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Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:
President's Corner, Editorials, Veteran Photographer Ken Coles Passed April 10 2010, We were so sorry to hear of your Mom's passing what an interesting life she had, Thanks for the book reviews, Russell di Teresi has a collection of Legion Ascot Speedway programs from the 1930's if anyone is interested in purchasing a set or an individual program, I thought Trey's group did just fine on "Dancing with the Stars", The story is up on our web site now, I've received all sorts of excuses and reasons why your mail cannot be delivered but this is the first time that a computer company server has been downright brutally honest, I was so sorry to hear of your mother's passing, The Lakers a car club in the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) has a story in the latest issue, Friends of the Challenge and 130 MPH Club, I took your advice from last time we corresponded and used the questionnaire you'd sent me, To Janet Tarleton and Brad: Thank you for providing the struts for this opportunity for paying homage to Paul Schiefer's T roadster, Evelyn Roth found a website on old car brochures, The 2010 Pebble Beach Concours is shaping up to be another tremendous celebration of the automobile, Gone Racin'...Automobiles of Distinction; Imperial Palace Auto Collection Las Vegas Nevada by Henry Rasmussen, Gone Racin'...Hot Rod Chronicle by the auto editors of Consumer Guide with Don Prieto
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President's Corner:
Jim Miller is having computer problems and his column will not be seen this week.
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Editorial:
My father had it easy when he was the editor of Hot Rod magazine. In those days labor was cheap and he had a staff of dozens of people. He only had to write an editorial once a month and it went only as long as some of my shorter sermons, or as Roger Rohrdanz likes to chide me; "Shorter than it takes for you to say hello." But Wally Parks was no slouch when it came to using the editor's column to teach, prod and urge hot rodders and racers on to better things. I suppose that's true with all editors and I'm no exception. This column is meant to inform, but also to teach, prod and urge all of you to do those things which magnify and edify our sport of hot rodding, land speed, drag and other straight line racing. What are some of our issues? Well, for one, illegal street racing comes to mind. Old time racers were divided on the issue. They all street raced from what I could tell after talking to hundreds of men and women. Even when they said that they didn't race on the streets, they said it with a wink. Yet nearly all of them grew up and matured and foreswore illegal street racing. Wally Parks fought against it through the SCTA and later as editor of Hot Rod magazine. When the NHRA was formed in 1951 and drag strips opened all over the country, illegal street racing nearly became a problem of the past. Yet today drag strips are closing and young people are rebelling and street racing is becoming a serious problem again. Many other issues arise, from legislation to outright contempt by environmentalists towards our hobby. It will take a concentrated effort to again fight for our rights and see that adequate racing facilities are available for us to race on. As a comedian once said, "It's deja vu all over again."
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Veteran Photographer Ken Coles Passed April 10, 2010. Inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. Veteran motorsports photographer Ken Coles, 78 of Michigan has quietly slipped from us after an illness which was not disclosed. Ken Coles shot superb photos of race cars all of his life and is considered by some journalists as America's top racing photographer. As you read publications such as Open Wheel and Speed Age magazines, you will discover Coles' photos not only from the current scene but also racing pictures from back to the early sixties. Ken developed into a racing fan in the Detroit area, attending such tracks as Motor City Speedway and others. Soon Coles was on the road following such groups as Tom Cherry's AARC as they ran their roadster circuit. It wasn't long before Ken became acquainted with the USAC drivers and began to follow their racing.
