History 1950s Bonneville: Color Pics from the Hassad Family Collection

@Jim Hassad recently sent me digital scans of the 35mm Kodachrome slides (i.e., color transparencies) that his parents (Ira & Lois Hassad) shot at the 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, & 1959 Bonneville National Speed Trials ... and has asked me to share them with the H.A.M.B. community.

Enjoy! ...

 

1954 (6th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#653 - Guy Mabee Drilling Co. Special
Midland, Texas
Sports Car Over 1500cc Open Body
Chrysler Hemi​

As we learned from @Ryan's The Hassad Roadster TJJ Blog (& resultant H.A.M.B. thread), Ira ran his #238 T Roadster (with supercharged Dodge Red Ram Hemi):

​

... in the C Modified Roadster class at the 1954 Bonneville Nats.

Unfortunately, the roadster had a "supercharger mishap" (while in impound) and soon thereafter, a hailstorm put an end to the '54 event ... so the Hassad family packed up and headed back home to San Diego:

a very young @Jim Hassad & his mother posing next to their "salt flat accommodations"*
* NOTE: Mom & Dad slept in the "camper" and little Jimmy slept on the bench seat


Ira Hassad getting ready to leave the "not-so-dry lakes"​

 

1956 (8th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#160 - I. J. Hassad
San Diego, Calif.
C Gas Roadster
Dodge Red Ram Hemi


A blurry "camera movement"pic* of Ira & Lois Hassad with the #160 C/G Roadster
* I'm guessin' the photographer was a young @Jim Hassad who had difficulty holding the camera steady as he pressed its shutter button. ​

 

1956 (8th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#172 - Chuck Porter Body Shop, (Tom) Ruddy, & (Marty) Weinstein
Beverly Hills, Calif.
C Modified Roadster
Ardun Merc​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#7000 - Jim Khougaz
Canoga Park, Calif.
D Modified Roadster
467ci Chrysler​

Jim Khougaz turned 212.76 mph in this svelte D-Modified Roadster at Bonneville in 1957. The rear-mounted engine was a bored and stroked, 467-cid Chrysler FirePower Hemi with eight carburetors on a Crower U-Fab intake. It developed 514-bhp on nitro-methane at 5700 rpm. The space frame, which Hot Rod Magazine said “would do credit to an Indy car,” was a beautifully handmade tubular affair with a built-in roll bar.

After turning 207.85 mph in 1958, Khougaz broke an axle and the car flipped over:

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... Khougaz received a few arm burns, but survived to tell the tale.

After the accident, the car was stored for decades ... complete with its eight carburetors stuffed with salt from the Bonneville rollover.

The roadster was restored to its former glory by Jim Busby’s shop in Laguna Beach, California for Richard V. Munz of Madison, Wisconsin.

Here it is at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance:

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1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)



The "San Diego Roadster Club" Pits

#4 - John Cramer
San Diego, Calif.
B Modified Roadster
259ci (ARDUN) Ford
-
#26 - Jack Harvey
La Mesa, Calif.
B Modified Roadster
DeSoto HEMI
-
#444 - Vesco & Dinkins ("Little Giant")
San Diego, Calif.
X (Experimental) Class Streamliner
182ci Ford
&
the VESCO BODY SHOP shop truck



#26 - Jack Harvey
La Mesa, Calif.
B Modified Roadster
DeSoto HEMI



#4 - John Cramer
San Diego, Calif.
B Modified Roadster
259ci (ARDUN) Ford



#444 - Vesco & Dinkins ("Little Giant")
San Diego, Calif.
X (Experimental) Class Streamliner
182ci Ford



1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#14 - John Cramer
San Diego, Calif.
B Modified Roadster
259ci (ARDUN) Ford​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#5 - Brissette Bros & Eichenhofer
Los Angeles, Calif.
E Lakester
331ci (supercharged) Chrysler HEMI
&
#51 - Brissette Bros & Eichenhofer
Los Angeles, Calif.
D Lakester
303ci (supercharged) Chrysler HEMI



