minnesota. I don't know the address but you probably
don't need it, it's a really small place and his shop is so close to the
post office that I'm sure they know where it is.
Of course tomorrow is Wednesday, and I don't have all that much to do in
the afternoon...
Phil Vanner
'61 Midget
-----Original Message-----
From: Gerard Chateauvieux [SMTP:pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 2:16 AM
To: RBHouston@aol.com; Spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: The Red Car
Robert,
I read this as a boy also. I blame it for my British car addiction. I've
been trying to find a copy for my son to read. He's now the age I was when
I read it. Do you know if it has the same cover as the original printing?
(3/4 view or Red MGTC, superimposed over orthographics view of chassis and
a red octagon with the title in it). Where is Tom Warth located?
Thanks for the lead.
Gerard
At 6:30 PM -0400 5/10/99, RBHouston@aol.com wrote:
>Attention OF's...
>
>This thread went around a year or more ago on the MG list, but many of us
>read this book, about a kid that fixes and races an old MG (TC? TD?)
>
>Anyway, I just ordered a copy from Tom Warth, 651-433-5744 for myself and
the
>grandson. He has a few copies in soft cover and they are on sale for
>$12.00...half price for this out of print book.
>
>I also got a copy of Speed Six...racing Bentlys if I remember right, but
it
>was pricey at $32.00.
>
>Just thought some of you might be interested.
>
>Robert Houston
G G Gerard Chateauvieux
E A
R R pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com
A A
R G Pixelsmith on Duty
D E
S http://www.gerardsgarage.com
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