Since that time Ken Coles has developed not only a business relationship (selling action racing photos) with the world's most prestigious race drivers, but has cemented a personal relationship with racers such as Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, the Unser brothers, Mario Andretti, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Don Branson, Rick Mears, Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and many others. In addition to his action photos, Ken Coles developed a technique for hand painting his black and white photos and had his racing paintings hanging in every state of the union, plus Europe, Hong Kong, England, New Zealand and Australia. So, not only is Ken an outstanding racing photographer, but is really a racing artist. Coles' Hall of Fame citation stated, "There is something about the photos that Coles takes that is different from all other racing photographers. His photos are a work of art. Somehow he has a different perspective than all the other photographers." Ken Coles was unique in that he was among the few racing photographers that made his living with race car photography. According to his son Larry there will be no services at this time. Perhaps there will be a memorial wake or something later. I put this piece on Prodigys@Speed. Rest in Peace Ken Coles. Len Ashburn, re-sent by Betty Packard
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We were so sorry to hear of your Mom's passing, what an interesting life she had. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and you were in our thoughts and hearts today. Our sincere sympathy and love. Orah Mae and Robin Millar
Readers: Orah Mae is the widow of famed drag cartoonist Pete Millar. Robin is his daughter.
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Hello, Thanks for the book reviews. Google; http://flatoutpress.com/, or email at [email protected]. Al Drake
Al: With your permission I will put your email address and website in the Society of Land Speed Racing Newsletter. I've been trying to reach you for some time. I even called Glenn Freudenberger to see if he knew who you were and he never met you. Your books have been circulating among the hot rodders in Southern California and they really like them. Let us know what books you have written and I will refer our readers to your site to see if they wish to add to their libraries. Jack Underwood lent me one of your books for a review and I found another one of your books in my father's library.
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Russell di Teresi has a collection of Legion Ascot Speedway programs from the 1930's if anyone is interested in purchasing a set or an individual program. They are in near mint condition. His uncle sold the programs and saved the unsold ones.
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I thought Trey's group did just fine on "Dancing with the Stars." Both he and my granddaughter are very talented dancers; they go to Liverpool, England next month to compete internationally as part of their university dance team. Both of them compete in amateur and professional competitions - mostly throughout the west - since they are based in Orem, Utah. His dad is deputy police chief of Orem and my son-in-law is a fire captain in Provo. So Trey and Hope's wedding was full of police, fire fighters and dancers. An interesting combo. I know that this is a sad time for you; losing one's mother no matter how long you have had her is a sad time. You were lucky to have had her for so long and you know you will all be together again in the future. I think of my mother often, especially when I am sitting in church and hear her favorite hymn, etc or when I am out and about and see something I know she would enjoy. Guess they never leave your heart. Betty Packard
Readers: Betty is the widow of oval track racer Jim Packard. "James R. Packard was born on December 23, 1931. He was an oval track racing driver from Hendersonville, North Carolina who competed in the USAC Championship Car series. He made 22 starts and won in August, 1960 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack. He was killed in an accident during a midget race in Fairfield, Illinois on October 1, 1960. He attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1959 and 1960 but wrecked his car in practice in 1959 and failed to make the field the following year." Source; Wikipedia
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The story is up on our web site now. Thanks for your help and again, my condolences. It sounds like you guys have a wonderful extended family.
Google; http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100414/NHRA/100419942. Mark Vaughn, AutoWeek magazine
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"Unfortunately, your mail was not delivered to the following address: [email protected], does not like recipient. Remote host said: Recipient never checks their email."
Readers: I've received all sorts of excuses and reasons why your mail cannot be delivered, but this is the first time that a computer company server has been downright brutally honest. YOU JUST DON'T CHECKYOUR EMAIL and your server is tired of it. So, readers, get up off that easy sofa chair, put down your TV channel changer, walk over to your computer, blow the dust off of the confuser and turn it on. Then log in and download the 3000 email messages that I've been sending to you since only the Deity knows when.
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I was so sorry to hear of your mother's passing. I know you both did all you could to make her final days as comfortable as possible. Your family friend, Ernie Schorb
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The Lakers, a car club in the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) has a story in the latest issue (15 April 2010) of www.hotrodhotline.com.
