Brian gets his first car, a jalopy purchased from Mr. Lytell, a storekeeper, for 50 dollars. Brian's first aid skills stretch to caring for automobiles, as he is often shown working on his car, and also to animals as when he is given responsibility for bandaging an injured horse owned by the Wheelers. Martin "Mart" Belden: Exactly 11 months older than Trixie, 14-year-old Martin Belden is often described as Trixie's 'almost-twin'. Mart is best known for both his appetite and his outsized vocabulary. He has a crush on Diana Lynch. He has a fondness for Cosmo McNaught space adventures books and in The Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon, bickers with Trixie that Cosmo is better than Lucy from the Lucy Radcliff books Trixie likes so much. He plans to become a farmer, although The Pet Show Mystery gave him an interest in computers. Despite his frequent arguments with his sister (they are constantly teasing and picking on each other), the two are quite close. Diana "Di" Lynch: The prettiest girl in class, 13-year-old Diana Lynch has black hair and violet eyes (possibly due to the popularity of Elizabeth Taylor as a young actress at the time Diana's character was created.) She has pairs of twin brothers and twin sisters who are much younger than herself. Her father recently made a lot of money, and Di hates being rich, though the Bob-Whites help her adjust. She joins the Bob-Whites in The Mysterious Visitor, inadvertently providing them with another mystery. She shows great artistic ability in later books and can be a bit gullible at times. She is not the most intelligent, but is a good sport, smiling and laughing often, especially at herself when she makes mistakes. One consistent character trait established over the many stories is Di's love of the color purple. Daniel "Dan" Mangan: Orphaned in New York City, Dan Mangan, left to his own devices, became mixed up in a street gang called the Cowhands. Juvenile court sends him to live with his uncle Regan, the Wheelers' groom, in Sleepyside, although he actually lives with and works for Mr. Maypenny, the gamekeeper. After a rough start in Sleepyside, Dan reforms and becomes the seventh Bob-White in The Black Jacket Mystery. His age is unknown; he begins school in Mart's homeroom, but later must study during vacations to keep up with classes he takes with Brian and Jim. He