Collecting:Hot Rod Books by Henry Gregor Felsen

Henry Gregor Felsen and the Hot Rod

Where better to begin a series on collecting children’s auto racing books than with Felsen’s Hot Rod series?  There were earlier books for juveniles about automobile racing, but none were as long-lived.  Henry Gregor Felsen (1916-1995) was a prolific author with over sixty books published, along with numerous short stories and even a 1968 stock car racing film (Fever Heat) to his credit.  His writing often drew on his experiences, first in the military in World War II, and later as a race fan and admirer of the wildly customized cars of the post war era.

As he was writing his novels about young men and their souped up rides, the hot rod scene was going full bore in California and spreading rapidly across the United States.  Dry lakes racing, drag racing on abandoned airstrips and dark country roads were popular with the younger generation, just back from the war.   They wanted speed and cars that stood out from the rest.  Blessed with cheap gas and a ready supply of old jalopies, they built their own road rockets. 

That uniquely American car culture of the 1950s is preserved forever in the books of Henry Gregor Felsen.  His heroes were often rebels and his stories did not always culminate in the “happy ending” that was the norm for children’s books of that era. Felsen’s stories realistically reflected the mores and prejudices of the era.

Over eight million copies of Felsen’s hot rod books were sold.  Hot Rod, with its story of orphaned teenager Bud Crayne, remained on the juvenile best seller list for over twenty years.

These racing titles read by young men in the early 1950s and were still popular with their children twenty years later.  Many of these second generation hot rod enthusiasts remember reading nothing throughout the 1960s and 1970s but the latest issue of Hot Rod magazine and Henry Gregor Felsen’s books.  Today, Felsen’s books are being rediscovered by aging enthusiasts, who want to relive what was likely the “golden age of hot rodding” through his stories. 

While most of Felsen’s other juvenile titles enjoy a limited popularity with today’s collectors and remain in the reasonable $5-$20.00 range, his hot rod/racing titles, beginning with Hot Rod, early in the 1950s, are more sought after. 

FELSEN’S HOT ROD SERIES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY

Collectible Felsen titles that are not ex-library copies are scarce, unless they are paperback reprints.   Even the paperbacks are collectible

First editions are:

Crash Club; Random house, 1958

Fever Heat; Dell Publishing, 1954 (under pen name Angus Vicar) – this book was made into a movie, which was Nick Adam’s last venture

Hot Rod, ep dutton, 1950. 

This First Edition paperback sold for $47.00 on ebay 12/07

Rag Top Random House, 1954 Published 1954 as Cup of Fury)

Road rocket Road Rocket; Random House, 1960

Street Rod; Random House, 1953

First edition hardcover books of the above titles sell for $50-100, depending on condition.  50% less if they are ex-library books.  Paperbacks sell consistently well on internet auction sites for $25-40, if they are in good condition.

The Henry Gregor Felsen Collection, all six books, sold as a boxed set. 1990, GP Productions.  Current values, $300-500.00.  These sets are rapidly appreciating in value.  They are $500-600 on eBay and Amazon, with higher values if autographed by Felsen.  He appeared at several World of Wheels events and at a SEMA show.

*New! We have an interview with Holly Felsen Welch

about the re-release of her father's popular books*

Read the interview and sign up for Holly's Mailing List

Q. Did your father own a hot rod or a classic/antique car?

Holly:  He owned a lot of cars that would be considered classics now.  I remember his 1952 Lincoln convertible.  It was yellow with a black top.  He used to drive beauty queens at the Iowa State Fair parade.  I got to ride along, and thought we were all pretty important!

Q. Was he an auto racing fan?

Holly:  He was!  My brother, Dan, remembers going to the fairgrounds to watch the sprint car races when he was about six.  They stood outside the fence, by turn two, and ducked the dirt clods.  When Dad was writing Fever Heat, he went to the Pioneer Raceway every Saturday night. He also went to the Hawkeye Futurity, and the Iowa International but the only thing that really held his interest for long was writing.

Q: Do you have any special memories of your father that you would like to share?

Holly: My memories of my dad were the things we did together.  He and I loved baseball.  Since Dad was from New York, we were Yankees fans. When I was in fifth grade, we went to a Yankees game in Chicago.  Dad made reservations at the same hotel where the Yankees were staying.  I got to see all my heroes and get some autographs.

Q: Tell me about the release of Hot Rod – when will it be available, and where can we purchase it?  Will it be available on Amazon?

Holly: Hot Rod should be released early this summer.  I will be posting information at http://www.henrygregorfelsen.com.  We are going to send out postcards announcing the book.  Anyone wishing to receive a postcard should send me their address hfwelch@me.com

Q: The 1990 boxed set, the Henry Gregor Felsen Collection sells for $200-500 online.  Many collectors would love to have it, but it is just unaffordable for most on the secondary market.  Do you have any plans to release the set?

Holly: I would love to release the set again.  It will depend on how well Hot Rod is received, but we are already discussing it.  I have had many people tell me they would love to have it. 

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

Holly:  I have been overwhelmed by the comments of fans I have heard from lately.  They remember the books and the impact they had on their lives.  I’m glad we have this opportunity to bring the books back.

*Prices given are asking prices on internet venues unless otherwise specified.  

(C)Jim & Nancy Schaut. Our mission is to preserve the rich history of automobile racing in the American West. We have done our best to credit the proper people for information contained on this site.  It is sometimes impossible to find the original source.  We welcome your comments & corrections. If you would like to submit items to the site, please send them  to Nancy.