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Friends of the Challenge and 130 MPH Club. Below find a link on YouTube showing Steve Muller describing his new big block Ghia, sister car to his Stone Stock 56 Oval, that ran last month at the DLRA's Australian Speedweek on Lake Gairdner. Steve set a new Australian top speed record for a Volkswagen at over 127 miles per hour. Google; http://www.youtube.com/user/ashley1965, Ratmuller video. Google; http://melburgluft.com/viewtopic.php?p=117391#117391, Melburgluft site. The Melburgluft site along with the Vdubber site will give you good links to what's happening down under in the world of land speed racing. Burly Burlile
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I took your advice from last time we corresponded and used the questionnaire you'd sent me. I sat down with my dad and mom and video taped some of their life experiences. I have a couple of hours of video, which is really great! My mom has done a great job with labeling family photos but there are a few that I need to sit down with my folks so they can clarify them. I will have to get my dad to sit back down and recollect his experiences with your family. It's not like there is a lot to tell but considering your Pop's history and your uncle's history with the South Gate Gaters, they are little tidbits I enjoy hearing over and over.
One thing I would like to ask you is to utilize your newsletter. The first time I'd contacted you, you were gracious enough to have posted my email and Kay Kimes had gotten a hold of me to provide Chuck Hersom's contact information. I've been corresponding with him for the past 2 years and it has been GREAT! He and his brother Eugene are 49ers and he has a great story about going to and being at Bonneville in 1949. I recently spotted two photos of his Gaters belly tank circa 1948-49 that Jim Miller posted on AHRF. I sent him the links to show him the pictures; it was the first time he'd seen their belly tank since 1949 or so. It was such an awe inspiring feeling to bring this part of his past back to life. I could hear it in his voice. But to my point!
If I send you a group of names of the South Gate Gaters would you post it in your newsletter so that I can put the word out that I'd like to get in contact with ANY ONE that may lead me to some of the surviving members? I'd also like to hear from those that knew them or may be a part of their family. The Gaters had a lack of photo history as I've seen very few or no very little about the members. I've started to capture some of the stories from my dad and Chuck to put into a simple South Gate Gaters website to capture this clubs history. Anyway, thanks for listening and I hope that you might be able to help. I'd really like to meet you someday too. It'd mean a great deal to me to say hello and thank you in person for the help and advise you've given to me. I'll be out at a few events this year like the Model A club Car Meet and breakfast in Orange next Sunday, opening day at El Mirage, Father's Day Swap Meet, etc. If you're out and about, I'd like to come by to say hello. Thanks, Chris Eichert
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Chris: I'm glad that you have started on a biography, but don't forget to buy some of those 2 inch by 4 inch peel off stickers to attach to the back of your father's photographs so that you can write captions. A photograph without a caption to tell us who, what, when and where is virtually worthless to the next generation. The Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter is open to all correspondence. The more you write in the more that can be published. The only time that I don't publish an email is if I am asked not to. I am grateful that you have started to research the Gaters of South Gate. There is a little bit of information on them in the SCTA minutes that my dad was compiling into a book and I've seen the car club plaque at Stan Chersky's and on the web at Bill Junge's www.RelicsandRods.com. In addition, what I would ask you to do is start a phone tree and I will give you some leads to follow up with. Websites, blogs and emails are nowhere as effective as telephone calls. When you finish talking to one source, ask them if they can give you five more leads and phone numbers to follow up on. Send me what history that you have on your father and the Gaters so that I can get something in the next newsletter due out Wednesday. I will be glad to post the names of the old Gaters car club in the newsletter and I will let you know if I come across any new leads.
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To Janet Tarleton and Brad: Thank you for providing the struts for this opportunity for paying homage to Paul Schiefer's T roadster. Nicole handed me the keys to the truck this morning, and I couldn't help take a look at them. There's no wondering why PBY wing struts were so popular with early post-war rodders, as they seem extremely durable and lightweight. Thanks again, David Walker
David: Be sure to send us reports and photos on the rebuild of theSchiefer roadster so that we can keep our readers informed.
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The PBY-5A Catalina, which yielded her struts for the Schiefer roadster project, was N68756. She was built in New Orleans in 1950, and then mothballed in 1954. Shortly thereafter the plane was acquired by humorist Herb Shriner. He had her refitted as a luxury "flying yacht", and on his jaunts would often hang a rowboat from her port wing. I seem to remember seeing photos of this plane way back when; pondering what it would be like to have so much fun! Google; http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N68756&distinct_entry=true.
