History The Silhouette in Three Forms

how much was the trophy?

 

Yeah,I wouldn't have left that sucker behind

 

The video was neat to watch, and several of the outher videos were good also

 

The trophy car is a copy of Richard Johnson's winning model from the 1963 Revell-Pactra National Model Car Contest. The top of Richard's model was obviously inspired by the Silhouette (and the fender line was a precursor to the '68 Corvette).

My guess is that the trophy was an award given the in the following year's Revell contest.

 

Joey blew it ^^^^^^

 

The story of the Silhouette is much more intriguing than you probably know. I only had room to devote one page to it in my first "Lost Hot Rods" book, and only some of the facts are there. First, it had two different paint jobs, but we're not sure exactly when. Second, Cushenbery had to take the Buick Nailhead engine out and install a Ford smallblock when it became part of the Ford Custom Caravan. Not only was it an AMT 1/25th scale plastic kit, but it was also one of the first Hot Wheels, and still is. It also appeared in one of the '60s beach teen movies.

But most intriguing is its disappearance. It was supposedly stolen from Cushenbury's shop yard in Burbank, possibly by motorcycle gang members, as part of a "vendetta," and then buried, intact, in a "graveyard of stolen vehicles" located somewhere in the San Fernando Valley. I was sworn not to reveal my source of this information, but it was reliable, not hearsay. The car has certainly never been seen again. As I say in the book, more L.A. Noir.

Pat Ganahl

 

i wonder how much of a disappointment it would be to drive a true show rod? would it be comfortable?, would it handle?, would the ride be hard?, to get the look what did they sacrifice?
i drove the Beer Wagon, reproduced from the model [the model came first] i was cramped, hard to operate the pedals. you couldn't enter and exit "cool", kinda like putting on a wet suit. looked cool but didn't perform like it should.........i had the same experience with a hot cheer leader in school.
sometimes things are meant just for the dreams in your head.

 

.....and then along came the AMC Pacer!

 

• Tom is right about the trophy. I met Richard Johnson at a model show in Los Banos about 15 years ago. He is a really nice guy, and even let me hold the "Pegasus". This model is the overall winner in the adult division of the first Revell model contest and, believe it or not, was made from a 62 Thunderbird. The model now resides in the National Model Car Builder's Museum in Salt Lake City.

 

I sure as hell hope someone is on their way to this antique store to get this trophy before its history gets lost forever. They couldn't have wanted that much for it, could they?

 

Damn it, Ganahl! Now you've got me looking at magnometers so I can start searching the whole San Fernando valley!

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Highly suspicious, isn't it?

Dave Stuckey (Lil' Coffin) was working at AMC styling in Detroit about that time!

 

Enjoyed the YT clip. Clearly the Silhouette actually worked and handled ok.
My philosophy on show cars is that they should at least be operable. They don't necessarily have to handle like a Ferrari or be particularly ergonomic, as they are primarily built to be looked at, but I prefer looking at a wild rod cruising down the road than looking at it sitting on a display, wondering if the engine block even has any internals.

 

Just to round out the story, the trophy in the original post is from the Revell national model contest. I won one at my local hobby shop for my AMT Willys gasser build. My model didn't go on toc win any national awards but I am proud of my trophy.

As for the Silhouette car itself, once it left the show circuit, it went into disrepair. I saw it in person in the back of a paint stripping shop on the corner of North Chester and 34th St. in Bakersfield. It was painted metal flake lime green, the chrome was pretty rusty, tires rotted, bubble top hazy and scratched. Picture below has Bakersfield in the background so I am sure it is the same vintage. Legend is the car was stolen in 1983 and disappeared.

 

The Silhouette was on the cover of a DuPont refinishing manual that I had during my Junior and Senior years at Tri County JVS. It looked like it had lacquer a mile deep, in a purple shade, and was just one more thing that hooked me into paint and bodywork. I also had one of the original Hot Wheels versions, probably in 1968.