
The Last Open Road
The Last Open Road, Book 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $15.56
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Greg Beastrom
-
By:
-
Burt Levy
About this listen
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 InkListeners also enjoyed...
-
How to Build a Car
- By: Adrian Newey
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir. How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.
-
-
Snooze fest
- By moo on 02-09-20
By: Adrian Newey
-
Survival of the Fastest
- Weed, Speed, and the 1980s Drug Scandal That Shocked the Sports World
- By: Randy Lanier, A.J. Baime - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the unbelievable, unforgettable, unparalleled story of an ordinary guy whose attempts to become famous doing the thing he wanted most—become a world class race car driver—devolved into a you-can’t-make-this-up tale of one of the biggest crime rings and drug scandals of the 1980s. Now, with the help of New York Times bestselling author A.J. Baime, Randy tells the whole truth for the first time ever, a gripping narrative unlike any other, a sports story for the ages, and shocking a true crime epic.
-
-
Surprising, Gripping, and so Human
- By B. Greene76 on 08-04-22
By: Randy Lanier, and others
-
The Mechanic
- The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
- By: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Narrated by: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mechanic written and read by Marc 'Elvis' Priestley. In the high-octane atmosphere of the Formula One pit lane, the spotlight is most often on the superstar drivers. And yet, without the technical knowledge, competitive determination and outright obsession from his garage of mechanics, no driver could possibly hope to claim a spot on the podium.
-
-
Great insight.
- By Justin on 01-25-19
-
Dances with Wolves
- By: Michael Blake
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous adventure that changed his life forever. Set in 1863, the novel follows Lieutenant John Dunbar on a magical journey from the ravages of the Civil War to the far reaches of the imperiled American frontier, a frontier he naively wants to see "before it is gone".
-
-
Even better than the movie. Excellent narration.
- By JSP on 12-28-19
By: Michael Blake
-
Surviving to Drive
- A Year Inside Formula 1: An F1 Book
- By: Guenther Steiner
- Narrated by: Guenther Steiner
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Surviving to Drive, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner brings listeners inside his Formula 1 team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes. Through this unique lens, Steiner guides listeners on the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high-stakes motor racing.
-
-
Different perspective
- By Gary on 03-09-24
By: Guenther Steiner
-
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man
- A Memoir
- By: Paul Newman, David Rosenthal - editor, Melissa Newman - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Jeff Daniels, Melissa Newman, Clea Newman Soderlund, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman’s family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor’s life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. The result is The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man—revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in places, always complex and profound.
-
-
A lot of navel gazing, and yet….
- By Ben on 10-24-22
By: Paul Newman, and others
-
How to Build a Car
- By: Adrian Newey
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir. How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.
-
-
Snooze fest
- By moo on 02-09-20
By: Adrian Newey
-
Survival of the Fastest
- Weed, Speed, and the 1980s Drug Scandal That Shocked the Sports World
- By: Randy Lanier, A.J. Baime - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the unbelievable, unforgettable, unparalleled story of an ordinary guy whose attempts to become famous doing the thing he wanted most—become a world class race car driver—devolved into a you-can’t-make-this-up tale of one of the biggest crime rings and drug scandals of the 1980s. Now, with the help of New York Times bestselling author A.J. Baime, Randy tells the whole truth for the first time ever, a gripping narrative unlike any other, a sports story for the ages, and shocking a true crime epic.
-
-
Surprising, Gripping, and so Human
- By B. Greene76 on 08-04-22
By: Randy Lanier, and others
-
The Mechanic
- The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
- By: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Narrated by: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mechanic written and read by Marc 'Elvis' Priestley. In the high-octane atmosphere of the Formula One pit lane, the spotlight is most often on the superstar drivers. And yet, without the technical knowledge, competitive determination and outright obsession from his garage of mechanics, no driver could possibly hope to claim a spot on the podium.
-
-
Great insight.
- By Justin on 01-25-19
-
Dances with Wolves
- By: Michael Blake
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous adventure that changed his life forever. Set in 1863, the novel follows Lieutenant John Dunbar on a magical journey from the ravages of the Civil War to the far reaches of the imperiled American frontier, a frontier he naively wants to see "before it is gone".
-
-
Even better than the movie. Excellent narration.
- By JSP on 12-28-19
By: Michael Blake
-
Surviving to Drive
- A Year Inside Formula 1: An F1 Book
- By: Guenther Steiner
- Narrated by: Guenther Steiner
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Surviving to Drive, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner brings listeners inside his Formula 1 team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes. Through this unique lens, Steiner guides listeners on the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high-stakes motor racing.
-
-
Different perspective
- By Gary on 03-09-24
By: Guenther Steiner
-
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man
- A Memoir
- By: Paul Newman, David Rosenthal - editor, Melissa Newman - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Jeff Daniels, Melissa Newman, Clea Newman Soderlund, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman’s family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor’s life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. The result is The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man—revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in places, always complex and profound.
-
-
A lot of navel gazing, and yet….
- By Ben on 10-24-22
By: Paul Newman, and others
-
The Poet
- By: Michael Connelly
- Narrated by: Buck Schirner
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Death is reporter Jack McEvoy's beat: his calling, his obsession. But this time, death brings McEvoy the story he never wanted to write - and the mystery he desperately needs to solve. A serial killer of unprecedented savagery and cunning is at large. His targets: homicide cops, each haunted by a murder case he couldn't crack. The killer's calling card: a quotation from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. His latest victim is McEvoy's own brother. And his last...may be McEvoy himself.