1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)



#1 - Quincy Automotive ~ Brissette Bros & Eichenhofer
Los Angeles, Calif.
D Lakester
299.25ci Chrysler HEMI​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#333 - Swain~Herrmann~Walker
Inglewood, Calif.
E Streamliner
710ci (two) Chrysler HEMIs
NOTE: This 'liner is the third iteration of Chet Herbert's (circa 1953) #666 BEAST “4”



1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#333 - Herbert~Herrmann~Walker
E Streamliner
1000ci (three) Chevrolets
NOTE: This 'liner is the fourth iteration of Chet Herbert's (circa 1953) #666 “BEAST 4”​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#1960 - 'Suddenly' (Hot Rod Magazine Special)
Los Angeles, Calif.
D Coupe
400ci Chrysler HEMI​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)



#777 - Kenz & Leslie "Wynn's Friction Proofing Special"
Denver, Colo.
E Streamliner
912ci (three) Fords​

NOTE: See @Jive-Bomber Jay's The Proof Is In The Performance TJJ Blog for video footage of the "Wynn's Friction Proofing Special" streamliner.

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#444 - Vesco & Dinkins
San Diego, Calif.
A Streamliner
183ci Ford​

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#25 - Tom Beatty Automotive Engineering
Burbank, Calif.
D Lakester
303ci (supercharged) Oldsmobile

#36 - Cobbs Freudiger Engineering
Santa Monica, Calif.
C Modified Roadster
258ci (supercharged) Chevrolet​

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#101 - Bently & Waite
San Gabriel, Calif.
B Modified Roadster
257ci DeSoto HEMI​

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#555 - (Mickey) Thompson & (Fritz) Voigt
Bell, Calif.
E Streamliner
850ci (two) Chrysler HEMIs​

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#999 - Herda & Hartelt ("ATTEMPT 1")
Portola Valley, Calif.
E Streamliner



465ci (supercharged) Chrysler HEMI​

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#245 - George L. Butler
San Bernardino, Calif.
H Lakester
45ci Crosley


A young @Jim Hassad & his father, Ira pose with the Butler's little Lakester


"Big" Ira Hassad actually fit in the little Lakester​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#201 - Hansen & Anderson
Salt Lake City, Utah
C Modified Roadster
255ci (supercharged) Ford​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#256 - Loros, Simmons, & Hill
Ontario, Calif.
D Competition Coupe
389ci Chrysler HEMI​

 

1958 (10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#15 - ??????????
D Lakester​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#126 - ??????????
B Roadster​

 

1957 (9th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#4?? - Hashim's Automotive Special
Bakersfield, Calif.
E Lakester
392ci (supercharged) Chrysler HEMI​

 

1959 (11th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)



#333 - Ermie Immerso "KRAFT AUTO Special"
Phoenix, Ariz.
A Streamliner
900ci (two supercharged) Chrysler HEMIs
NOTE: This 'liner is the fifth iteration of Chet Herbert's (circa 1953) #666 “BEAST 4”​

More pics of Immerso's #333 "KRAFT AUTO Special" streamliner at the '59 B'ville Nats:

​

 

1957 or 1958 (9th or 10th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials)


#206 - Ted Frye
Los Angeles, Calif.
D Lakester
392ci Chrysler HEMI
sponsored by "Iskenderian Cams" & "Lee's Auto Parts - Santa Monica"​

 

Wow!!! Amazing shots! Thank you @Jim Hassad for sharing & @HEMI32 for posting.

 

I echo @Jimmy B, thank you both @Jim Hassad and @HEMI32 for your efforts in presenting this to us...It's so many times hard to believe how long ago this was...Dry Lakes Gold...

 

Man GREAT history you come up with "The Best Stuff" @HEMI32

 

Pure gold. Gorgeous. Thank you!

 

Fantastic photos! Thanks so much.

 

Nice!! When racecars were real cars built by real ppl....not big $$ corporations. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

Wow. Those are great photos. Thanks for sharing these with us!