James A. Peruto of Lower Makefield passed away late last month after a three-year fight with melanoma. Bob Fernandez reported the details in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Peruto was the older brother of Charles A. Peruto Jr., the Republican candidate for city district attorney. Together, the siblings fixed cars in their youth, handling both the mechanics and the aesthetics.

James Peruto parlayed that talent into a career, atop a law degree from Temple University and a short stint as an attorney in his father’s practice.

Eventually, the thrum of an engine became too evocative for him to ignore, and he went into the auto business full throttle.

As his Doylestown enterprise thrived and expanded, Peruto was able to spend time in the fast cars he so loved.

In 2012, he clocked an average speed of 217 miles per hour on 90 miles of open highway in Nevada, setting a Guinness World Record for the fastest speed on a highway.

He took his need for speed on the water as well. He delighted in zipping his powerboat at the Jersey Shore, with his then-eight-year-old daughter Jackie Jo urging him to go faster.

Peruto passed at age 68.

His Keenan Honda dealership, 4311 West Swamp Road, Doylestown, is hosting a November 14 memorial service.

More information on the loss of James Peruto is at The Philadelphia Inquirer.