There is just something about the carefully staged shots that graced the covers of Hot Rod Magazine in the 50's. It's like Norman Rockwell for greasers - warm, cozy... One of my favorite shots donned the April, 1957 cover and featured Ak Miller and... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Is it just me, or has TJJ and the HAMB been REALLY REALLY good as of late? This article is just another example of how much you kick ass Ryan.
HA HAHA HA!!!!!!!!! I can pictue this in my mind... Thanks for the outstanding bit of history Ryan. Almost 50 years later, Denis wrote a book titled, “Porsche, Past and Present.” In that book, he recounted his chance meeting with the crazy bastards from the states: “That journey to Rouen was a terrible embarrassment to Jesse and me, for on the long straights across France, that great bulbous Oldsmobile coupe with the trailer and racing car on the back sat behind us no matter what we did. We both rowed our little Porsches along as hard as we could, and the Miller entourage just sat there in our mirrors. What was worse, Ak, Doug, and Pete were sitting abreast on the bench seat smoking cigars while Ak drove with one hand on the wheel and his elbow on the window ledge. Meantime, both Jesse and I were driving our Porsches as if we were competing in a race. When we stopped, Ak removed his cigar and asked, ‘Your little cars okay?’”
I didn't include this in the article, cuz I couldn't verify it... BUT, I think the Olds tow car was the '54 owned by Pete Coltrin (actually, his mother) and previously ran 140.981 mph at Bonneville. Ak did the motor...
Ya know, I have the RSS feeds linked on the homepage of my website, so whenever I get online, it's the first thing I see. I like to see the new articles and it excites me when I finish reading one like this. Ryan, great job man. Mott
Talk about fun... I wanna know what's up with the Porsche steering wheel shot here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?page_id=2829
Great story. It's great that people who where there took the time to write these storys down to share with next generation of hot rodders. Great job Ryan. Thanks for helping keep hot rodding history alive. Keep it coming. H.A.M.B.er FOR LIFE.
it was the bench seat in the OLDS they were talking about. guys were pissed that they couldn't shake an oldsmobile towing a race car lol I woulda been too!
You are right. I read it too fast and mentally combined the Olds race T motor from the beginning with the Olds coupe tow car at the end. Still, good story and I still like race cars with bench seats even if this wasn't one of them.
I really dug that story. Is it just me or does everything seem to much more accessible and easy back then? I love to hear the stories of hot rods competing with Europeans at "their" game.
I was in Italy during last year's Italian Mille Miglia. The race came right through a town I was staying in. Talk about a surprise!! Thanks for the article.
Great story. But Jesse Alexander is no Euro photographer. He's a good ol' 'Merican and still sells his beautiful photographs and books at the Monterey Historics among other places.
"...Meantime, both Jesse and I were driving our Porsches as if we were competing in a race. When we stopped, Ak removed his cigar and asked, Your little cars okay?'" Slightly used Hemi $200 Space frame $500 Harrasing two Porsches in an Oldsmobile (With a car in tow)...PRICELESS!! Thanks boss, that was a good read.
First time we started for airport to send the car to the MM 1984 it blew a head Gasket! Limp home call Airline spend all night and back the next day Nothing ever changes. NOTHING! Except that we drove our car everywhere we couldn't afford a tow car. Into the finish we were all held outside the REAL finish We were second in. I pushed the car ahead of the rope to work on it. Officials came forward yelling and waving their hands loudly (yes hands loudly) It was only when I got under the car and pulled out the broken fan belt we'd just fixed, that I waved loudly, that they kindly let me return behind rope. Jesse is an old friend Jenks was too. Both good guys but honest not as fast as Folmer in a Porsche I will say if Jenks was on a bike All bets were off. He was a very very fast little man.
Thanks for the outstanding article on the carrera pano.. Ryan, you need to write a book someday on all these great posts..
Great "tale" Ryan, thanks for the post. Ya gotta admire their spirit, those guys just wouldn't give up.