Gumdrop On The Rally

Gumdrop The Vintage Car #3

by Val Biro

One day the Red Lion Car Park was full of vintage cars. It was a car rally and one of the cars was blue with a black hood. It was Gumdrop, driven by Bill McArran, and he had his number 9 on the front. Bill was driving down a country lane when a young man told him to turn left-- the wrong way.
When Bill and Gumdrop became lost down the country lane they found a little boy who was also lost. They took him home to the farm and the farmer gave Bill a can of oil as a present. And so it went on --- they helped a girl get her horse to the jumping competition and received sparking plugs as a present, they got an instruction book from the Mayor, vintage tools from a farmer, and a vintage petrol can. All for helping people.

Suddenly a motor bike, driven by the young man, skidded and a parcel fell off---- he had stolen the prizes for the rally. Bill returned them and although they did not win the rally they received all the presents and were awarded a brass starting handle for their kindness to other people.

29 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Val Biro (pronounced Beer-oh) was a children's author, artist and illustrator, was a native of Hungary, but was a resident in Sussex in England. He received his education in Budapest and London. His studio was located in Amersham in Buckinghamshire.

"I write so as to give my alter-ego a good chance for drawing pictures, though I find that the story I invent tends to run away with itself, leaving me, the illustrator, behind! Each story tends to be based on personal experience and, equally, each tends to grow out of that into the imagination. Each book seems to take a few months to gestate, and then I write it in one long day (or night)."