History The "De ARMOND & MARKLEY Special" ROADSTER: A Pictorial History

Glad this came back around, for those of us who missed it first time. Just hard to imagine going that fast in those machines, those guys had balls!

 

You do realize that some of todays similar roadsters are running over 300?

 

my gas roadster, 200mph at world of speed 2012.

 

Here's the Bonneville Fuel Roadster class records at the end of the 2016 season:

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... and the Bonneville Gas Roadster class records at the end of the 2016 season:

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Thanks for the pictures and journey.

 

Most impressive, gotta be a bit hairy.

 

Just to put those 2016 Bonneville Fuel Roadster records into perspective and in context to the subject of this thread ...

Sixty years ago the SCTA Bonneville Engine Classes ran from "A" (smallest cubic inch displacement) to "E" (largest c.i.d.) ... and back then, there was no distinction between normally aspirated or forced induction engines ... only Fuel or Gas.

So the nitro-burning, fuel injected, baby (Dodge) HEMI in the #106 "De Armond Markley Special" put it in the "B" Roadster class.

Here's the Bonneville {Fuel} Roadster & Gas Roadster class records after the 1957 Nats:

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As for the #360 Markley-Hoffman Fuel Roadster, it's nitro-burning, injected and/or supercharged baby (Dodge / DeSoto) HEMI engines set numerous records in both the "D" (261ci thru 305ci) and "E" (184ci thru 260ci) Fuel Roadster Classes.

In 1985, with Charlie Markley behind the wheel, the #360 Markley-Hoffman Fuel Roadster bumped the D/FR record up to 222.201 MPH ... a record which would hold up for well over a decade!

The #360 Markley-Hoffman Fuel Roadster was "retired" in 1991 ... after Tim Markley set the E/FR record at 210.341 MPH.

NOTE: In 1991, the SCTA split most vehicle classes (including Fuel Roadster) into "Blown" (supercharged or turbocharged) and "Unblown" engine class designations.

 

Well they used to bump blown motors up 2 classed. So a 300 cubic inch blown motor would run in B class. Which at that time was 373-440 cid as I remember. And the last time I saw the 360 roadster, about a year ago, it looked pretty together and I thought it was on it's way back out.

 

I am happy to see that the 245 record that my friend ( and the best shoe that ever drove my street roadster) Rollie Gravel, in Jerry Kugel's blown fuel E class roadster, set in in 1979, still stands. Rollie worked hard for 12 years to get his red hat.

 

May be a repost. I just saw it on the Vintage pictures site.

 

Check out the oval window bug with the white walls!

 

Yet another circa 1957 photo:

photographer unknown
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Going to be tough to get that one!

 

Here's a nice photo of the #106 DeArmond & Markley Roadster at the 1957 Bonneville National Speed Trials:

image by Dean Batchelor
(from the Petersen Archives)​

 

These are photos of "classic" roadsters which seemed to have gone out of style. In my opinion nothing will ever replace the look of a 29 body on 32 rails pushing a 32 grille. These "new low to the ground" roadsters will never have the "look" of what us old guys grew up seeing in Hot Rod and other magazines.
I'm glad there are still some out there running and the a few of them are still holding records like the Kugal and Temple roadsters.

 

Here's the #106 DeArmond & Markley Roadster in the background of a photo shot at the 1957 Bonneville National Speed Trials:

The Juggers Racing Team out of San Mateo, CA ran this '32 Ford in the C Gas Roadster class at Bonneville in 1957. A
283" Chevy powered the car to a speed of 146.34 mph for first in class. Behind on the trailer is the De Armond & Markley
Class B Roadster that was powered by a 259" Dodge. It ran a slow 111.52 mph for second in class.⁣
⁣
©AHRF/Cliff Wheeler Collection ​

 

Yet another photo of the #106 DeArmond & Markley Roadster at the 1956 Bonneville National Speed Trials:

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cool....thanks for posting !

 

Wow. Super cool thread. I was working for Harry when he and Bones and Charlie were building that car. I got to work on it a bit including building the headers. I never went to Bonneville at the time; never saw it run; and never knew they put my name on it. Brought tears. How proud I am to have been a tiny part ...... those guys were/are the real deal. And super good people too.

 

A couple of photos of the #106 DeArmond & Markley Roadster at the dragstrip in December of 1956:

images from the Peter @psychocross Smith Photo Archives
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More B&W photos (from the Petersen Archives) of the #106 DeArmond & Markley Roadster on the salt in 1956:

images by Dean Batchelor



image by Bob D'Olivio
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Great photo history through the years, especially like the Bonneville onsite taped streamlining of the grille hood, cabin area etc.

 

@unclescooby purchased some vintage photos taken at the 1956 Bonneville National Speed Trials . . . including this snapshot of the #106 roadster:

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To bad many don’t look like this today.

 

Was a teenager during this time living on the south hill in Spokane, seems these brothers were running at Deer Park dragstrip ? Dick Flynn and Thrifty Auto Supply were certainly Spokane names.
Thanks for the great photos & words, Dyno Dave