Later the plane found her way to Texas, provided service in the Consolidated Air Force (CAF), then suffered some chronic mechanical problems and fell into disrepair. In 2006 the plane was seized by the City of Brownsville for reasons I don't know, and she was destined to become soda cans when a series of individuals intervened. Eventually the Pima Air Museum acquired the fuselage, where she remains in the restoration/storage compound. Google; http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photos/N68756;1.html.
An aviation mechanic and jack-of-all-trades acquired the wing assemblies and struts, combining them with parts from a scrapped Stratoliner to create the humorous "Stratolina" static display, located on his farm in Midland, Texas. Google; http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=31202&highlight=heck+stratolina.
In the fall 2009, the mechanic suddenly passed away, leaving the future of the static display up in the air (no pun intended). Shortly afterward I was put into contact with the CAF, and they introduced me to his family, who offered the struts for my project. I believe the wings are headed to Australia for use in another static display. Had these struts been absolutely airworthy, I would feel guilty for using them to re-create a vintage lake racer chassis. But it's nice knowing that great ol' gal, with such in interesting history, may fly again one day -- or may at least tell her story to future generations at the Pima Air Museum. VR, David Walker
David: That is great research. Car racing has been heavily influenced over the years by the airline industry. Many of the land speed racers enlisted in the Army Air Corp during WWII and served under General Curtis LeMay. Belly tanks were utilized as the poor man's streamlined racing bodies. Your research makes the restoration of the Schiefer roadster project just that much more special.
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Caption:
Struts.jpg ... PBY-5A Catalina struts for the Schiefer roadster project. Dave Walker collection
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Evelyn Roth found a website on old car brochures. Google; http://www.lov2xlr8.no/broch1.html.
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Not everybody has On Star etc. Or a phone book handy. Look what Google is doing. Here is something you will want to have and use! I still remember when the telephone company charged me $1.50 to get a phone number from information. Here's a number worth putting in your cell phone or your home phone speed dial: 1-800-goog-411 or 1-800-4664-411. This is an awesome service from Google and it's free -- great when you are driving on the road with no pen pencil or paper handy. Don't waste your money on information calls and don't waste your time manually dialing the number. I am driving along in my car and I need to call the golf course and I don't know the number. I hit the speed dial for information that I have programmed. The voice at the other end says "City & State." I say "Garland, Texas." He says "Business Name or Type of Service." I say Garland Golf Course." He says "Connecting" and Garland Golf Course answers the phone. How great is that? This is nationwide and it is free! Google the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration; http://www.google.com/goog411/. Paula Murphy
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The 2010 Pebble Beach Concours is shaping up to be another tremendous celebration of the automobile. This marks our 60th anniversary and we're very pleased to be honoring Jaguar and its 75th anniversary. Jaguar and the Concours go back to our very earliest days; the attached release traces this remarkable relationship. Best regards, Dave Boule
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60th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Jaguar, by Dave Boule
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Jaguar are celebrating a significant anniversary in 2010 and their heritage is remarkably intertwined. The Pebble Beach Concours began in tandem with the first Pebble Beach Road Race in 1950 when new sports cars were the focus of the burgeoning community of car enthusiasts and Jaguars, which first appeared in 1935, were all the rage. Almost immediately, Jaguar, Concours, and Road Race were linked. "The Pebble Beach Concours came about through the efforts of car enthusiasts, and it has always reflected their passions," said Concours Chairman Sandra Button, who owns an SS100 Jaguar with her husband, Martin. "Our genuine motorsports heritage gives focus to this event, even today." Early publicity posters for both Race and Concours featured Jaguars posed on 17 Mile Drive, and these cars were named Best of Show at three of the first five Concours; in 1951, '52 and '54. Phil Hill, who later became the first American to become a Formula One World Drivers Champion, even won the first Pebble Beach Road Race driving a Jaguar XK120.
