Features Trip No. 3

Each shot a gem. We all have seen countless salt flat pictures. These are my favorites. You feel the tension of taming the the beast of a car with the repairs in the wild. You feel the early morning cold and the raw nature of the location. But the most impressive is how the stage was set by Cobb. My favorite is the rear view of the dissected racer. The rags stuck in the bottom of the open Q.C. The rug under the car. What is so good is how framed the picture with the bottom edge the workbench holding the Q.C. rear covers. The first three shots with the wagon push car show his ability to complete a scene. Anyone else would have moved two steps to the right to get a uncluttered view of the car. But he included the pro. photogs, telling more of the story and framing the picture. Amazing.

 

Yes, transmissions were Cadillac side-shifters.

 

thanks for sharing that with us. I fell in love with bonneville when I was there last summer.

 

Mickey: "Ok boys, let me get my balls in the seat and we'll see how fast we can go!"

What great pictures!!

 

Beautiful

 

Damn, that is some awesome stuff! Pictures of the car that really got me interested in this stuff 60+ years ago...

 

My list of people I admire is short, but Mickey is on it.

-Abone.

 

Ok, impressive history…for sure.

Hello,

Wow, this collection brings back memories from our old Westside of Long Beach house. Mickey Thompson’s old shops (he had three, including the first one he took over when Joe Mailliard moved to Downtown Long Beach) were located a few blocks away in the industrial buildings. All of the three different versions of the shop were in different years and went from small to large back to small. But, were within an industrial block of each other. (on Cota and Santa Fe Avenues)

But, he and his mechanics were a determined bunch of guys.


As lucky as the photographers are/were to be right in the action, where are the movie film archives of the early race car attempts? Those old Bolex Movie Cameras had all of the “good” stuff we amateurs did not have. So, super clarity and great “clear” films were taken at the time. Anyone have those old 16mm color or b/w films handy? No, blurry 8mm movies, but larger film from quality cameras. YRMV

Jnaki

Talk about a lens for a close up or on the wide open spaces?
… and a different Bolex Camera with the film case and its own telephoto lens…

 

I love this shot just prior to “launch” with the phone poles disappearing into the distance. It’s like a static representation of what’s about to occur as Challenger speeds off toward the horizon moments later.

 

This stuff is epic Ryan, I’m hooked. Can’t wait for what’s down the road.