Hailey was not a critical favourite. In the "New York Times", Martin Levin called him "a plodding sort of writer." Martha Gellhorn, reviewing "The Evening News" for "The Daily Telegraph" wrote, "This is not a book you cannot put down; it is a book you can hardly hold up. It will sell in millions and be translated into 34 languages. Possibly it is more readable in Icelandic or Urdu." And "Time" magazine, reviewing "Wheels" together with Harold Robbins's "The Betsy", said, "Yes, junk fans, it's a mano a mano for novelists who are all thumbs. Two of the greatest schlockmeisters in the history of solid waste have just published novels about the auto industry."