"The earliest Pebble Beach Concours had a special feeling; it was all new, and everyone participated with great gusto and style," said Chairman Emeritus Jules "J." Heumann, who has attended every Pebble Beach Concours to date. "People brought carpets and silver candelabras for picnicking and it wasn't uncommon to see folks wearing cutaway coats and morning trousers." Heumann first competed in the Concours with a 1948 Jaguar Mark IV, winning his class in 1958: "Jaguars were the sports racing car that everyone desired. Jaguar was an important part of the Concours in those early days." On August 15, 2010, the 60th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will focus on the 75th anniversary of Jaguar. Jaguar is a featured marque this year, and many historic Jaguars will participate in the competition. Among the cars expected on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links are the 1935 SS90 that served as the prototype for the first car named Jaguar and early examples of both the SS1 and the SS100. Also on hand will be several remarkable race cars, including the first C-type sent to the U.S. and campaigned by Phil Hill throughout the country as well as a Le Mans winning D-type, and the prototype XJ13. Key show cars, like the actual E-type that debuted at the New York Auto Show, will also be on display.
The company that became Jaguar began in 1922 as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, established by Sir William Lyons and William
Walmsley as the Swallow Sidecar Company. The Jaguar name first appeared in 1935 on a 2.5-liter saloon (sedan), and was adopted by the company as a whole in 1945. New models arrived soon after World War II, and Jaguar won the epic 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951, '53, '55, '56 and '57 and the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in 1956. Jaguar returned to the podium at Le Mans in 1988 and '90. Now, as Jaguar celebrates "75 years of looking forward," style, luxury, performance and elegance continue as hallmarks. In addition to Jaguar, the 60th Pebble Beach Concours will feature Alfa Romeo and Pierce-Arrow, showcase Italian designer Ghia, and include special classes focusing on the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, the centennial of the Indianapolis 500, Hot Rod lakesters and Bonneville racers, and Prewar American Motorcycles.
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Gone Racin'...Automobiles of Distinction; Imperial Palace Auto Collection, Las Vegas, Nevada, by Henry Rasmussen. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz.
A pictorial and historical work of fine photography is Automobiles of Distinction; Imperial Palace Auto Collection, Las Vegas, Nevada, by Henry Rasmussen. This massive pictorial book is 17 1/4 by 12 1/4 inches in size and is nearly an inch thick, covering 192 pages. There are 71 automobiles portrayed in 172 color and 270 black and white photographs on the finest waxed paper. Rasmussen took all of the current photographs for the book and the historical photographs came from the collections of The Behring, Harrah, Al Michaelian and Road & Track magazine. Rasmussen and Lowell C. Paddock provided the textual material, though it is mostly expanded captions. Automobiles of Distinction is a hard-bound book with a quality cloth woven spine and a spectacular dust cover jacket to protect the book and enhance its external look. The publisher is Motorbooks International and that tells us that you will find quality throughout the book, for this publisher only handles the best material. The book was first published in 1990 and the ISBN # is 0-87938-461-1. There is no price listed and it may take some time to locate a copy, but check with book stores and look on-line to see if a copy is available. Ralph Engelstad, owner of The Imperial Palace Auto Collection in Las Vegas, Nevada authorized the work from his collection of over 700 rare and valuable automobiles. Assisting the author with research was Randy Ema, Terry Dunham, Strother MacMinn and Dennis Adler. I know Randy Ema and he is the expert on all things named Duesenberg. Rasmussen, who has more than ten books to his credit and has worked extensively in the automotive media, brings a perceptive eye and a high quality to his photographic work, as well as telling a short but compelling story on each marque. The book is simply too large to put into a bookcase or on a shelf and the beautiful plates belong on a table, prominently displayed. It is a coffee table book par excellence.
