How the Cars found rock ‘n’ roll superstardom and let it slip away

By the time the Cars released their self-titled debut in June 1978, singer-guitarist Ric Ocasek and singer-bassist Benjamin Orr had been playing together in bands for a decade.

In Cleveland in the late ’60s they formed bands with names like ID Nirvana and Leatherwood. After moving to Boston in the early ’70s, there was Milkwood, Richard and the Rabbits — which included future Cars’ keyboardist Greg Hawkes — and Cap’n Swing — which added Elliot Easton who’d play lead guitar in the Cars.

None of those bands became more than locally successful, and then only for a time, says Bill Janovitz , author of “The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told,” who comes to Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 8 for a book event that includes Easton .

So what magic kissed the Cars to give Ocasek, Orr, Hawkes,