They were two men bound together by their daring, their vision—and their erotic power over women.

Racecar driver Angelo Perino rose from an immigrant family to a life on the razor's edge, where fast cars and faster women were his for the taking. Loren Hardeman is the titular head of a giant automotive empire-and of a family sliding into decadence, adultery, and destruction.

In the face of opposition from Hardeman's bitter grandson-the current president of the company-the patriarch and the driver conspire to build the world's most advanced automobile. They call it "The Betsy," after Hardeman's great-granddaughter -one of the women who has also caught Perino's eye. From Detroit to the lavish estates of Grosse Pointe, Miami, and the Riviera, the pair of men work to create their wonder car. To achieve their dream, they will risk everything they have.

The inspiration for the 1978 film of the same name, The Betsy explores the shocking world of the automobile industry-of savage ambition, searing passion, and breathtaking fortunes won or lost in a desperate struggle for power."