Following the Credits and Acknowledgements there is a two page Table of Contents and the print is in very large type, which I very much liked. The cars are alphabetized with their page numbers following the car. A two page Introduction by the owner of the collection, Ralph Engelstad, gives a short history of his collection. I found Ralph Engelstad to be as fascinating a subject as his car collection. Isn't it true that you
can tell what a man is like by the things he collects? Engelstad was born around 1930 and was working by the time he was thirteen years old. He bought his first car when he was nineteen and married at twenty-four, and there was a car in his life at each crossroads that he faced. He never thought he would accumulate so many automobiles, but he had an eye for quality and a desire to add to what he enjoyed. Engelstad also has a love for history and especially the history of the automobile. He didn't say much more than that, but Rasmussen caught him in two poses that really capture what Engelstad is all about. The first photograph showed Ralph straight on, in the driver's seat of a small coupe, with that boyish and youthful look that comes over a man who is remembering the past. The second photograph is equally telling, for it shows Engelstad with the curator and director of the museum, Richie Clyne. Dressed comfortably in a work shirt and jeans, Engelstad has his hands in his pockets, his square jaw set and his eyes focused on his cars. This is a man who is passionate about what he does and what he believes in and willing to stand forth for those values. The rest of the book is simply cars. There is no index to refer to; this is a feast for the eyes and the photography is the reason to buy this book and treasure it.
Some of the photographs stretch over two pages in length, approximately thirty inches in all. Other photographs are smaller and crowd the page. The author spreads out the color photographs on one page and the black and white on the next. He prefers black and white photographs by a margin of 3 to 2. I thought the black and white photographs enhanced the aura of the pre-World War II cars and I can see why he preferred to shoot this way. Rasmussen also shot photos of trucks, motorcycles and fire trucks, but it was his plates of the old classics that take one's breath away. The collection has duplicates and the author shows a row of Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz. The Imperial Palace collection also includes a restoration garage and skilled mechanics and craftsmen to maintain the cars and work on them. Richie Clyne should also be recognized, for this man is responsible for the day to day work, research and the finding of new cars for the collection. A yearly auction at the Imperial Palace attracts nearly 500 rare cars from around the world and hundreds of bidders. The detail on the pictures is simply amazing. Rasmussen is an excellent photographer and has an eye for detail; the kind of things most people would overlook at first. Everyone has a list of favorite cars that they enjoy; mine drifted towards the very early cars of the 1890's and first decade of the twentieth century. Another set of favorites was the pre-WWII marques, those with the soft curves and graceful lines. It amazes me that Benz could create the first viable cars in the mid 1880's and within two decades they look and feel as sophisticated and beautiful as anything that we can create today. In fact, what we produce today is stilted, drab, dull and monotonous. Those early cars had lines, curves, corners and plenty of personality. You knew what kind of car it was in 1910, for no two looked alike. The 1930's produced the most sensual and sleek designs as we shall ever see, except for a few modern sports cars. Even those high finned and buxom cars of the 1950's and '60's are preferable to cars that we have today.
Some of the marques included the 1904 Lenawee that only saw fifteen ever built. The 1899 La Nef Three-Wheeler looks like something that a bike maker would create for modern bike shows, except that it is steered by a tiller. While other cars of the first decade of the twentieth century look little more than adaptations of their farm wagon kin, the 1909 Pope-Hartford looks right at home with the cars of the 1920's and '30's. It's a sad fact that so many excellent cars and beautiful designs simply could not compete in the market place and faded into oblivion. The Pope is one of them, for it stopped production in 1915. Right from the beginning the Cadillac was the king of cars, but the 1912 Minerva with the partially convertible top is better. The Franklin and Simplex are models for the family man, intent on touring the countryside. The 1920's introduce the fashionable cars; 1920 Daimler saloon car, 1924 McFarlan Cabriolet, and Packards of all shapes and sizes. These are luxury cars that most of our parents could only dream of riding in. The 1930's saw the advent of the boat tailed speedsters and the truly amazing 1932 Ford Deuce. Perhaps the Deuce was not as fashionable as the more expensive cars, but it revolutionized the car for teenagers, who made it the de jure hot rod of all time. This was the era of the Great Depression and yet we see these absolutely beautiful roadsters, touring cars and elegant European marques. This is the time of the Cords and Duesenbergs, which rival the Packard and the Pierce-Arrow. The war brings a boxier, more stilted look, followed by the Eisenhower years and then the Viet Nam era. Cars change and Automobiles of Distinction reflect that change in style and utility. The book and the author are not out to make an encyclopedia of car designs, but in displaying these 71 cars the reader can see how the car evolved and the textual captions are just the right amount of information to help us learn more about this automotive progress. It's an excellent pictorial and I give it a 7 and 1/2 sparkplugs out of a possible 8.
