Following the success of Mad Cars Disease author Stephanie McCarthy and Designer/Photographer Maurice Linehan have continued the series, enhancing their travels along the way. The new gift book is bigger and madder and showcases a wonderful selection of old motor characters, each one rusting in peace in settings ranging from extreme dry desert to lush tropical.
A classy 1938 DeSoto abandoned amongst mulga in the NSW Outback; a Ford Mainline floating with frogs in a lake in Qld; a Humber Supersnipe trapped amongst blackberries and cowpats in Tasmania, an early Merc 'Deutsched and Ditched' under an oaktree in rural Victoria; an FJ Holden blasted by searing heat at Marble Bar; a 1920's Dodge, a rare discovery near an opal mine at White Cliffs; a 1940's Peugeot lounging at Duck Lagoon, Kangaroo Island; a 1918 Chev choking under dust in a broken down shed in country SA...
An Austin A40 panel van rooted to the spot by a small tree growing up through her bumper, is confused about her identity. Sitting pretty at Serviceton, on the disputed borderline between Vic and SA, she ponders what state she's in.
As with the first book the captions are funny and punny, and the amusing text takes on the personality of the cars themselves as they struggle to remember what they were like in the 'good old days' and how they came to end up in their last rusting places.
While most of the photographs were taken by Maurice, mad car chasers from all over Australia sent in photographs of their subjects, hoping theirs would be selected for the second book. Several succeeded, outstanding contributors including octogenarian Jim Poynter from Tasmania and young spray painter Jamie Chynoweth from Broken Hill. Jamie's hero shots of the grand old truck under the light of a full moon, along with his exquisite cameos of lizards, dragonflies etc, singles him out amongst the many exciting finds made during the journey of Mad Cars Disease 2.
How infectious is this disease?
How far can it spread?
The quest and the questions continue. Does a Mayflower, seen only by a few fishermen, still reside near Alligator Billabong in the Kimberly region of the NT? Is there a vintage car with a cactus growing through it somewhere in Mexico? Travelers are returning from all over with tales of classic personalities fusing into their own unique landscapes, just waiting.....
The series are available from wherever good books are sold RRP $24.95
Author Stephanie McCarthy is available for interview on 08 8278 9297 or spmc@adam.com.au