-
-
Great Villain Mystery
- By Chip Atkinson on 08-10-14
By: Michael Connelly
-
Life in the Fast Lane
- The Definitive Text
- By: Steve Matchett
- Narrated by: Steve Matchett
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over the past two decades, Life in the Fast Lane has grown to become a true staple of Formula 1 literature. In essence a monthly diary of a Benetton grand prix mechanic, this essential book gives a behind-the-scenes account of daily life in the trenches of F1 during the tragic and turbulent 1994 season.
-
-
an f1 fan must read
- By scotch on 06-13-18
By: Steve Matchett
-
The Mechanic's Tale
- Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One
- By: Steve Matchett
- Narrated by: Steve Matchett
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Formula One Grand Prix mechanic Steve Matchett takes the listener on a compelling journey through his life in the pit-lane, from his beginnings as a young apprentice through his time at Ferrari and BMW to his later success with Benetton. He gives eye-witness views of the great drivers, including Michael Schumacher, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna. He also talks of key Benetton personalities and explains how the team was transformed into a strong, competitive organization, winning three World Championships.
-
-
Life outside the Pit-Lanes
- By Klim on 05-14-19
By: Steve Matchett
-
11-22-63
- A Novel
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Craig Wasson
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.
-
-
I Owe Stephen King An Apology
- By Kelly - Write Well Academy on 04-16-12
By: Stephen King
-
Different Seasons
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 20 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four gripping novellas tied together by the changing of seasons. Hope Springs Eternal - "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption": An unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge...the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award nominee The Shawshank Redemption.
-
-
Fantastic!
- By Robert A. Raymond on 02-14-16
By: Stephen King
-
Christine
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 19 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evil is alive in Libertyville. It inhabits a custom-painted red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine and young Arnold Cunningham, who buys it. Along with Arnold's girlfriend, Leigh Cabot, Dennis Guilder attempts to find out the real truth behind Christine and finds more than he bargained for: From murder to suicide, there's a peculiar feeling that surrounds Christine - she gets revenge on anyone standing in her path. Can Dennis save Arnold from the wrath of Christine?
-
-
Skipping Issues
- By Charlie Belleville on 09-27-17
By: Stephen King
-
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
- Stories
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Dylan Baker, Brooke Bloom, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A master storyteller at his best - the O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand-new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each story. Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King's finest gifts to his constant fan. "I made them especially for you," says King. "Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth."
-
-
HE'S A CUP OF COFFEE
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 12-10-15
By: Stephen King
-
Noir
- A Novel
- By: Christopher Moore
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's not every afternoon that an enigmatic, comely blonde named Stilton (like the cheese) walks into the scruffy gin joint where Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin tends bar. It's love at first sight, but before Sammy can make his move, an air force general named Remy arrives with some urgent business. 'Cause when you need something done, Sammy is the guy to go to; he's got the connections on the street.
-
-
A Laugh Riot, Inconsistently Delivered
- By Maggie May on 04-18-18
-
Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume I
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Tim Curry, Rob Lowe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A star-studded cast of readers present unabridged tales of horror and suspense from Stephen King's classic best-selling short story collection.
-
-
Great short stories!!
- By Walter on 04-12-09
By: Stephen King
-
Double Whammy
- By: Carl Hiaasen
- Narrated by: George Wilson
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A twisted tale of murder in the world of big-stakes bass fishing tournaments. Filled with ex-wives, evangelists, and an armed pit-bull, this is a story that could only be concocted by Carl Hiaasen, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, New York Times best-selling author, and czar of Florida noir fiction.
-
-
Not for dog lovers
- By Tonette on 01-21-08
By: Carl Hiaasen
-
From a Buick 8
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: James Rebhorn, Bruce Davison, Becky Ann Baker
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen King's first full-length solo novel since Dreamcatcher, the long-awaited From a Buick 8 is "nearly flawless and one terrific entertainment," says Publishers Weekly. A strange car acts as a conduit between our world and some other...and the boogeyman of this creepy story is our collective fascination with deadly things.
-
-
Narration nightmare
- By Randall on 03-24-18
By: Stephen King
-
Rain Dogs
- By: Sean Doolittle
- Narrated by: Basil Sands
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was one hell of an inheritance for former Chicago reporter Tom Coleman: a broken-down pickup truck, ramshackle campground, a canoe livery - and one pot-smoking, barely working employee he doesn’t need, doesn’t want, and can’t afford. But the truth is, after losing a child and a marriage, Tom doesn’t really care.
-
-
Narration is awful
- By Karen Martin on 03-09-21
By: Sean Doolittle
What listeners say about The Last Open Road
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard English
- 10-23-22
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bruce F.
- 07-12-23
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
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard J. Schoonover
- 12-02-22
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!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 07-17-24
Perspective from an Older Road Racer
This performance is excellent balance of telling the story of road racing and life in general in the 1950's and the sound effects that makes feel a little like an old time radio program. The voice of Julie Finzo is my favorite.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 01-16-23
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rebecca Jackson
- 01-31-23
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RICHARD H.
- 01-06-23
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- spanglerbuilt
- 06-15-23
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Patricia Schweitzer
- 07-07-22
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 as 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!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael G. Watkins
- 11-07-22
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!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!