Peter Egan (columnist)
Encyclopedia
Peter Egan is an American writer known for his monthly columns, Side Glances in Road & Track
magazine and Leanings in Cycle World
magazine, as well as road tests and occasional features in both magazines. His columns are chiefly autobiographical and anecdotal in nature, typically cheerful, self-deprecating and sometimes displaying an ironic or dark sense of humor. He has written extensively about his many road trips, including detailed accounts of the failings of the vehicles and his interactions with the people who accompany him and those he meets.
in 1948. He first became acquainted with sports cars from photographs of celebrities and their cars in his sister Barbara's glamour magazines. He would later watch sports car racing at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
.
When he dropped out of college, Egan was drafted into the US Army, entering basic training in March 1969,
and eventually serving in Vietnam. Characteristically, he later described a Jeep he had that the Viet Cong hit with a mortar shell as "the only non-English vehicle I ever drove that exploded."
After his tour of duty, he visited Paris
, France, from which he and a friend road-tripped on bicycles to Marseille
.
Upon his return to Wisconsin, Egan proposed to his girlfriend Barbara and started working as a mechanic at Foreign Car Specialists, a repair shop in Madison owned by Chris Beebe, who is frequently mentioned in Side Glances and is now a neighbor and close friend.
While writing for Cycle World, Egan also wrote for the automotive magazine Road & Track, part of the same organization, and had its headquarters in the same building in Newport Beach. His writing style fit well with, and may have been influenced by, those of his contemporaries at Road & Track, including Henry N. Manney III, Rob Walker, Innes Ireland
, and Dennis Simanaitis.
Apart from writing road tests and reports on motor races and car shows, Egan wrote about the perils and pitfalls of repairs, restoration, and racing, illustrating his points with first-hand anecdotes. His experience of working on and his love for English cars has led him to exaggerate their faults and idiosyncrasies, though he makes it clear he prefers to work on and drive them. He has also expressed a particular interest in old English and Italian motorcycles.
Egan has since retired from the regular staff of both magazines, although he still contributes monthly columns to both and also writes features as an Editor-at-Large.
Egan and his wife returned to Wisconsin in the summer of 1990, moving to a farm near Cooksville
where they still live.
Road & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
magazine and Leanings in Cycle World
Cycle World
Cycle World is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the U.S. and is now the largest motorcycling magazine in the world...
magazine, as well as road tests and occasional features in both magazines. His columns are chiefly autobiographical and anecdotal in nature, typically cheerful, self-deprecating and sometimes displaying an ironic or dark sense of humor. He has written extensively about his many road trips, including detailed accounts of the failings of the vehicles and his interactions with the people who accompany him and those he meets.
Early life
Egan was born in Elroy, WisconsinElroy, Wisconsin
Elroy is a city in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Baraboo River and at the east end of the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. The population was 1,578 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elroy is located at ....
in 1948. He first became acquainted with sports cars from photographs of celebrities and their cars in his sister Barbara's glamour magazines. He would later watch sports car racing at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Elkhart Lake is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, located within the northwestern part of the county within the Town of Rhine. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
When he dropped out of college, Egan was drafted into the US Army, entering basic training in March 1969,
and eventually serving in Vietnam. Characteristically, he later described a Jeep he had that the Viet Cong hit with a mortar shell as "the only non-English vehicle I ever drove that exploded."
After his tour of duty, he visited Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France, from which he and a friend road-tripped on bicycles to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
.
Upon his return to Wisconsin, Egan proposed to his girlfriend Barbara and started working as a mechanic at Foreign Car Specialists, a repair shop in Madison owned by Chris Beebe, who is frequently mentioned in Side Glances and is now a neighbor and close friend.
Motor journalism career
In the early 1980s, Egan wrote a freelance article about a motorcycling trip with his wife, which he submitted to Cycle World. When the article was published, editor Allan Girdler offered him a position as a staff writer. Egan accepted and he and Barb relocated to southern California.While writing for Cycle World, Egan also wrote for the automotive magazine Road & Track, part of the same organization, and had its headquarters in the same building in Newport Beach. His writing style fit well with, and may have been influenced by, those of his contemporaries at Road & Track, including Henry N. Manney III, Rob Walker, Innes Ireland
Innes Ireland
Robert McGregor Innes Ireland , was a British military officer, engineer, and motor racing driver. He was a larger-than-life character who, according to a rival team boss, "lived without sense, without an analyst and provoked astonishment and affection from everyone."Ireland was born on 12 June...
, and Dennis Simanaitis.
Apart from writing road tests and reports on motor races and car shows, Egan wrote about the perils and pitfalls of repairs, restoration, and racing, illustrating his points with first-hand anecdotes. His experience of working on and his love for English cars has led him to exaggerate their faults and idiosyncrasies, though he makes it clear he prefers to work on and drive them. He has also expressed a particular interest in old English and Italian motorcycles.
Egan has since retired from the regular staff of both magazines, although he still contributes monthly columns to both and also writes features as an Editor-at-Large.
Egan and his wife returned to Wisconsin in the summer of 1990, moving to a farm near Cooksville
Cooksville, Wisconsin
Cooksville, Wisconsin is an unincorporated community in the Town of Porter, Rock County, Wisconsin, United States.-Notable people:*Peter Egan, Road & Track and Cycle World columnist*John L. Savage, engineer-Notes:...
where they still live.
Road trips
Peter Egan has documented several road trips, mostly in North America. These trips include:- riding a bicycle from Paris to Marseilles in the early 1970s
- driving with Chris Beebe from Wisconsin to Los Angeles in a Ford Model AFord Model A (1927)The Ford Model A of 1927–1931 was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company, after its predecessor, the Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but not sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been produced for 18 years...
, after he and Beebe restored the car ("Model A Odyssey, Parts I and II") - several trips from Wisconsin to the SCCASports Car Club of AmericaThe Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
Runoffs at Road AtlantaRoad AtlantaRoad Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
and back - driving a BMW Isetta from Wisconsin to Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, after realizing that he would not be able to make it to Road Atlanta in time for the Runoffs - driving a Caterham 7 with his wife around New England
- driving a Jaguar E-TypeJaguar E-typeThe Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
with his wife as far north as the map indicated the existence of pavement - driving a MiniMiniThe Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
in a rally across Texas - driving a '63 Cadillac down into the Mississippi Delta Blues Country