Gone Racin' is at [email protected].
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Gone Racin'...Hot Rod Chronicle, by the auto editors of Consumer Guide, with Don Prieto. Book review by Richard Parks, photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz.
An excellent coffee table and display book is Hot Rod Chronicle, by the auto editors of Consumer Guide, with Don Prieto. This hard-bound book measures 12 by 12 inches and has 144 pages of beautiful color plate pictures on the highest grade waxed photographic paper. Hot Rod Chronicle contains a one page index, a four page glossary of hot rodding terms, a one page list of credits, a two page Table of Contents and a two page foreword. There are six chapters, each corresponding to a decade, starting with the 1940's and continuing to the 1990's. That seemed a bit arbitrary, as the 1930's was a decade that saw the beginning of hot rodding as a way of life, yet the Great Depression and World War II sapped much of that period's vitality. With the end of the war and the depression, a pent up demand for everything about cars exploded and the era of the hot rod took off and has never waned. Hot Rod Chronicle was published in 2003 by Publications International, Ltd and the ISBN # is 0-7853-7990-8. If you can't find the book in stores or used book outlets, try writing to the publisher at 7373 North Cicero Avenue, Lincolnwood, Illinois 60712. Hot Rod Chronicle is cloth bound for added durability and quality and the dust cover jacket is strikingly attractive, but should you lose the cover, the book has the same photographs and artwork on the cover. However, don't lose the dust cover jacket, for as I mentioned many times in my reviews, a cover doesn't just protect the book from damage and overuse, but has a value all its own. So many covers are lost that books can lose up to half of their value if they don't have their jackets. I will stress this again, the cover of this particular book is spectacular and you should protect the cover at all cost. Often people read the book and overlook how a book was constructed or what the foreword, list of credits and index has to say about a book. In this case, all of these aspects including the materials used indicate at first glance that we are dealing with a work of quality. Don Prieto is known for his work. Consumer Guide is also a well-known group. The credits list people like Pat Ganahl, Robert Genat, Neil Nissing, Greg Sharp and Tony Thacker, among others, for their photographs and captions. Listed as sources are people respected in the hot rodding community, such as; Julian Alvarez, John Athans, Ed Iskenderian, Jerry Kugel, Bruce Meyer, Don Montgomery, Jim Aust, Nick Barron, Joe MacPherson and many more.
Ken Gross wrote the foreword and provided historical background. Ken was a past director of the Petersen Automotive Museum and well versed in hot rodding. The four page glossary of terms was an interesting and welcome addition. Most hot rodders will find this a quaint section and will probably already understand the terminology, but as this was meant to be a coffee table book that attracts all types of people, it is well worth the effort to include it. The editors included an index and although many coffee table books do have an index, they are not that common. This definitely makes it easier for the true fan and historian to research subjects that they are interested in and shows that the writers strove for all of the quality that they could put into this volume. There are 109 black and white and 317 color photographs. Additionally there are ten posters, one magazine cover, two record album covers and 22 drawings in the book. Some of the black and white photographs are grainy and difficult to make out because of the age and the conditions that they were taken under, but the color photographs are of the highest degree of quality and craftsmanship. The text and sidebars are illuminating and interesting. The research into the history of the cars and the men behind them was very professionally done. The textual material read seamlessly and much like a National Geographic magazine, the reader would tend to alternate between the captioned photographs and then the story lines in the text. There is a tendency to try and scan through the book like one would quickly browse through a candy store. Don't resist this temptation; pick the book up and thumb through it and devour the beautiful photographs and then go back and read the text. It's a book that is easy to pick up, but hard to put down. That's why it belongs on your coffee table.
