When Warren Brown set out to record the memoirs of his friend Ron Thorp, it soon became clear that it was as much a tale of a lifelong obsession with cars and planes as it was of the man himself.
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"This is the story of a man whose veins contain not blood, but motor oil," the prologue reads.
From his first job as a motor mechanic apprentice at just 14, to his instrumental role in establishing the National Transport Museum, Ron's love for vehicles has been his constant companion.
"It started at a very early age. They tell me that the first word I muttered as a child was the word 'car,'" Ron said.
"That obsession of course started off with toy cars, and then graduated to cars you could sit in and drive, and that progressed onto faster and faster cars, and motor racing for about 10 years. At that stage I discovered airplanes and my interest gradually switched over from the ground to the air."
It was his passion for flying which brought Ron to Inverell in the 1970s, when he bought a farm adjoining the local airport and set up a charter business. He spent 35 years in the air, before his attention switched back to collecting vintage cars.
Committed to the community, Ron was active in local politics, was an early member of what is now known as Sanctuary Inverell and has remained a passionate member of the Inverell Antique Motor Club. He first met Warren in 2008, when both were involved in the establishment of the community radio station STAFM.
A private man, Ron admitted that it was a "long and drawn out process" for Warren to write his story. Warren was invited to write the biography by Ron's partner, Christa Masson, who knew he had led "a most interesting life," but would never record it himself.
"I'd written a few articles and I'd written a historically-based novel. I'd never attempted anything like this," Warren said.
"I was looking for something to write about at the time and it fitted the bill nicely."
He said his job was to put himself in Ron's shoes and see life from his point of view.
The pair were pleased to hold on to their friendship throughout the sometimes difficult two-year interviewing and writing process.
Thorp's Way will be officially launched at the Inverell Shire Library at 3pm this Friday, March 29. To RSVP, call the library on 67 288 130.
