Comprendo todos... Nagramos: Gracias para las vistas (& apologies for not writing in Portuguese..). Like an earlier post, I wonder if this car still exists somewhere? It would be cool if it were to be unearthed someday.
I betcha someone will get this boiled down to who they guys are by the weekend. I tried to do some searches on the La PanAmericana and got, well, spanish sites. Me no habla.
How did they drive with 2 people up front? It looks like a '23 T would have more room than that thing. No way were they able to close the canopy. Slim
Man i think i would put some hydraulics on it and maybe some older tru=spokes. Now that would make it complete!!!! Knuck from indiana.
Yeah, where is this wonder of wonders and will it be in Austin in 2011 for the LoneStar Roundup??? Yeee Haaaaaa A friend of mine owns a '53 Chrysler New Yorker Pan Am Special post coupe intended for the Mexican Road Race (or NASCAR or AAA racing) that was never raced but went to private ownership. Trying to get him to post some pics of it. Watch for it. Its a little more stock than the cover car to this story!
I'll have a look, Ken, and see if there's anything more that could be added to this thread. My Spanish is very rusty after 29 years of living in the Antipodes, but I do surprise myself sometimes at what skills with the lingo I still have.
Perfect timing here....by chance im in DF (Distrito Federal=Mexico City) and i had an apointment tonight with a car collector..a pal o mine wich i havent seen in more than a year...he wanted to introduce me a pal of him,age 71 and a very good conosseuer of the La Carrera Panamericana...he lived and was there in these years with many famous racers,especially the factory italian teams cause his aunt was renting a house to the italian LPC race manager.... so,when i asked about this special purpose built Caddy he perfectly remembered the car....he saw it many times and perhaps he has some pics of it too... Where is it now???He said the car has been lost during the years,disappeared or even destroyed...no current infos if still exist. This Caddy was built by Chapultepec motors,an used car dealer lot located in Mexico City on the same avenue (Avenida Chapultepec) with the purpose of having a flashy rolling advertisment...with good results indeed! Since i just met this gentleman he knows many stories and old fellas that partecipated at the original LPC (50/54) so we'll start to ask around and see what comes thru ....that's today news from Mexico fellas....
Sled, I wonder if your friend has any information on Jean Trevoux' hot rod Packard that competed in the original Carrera Panamericana. It was a beautiful vehicle, allegedly aluminum bodied, and scaled down from a '51-'54 Packard 2door or hardtop. It ran a multi-carbureted, hopped up Packard straight 8, and was allegedly very fast. I have only ever seen two or three pictures of the car, so I'd be interested in seeing other pictures, and/or knowing if the car still exists anywhere. Here's what I have:
This picture is from Daryl Murphy's excellent Carrera Panamericana book. Other than the information you already have it says the aluminum body was by Motto of Turin and top speed was over 135 mph.
The large-format photos of this car do more than show off the Lincoln grill, or the airplane canopy. They show, if I'm not mistaken, that it has an example of the muchly-coveted Ford Crestliner steering wheel and horn ring. Hard to believe--a Crestliner wheel on a Cadillac--but that's how it appears. Sure hope this car gets found, if it's still out there.
In Mexico there are 2 Chaputepec's, 1 in Mexico city wich is their capitol and one near Ensanada which is Playa Chaputepec. I know this cause my mexican wife's grandparents live in Playa Chapultepec (Ensanada) and they know EVERYONE in the area. I am going to send grampa the pic and see if he knows anything about it.
