GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
8/5/19 6:42 p.m.

It was about a guy who worked in a car dealership, saved up a lot of money and bought an expensive car. Doesn't follow break-in procedures and wrecks the engine in a street race. IIRC it was by a famous sci-fi author, I thought maybe Kurt Vonnegut but I can't find it in his bibliography. Came back to me because I saw the manufacturer Isotta-Fraschini in the CM newsletter and I think the only other place I've seen it is in that story, I didn't even know if it was a real manufacturer.

Other details I can remember:

- The protagonist had a weird name

- The story takes place in a vacation town, maybe on an island?

- The car had an Italian name I'd also never heard before, likely fictional, had "marino" or "marina" in it IIRC?

- In the end someone at the dealership says that all the car's value is in the engine

I think someone on here may have linked it to me.

procker
procker Reader
8/5/19 8:20 p.m.

Read it in high school!  Doesn't the protagonist (can't remember name exactly but believe it is with an "M") just walk away from the car after it breaks, too?  I can't put my finger on the title or author...

Gingerbeardman
Gingerbeardman Reader
8/5/19 8:35 p.m.

I would read it...even if it were just to be pissed at the protagonist.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
8/5/19 8:37 p.m.

I remember thinking the protagonist was an idiot and commenting about that, most likely on here, but I tried searching for my own comments about it too.

Hungary Bill
Hungary Bill PowerDork
8/6/19 3:05 p.m.

Kurt Vonnegut from the book "The Bagombo Snuffbox"

I believe the story was called "The Powder Blue dragon"

 

One of my favorite collections of short stories ever and I really recommend it to everyone.  Ok, gotta stop before I completely geek out.

tuna55
tuna55 MegaDork
8/6/19 3:07 p.m.
GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
8/6/19 3:11 p.m.

^WINNERS!

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