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"My family and I are honored that the NHRA has decided to help us celebrate our golden anniversary at the fantastic Wally Parks Motorsports Museum," Corky Coker said. "Wally Parks helped legitimize the car hobby and was one of the first staffers at Hot Rod Magazine. Honest Charley Card was one of Hot Rod's first advertisers, and Coker has been supporting car guys since its inception, so it's a great fit and we're very excited."
Harold Coker started the Coker Tire Co. in 1958. Coker had the vision of making rare and obsolete tires commercially available to antique car collectors. In 1974, Harold's son Corky was handed the reigns of the antique tire company. The vintage tires represented less than five percent of the company's total tire business. Today, Coker Tire is the world's largest and most prominent supplier of antique and classic tires for automobiles, trucks and motorcycles.
Corky Coker also had a hand in reviving Honest Charley, one of the first speed shops in America. "Honest" Charley Card established the store in 1948 in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was one of the first speed shops with coast-to-coast distribution, and one of the first computerized automotive businesses. "Honest" was a fixture at both Daytona and at Indy for many years. He retired in late 1970. In 1998, Coker acquired the Honest Charley name and trademarks. The store is now located within the Coker Tire Complex in historic downtown Chattanooga.
The exhibit, designed by Corky’s daughter Casey and Aaron Wolfe, features rare photos, catalogs, artifacts and memorabilia from the rich history of the two companies, according to Greg Sharp, curator of the Parks Museum. Special guests on hand for the opening included George Barris and “TV Tommy” Ivo.
Several significant vehicles are on display, including: the Double Exposure ’32 Ford roadster, the ’37 Buick Schaffer "Great Race" roadster, the Honest Charley V8-60 motorcycle, Ed Winfield's Model T racer - one of the most famous T racers ever, Sam Barris' ’49 Merc - arguably the most famous Merc custom of all time, "Jungle Jim" Lieberman's Camaro Funny Car, sponsored by Honest Charley, and the Tommy Ivo/Bruce Larson Top Fuel dragster, famous for its spectacular fiery crash at the 1974 NHRA Winternationals.
After the press preview and exhibit opening, Corky served as a Budweiser celebrity judge at the Cruise Night. “Go out and drive these cars,” he told a group of reporters. “It not only helps the industry, but wears the tires out.” The next Prolong® Twilight Cruise Night is June 4th. Visit www.museum.nhra.com for more information.
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