I have felt for a long time the little race car in the attached photo could still be amoung us, in someones garage or shed. It is so unique it couldn't be thrown away. It might have been built by Speedway 1/4th Midget Mfg. Co. of North Hollywood, CA. in 1956. It might be a peddel car or a battery powered car, or a legit 1/4 midget with a "jalopy" body. I just don't know. If one was built maybe there was a "jalopy division" at the local 1/4 midget track and there were others just like this one. Wouldn't that be cool. Anyone who comes up with another photo of THIS little race car from back in the day or a modern photo of it as it is now will be rewarded with a free book on the history of So-Cal jalopy racing. Thanks in advance for the help.
No help either. Went off to have a look but nothing. Did find this cool quarter midget though. Would love to have either of them. [/IMG]
I believe the little Jalopy is a one off, probably built to promote the garage that sponsored the full size Jalopy. I started racing 1/4 midgets in March of '55, and there were no ***ociatons where a car like that would have been able to legaly compete. The 1/4 roadster, on the other hand, was a production built car. When 1/4 midget racing started in the 50's, there were a few 1/4 roadster clubs who ran roadster races. By the mid fifties, when I started, the roadsters were running with the midgets because the midgets were a bigger draw, had the best running cars, and there were more opportunities to run. I won the first national championship held for 1/4 midgets, in 1957, at Phoenix, Az, and of the over 300 cars entered, there were no roadsters. They were done. There are many vintage 1/4 midgets in the hands of collectors today, but a 1/4 roadster is very rare.
Just bought this one. Supposedly raced at ascot in fifties. Cushman engine. Thinking about restoring. Any ideas? Having trouble adding pic. Will try later. Thx
WOW! I posted this thread over 5-years ago and I'm very happy to see its still alive. My wisdom is the little jalopy was just to cool to throw out in the trash. It may well be stashed very deep in a garage, somewhere on the West coast. I can no longer offer a free jalopy book as a "Finders Fee" because the books are all sold out, all 3 printings. I hope someone, somewhere, knows more history about the little jalopy and it will suddenly show up so it can be correctly restored to its 1950's look.
I have one of the '23 "T" roadster pick-ups built by J&O sitting in my garage loft. It really is a "roomy" car. I had no trouble getting in at age 15.
The Jalopy Journal