WOW!!! That's a, WOW!!! Might have to rethink the front of the Hoodlum.I like how he is sitting off to the side .Looks like he is docking a boat
50Fraud,i have to ask him ....but it can be cause he's a kind of historian of the LPC and loves very much anything related with the original LPC... This frienship just started yesterday and there are tons of things to talk and discover...also he'll introduce me with some original mexican racers and possibly gettin access to some very informative private LPC archives collected by some of these people...the only detail he lives in DF and im based far away from there...so time will be an issue for me to be but of course i try to get involved as much i can...just be patient. Personally i got a strong interest to learn anything that is involvedin the original LPC so its great fun and culture for me,..i'll go the extra mile to know as much as i can....also working to get access to some private LPC pics collections,and if i accomplished then lot of unseen pics can be shown...cant wait! Will be meetin my man tomorrow or saturday so i'll ask straight away about Jean Treveaux's Packard....stay tuned , sled
FADED,nothin to do with Ensenada buddy....Chapultepec avenue(avenida) is a famous one in DF (aka Mexico City) and where this car dealer was located...even the street number is written on the side of the Caddy... It was a great display for them,and sure it worked...of course since i love scarfin things out i'll try to investigate around here and see if this Caddy still exists or tracing down some history...will see,stay tuned fellas...
Also you can see clearly here the car lot adress in DF ....Chapultepec avenue 476. below it reads " el lote mas grande de Mexico" ...the biggest used car lot in Mexico. Since im in Df currently i'm gonna take a look at that adress these days..im curious to see what's there nowadays...sled
Have'nt had time to to Chapultepec avenue but talkin with some car guys today revelead that Chapultepec Motors car lot close his doors in the late 50's /early 60s.... workin to get my hands in some historycal LPC car archives...received a phone call that might open a private pics /negatives LPC archives...if it happens is a dream come true cause all this stuff has never been shown around yet....fingers crossed!
Thank you, keep it coming, Sled! I'm sure I'm not the only one who would be fascinated with whatever new info you (or anyone else!) happen to turn up on this car, the Packard above (Wow!), the Jacqueline Evans Porsches or anything else on the original LPC. Good luck on your search!
Greetings , just want everyone to know that the 23rd modern version of this historic rally is alive + well www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx Rico car # 433 giddy up
Owen Grigg, who is a member of the HAMB, is having computer probs and hasn't been able to post pics of his survivor '53 Chrysler New Yorker Pan Am race car. This car did not homologate for the race because of the early dual quad intake manifold and thus went to private ownership. Mileage is still in the 20s today. It has the 4 wheel Ausco-Lambert disc brakes, HD springs and shocks all from the Imperial limo, road race 6 ply tires, roller cam, 10:1 comp. motor, earliest use of the Powerflite transmission. Yeah, Chrysler was road testing a 300HP package to precede the famous Chrysler 300 Letter Cars and they were serious about going racing. Very serious.
another site for LCP ( la Carrera Panamericana ) stuff is Gary Faules blog www.lacarrera2007.blogspot.com check out the TATRA Czech built raced in the 90's recently shown at a car show in Mexico
Ryan,as far the infos down here goes the one off Caddy has been disappeared long ago but im gettin organized to be back in DF (Mexico City) soon to visit some old guys dedicated to the la Carrera ...one is a pro protographer and has lots of stuff of the original Panam race.. At this point i have 3/4 persons to visit wich have each a great amount of pics,slights/negatives about the 50/54 original Panam race...much stuff still unseen or not published anywhere being in boxes hidden for all this time... So,i ***ume it will take a LOT of time to scarf all this stuff but im puttin my bases to do this,cause im simply excited by the opportunity... back to the Caddy im askin around all the old guys i know about this car too.Everybody remembers it quite well being so unique but...no one knows where and if still exists....stay tuned, Sled
Just some quick news on the Panam various subjects... my main plan on getting my hands on many historical unseen PanAm archives started already... Not only this but i bought some interesting original pics last week dilapidating quickly my wallet but i think was worth it... There were more than 100 pics there but since prices werent cheap i had to choose..seing the Jean Trevoux Packard i reckon there were couple pics of him with that car,altought i reckon a different color combo or graphics on it..i have to scan em when home,then i can show em here... I sent some stuff out to our own Gfaules here but my main goal is im workin with the son of the 80 years old pro photogh****r to get ALL the archive he has preserved for all these years and inherited from his dad too...we're talkin on 600.000 negatives inventored,but there is much more wich is not cl***ified...of course there is a bit of everything in it... I will be more than happy to get all the automotive/race/motorcycle stuff in there...that will be a blast!! So,fingers crossed meanwhile and soon i'll be able to post some pix here...im out of town currently
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