I'm not sure that the editors needed to mark off chapters into decades. It is sufficient to start with page one and simply go to the last page in one long chapter. It's also difficult to divide up the cars and the people involved into one decade. Ed Iskenderian fits as well into the 1990's as he does in the 1940's and it seems a shame to try and place him in a category. Isky simply can't be categorized so easily. In fact, all the hot rodders from the earliest days of street and dry lakes racing seem to fit so casually into any decade that you are discussing. They simply adapted to the environment that they found themselves placed in. That's what makes a hot rodder what he is; the ability to take what is there and make it fit one's situation. That's why hot rodders fit so well into the Army and Navy during the war years; their adaptability and ingenuity made them indispensible. It's why their cars command our respect and why we find them so beautiful to watch and so stunning to see running down the street. I believe that Prieto made the size of the book just large enough to keep it out of one's bookcase and firmly ensconced on a coffee table, exactly where I found this book in my father's house. Speaking of dad, Wally Parks was listed ten times in the book, more than anyone else except for magazines and the Grand National Roadster Show. It's amazing how many hot rods he owned and drove in his life. Like so many other hot rodders, owning and driving a hot rod gets in one's blood. Probably no other person promoted the hot rod culture as much as Parks did. He was known for his importance in drag racing, but down deep inside he considered himself a hot rodder. He was helping others promote the sport right up to his passing at 94. Hot rodding it seems is a contagious sport that has no cure.
Bruce Meyer is mentioned eight times and this seems unusual since he is such a young man. A lot of hot rodders judge a person by the years they wear and Bruce is a relative newcomer to hot rodding. What they don't realize is that Bruce has had a huge impact on modern hot rodding, more than he is given credit for. He is a passionate collector and willing to write the check that will get researchers out into the field looking for famous cars to restore. Bruce and Don Garlits began collecting hot rods when their values weren't as high as they are today. I can't say that he started the modern day craze in finding and restoring these old cars, but he certainly was one of the first. He was the first to show a hot rod at Pebble Beach. It took the business and professional side of a man like Bruce Meyer to elevate the outlaw culture of hot rodding into the mainstream of the classic marques, like Packard, Duesenberg and Rolls-Royce. On the other hand there are hot rodders who tenaciously hold to the view that a hot rod is a "junk-yard dog," and should never hold paint or chrome. These traditional hot rodders comprise several subsections; traditionalists, moderates and rat rodders. The last aren't even happy with rusted chrome and primered paint jobs. To them a hot rod is a driver, done on the cheap and a mean machine. If one looks at the old photographs it is apparent that as hot rodders grew more affluent that chrome, paint, decaling and striping increased over the decades. Maybe the rat rodders and traditional hot rodders are not so far off the mark after all. I certainly don't recall all that chrome and great paint jobs on those old cars when I saw them at the dry lakes in the 1940's. Ah, memories have a way of fading and changing, but old photographs don't lie. Some of those traditional hot rods belong to Ed Iskenderian, John Athans and Doane Spencer. To me, that's what a hot rod ought to look like, or if you will, the cherry red hot rod my dad used to take my cousin, John Ziebarth and me to the Garmar Theater for the Saturday matinee. Whizzing down the back roads along the farms, he would race the little hot rod with the flathead engine and get it up to 90 mph, with the wind in our hair and the engine making that distinctive whine and watch the two of us squeal. Well, it was more of a lumpy growl for me as I clung to the door of the little Ford, notorious for opening at the slightest jar and tossing the passenger headlong into the ditch. Hot Rod Chronicle is as good as they get and I give it rating of a 7.75 out of a possible 8 spark plugs.
Gone Racin' is at [email protected].
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