Gumdrop (book series)
The Gumdrop stories are a series of 37 children's books written and illustrated by Val Biro. They concern a 1926 Austin 12 hp four cylinder (Austin Clifton twelve four) called "Gumdrop", who gets involved in various adventures. The car is real and was in the author's possession, but the stories are fictional. The first book was The Adventures of a Vintage Car (1966) and the last was Gumdrop's School Adventure (2001). His adventures have included such tales as an encounter with the Loch Ness Monster where Gumdrop and his owner helped to protect the monster being exploited for publicity, a meeting with Father Christmas where Gumdrop helped him deliver presents and received a vital replacement component, and helping an elephant escape an abusive zookeeper.
A television series of the same name and based on the original books was produced in the 1990s and narrated by Nigel Planer.
Titles
| Number | Published | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1966 | Gumdrop - Adventures of a Vintage Car |
| 2 | 1967 | Gumdrop and the Farmer's Friend |
| 3 | 1968 | Gumdrop on the Rally |
| 4 | 1969 | Gumdrop on the Move |
| 5 | 1971 | Gumdrop Goes to London |
| 6 | 1973 | Gumdrop Finds a Friend |
| 7 | 1975 | Gumdrop in Double Trouble |
| TV | 1976 | Gumdrop and the Steamroller TV |
| L1 | 1976 | Gumdrop and the Steamroller |
| L2 | 1976 | Gumdrop Posts a Letter |
| 8 | 1976 | Gumdrop on the Brighton Run |
| 9 | 1977 | Gumdrop Has a Birthday |
| 10 | 1979 | Gumdrop Gets His Wings |
| Ann1 | 1979 | Gumdrop Annual 1 |
| Ann2 | 1980 | Gumdrop Annual 2 |
| 11 | 1980 | Gumdrop Finds a Ghost |
| 12 | 1981 | Gumdrop and the Secret Switches |
| 13 | 1982 | Gumdrop at Sea |
| 14 | 1982 | Gumdrop Makes a Start |
| L3 | 1982 | Gumdrop and Horace |
| L4 | 1982 | Gumdrop Races a Train |
| L5 | 1976 | Gumdrop Goes to School |
| L6 | 1983 | Gumdrop Gets a Lift |
| L7 | 1983 | Gumdrop at the Zoo |
| L8 | 1983 | Gumdrop in a Hurry |
| L9 | 1984 | Gumdrop Goes Fishing |
| L10 | 1984 | Gumdrop Has a Tummy-Ache |
| L11 | 1984 | Gumdrop is the Best Car |
| L12 | 1984 | Gumdrop On the Farm |
| 15 | 1984 | Gumdrop's Magic Journey |
| 16 | 1985 | Gumdrop and the Monster |
| 17 | 1986 | Gumdrop to the Rescue |
| 18 | 1988 | Gumdrop and the Dinosaur |
| 19 | 1989 | Gumdrop and the Pirates |
| Omn | 1989 | Gumdrop Omnibus |
| 20 | 1990 | Gumdrop and the Elephant |
| 21 | 1991 | Gumdrop and the Bulldozers |
| 22 | 1991 | Gumdrop for Ever! |
| 23 | 1992 | Gumdrop's Merry Christmas |
| 24 | 1998 | Gumdrop and the Martians |
| 25 | 2001 | Gumdrop's School Adventure |