Art & Inspiration Cotton Werksman's T roadster.

Every now and then, something "clicks", and an inspiration is born. It can be anything, but something seen is kept, and we're driven to achieve whatever has inspired us.

For me, what clicked was Cotton Werksman's T roadster from "Rod & Custom" magazine back in the late '60's. I've never built a car like that, and never consciously tried to copy it, but something of that car has stayed with me.

I'm VERY fortunate to live just around the corner from the Gilmore Car Museum, and even more fortunate to count Dennis Lesky as a friend. Dennis has assembled a group of cars for the museums "American Legends" display, and one of those cars is, you guessed it, Cotton Werksman's T. The latest "Rodders Journal" has great feature on Cotton, his cars, and his influence, far better than I can relate, so read it if you haven't already.

If you can, come to Kalamazoo (well, specifically Hickory Corners), MI, to see this car, and the others in the show, and get your own inspiration.

Here are a few snapshots of the car that cranked me up 40+ years ago, and still looks fresh today...

 

Yeah man! Think this photo is from Peoria '70.

 

Glad to see it on display, we have a thread or two here about that car. I believe his son is a HAMBer?

 

Nice to see this thread. We only need 1000 more pix, history, etc. I've nothing to contribute, but would sure appreciate links, refs, etc. Gary

 

Thats not actually Cotton's car...but one built by Bob Knaack from the same design. Pretty sure Cotton was right there actually building or at least helping in the construction though.
I love that car...but liked it even better with the regular flathead! (Did I just say that!?!? LoL)

 

The TRJ story says Mr. Werksman built three chassis of the same design. I think the black car was the third. The story says it didn't have Ardun heads originally, but they were fitted later. This is probably that car.

 

I used to work with a friend of his by the name of Bob Knaack, he had the Flat head version/sister to this car. It was identical in every way except for the motor. It was a cool car to ride in. That was my first real exposure to hot rodding. Bob used to talk about Cotton all of the time. This car is AWESOME !!
Glad to see its still around.

 

I had a long chat with the black cars owner this morning, and while you're correct stating it's not the original yellow one I mentioned, it was indeed built by Cotton. So, I'm comfortable calling it Cotton Werksman's roadster. And yes, it was originally built with a late flathead, the current owner wanted an Ardun, as the original, so it now sports an Ardun. The original car's whereabouts are unknown, the Ardun it ran was no longer in the car. As I mention, the Rodders Journal piece chronicles Cotton's life and the history of these cars, so check that out.

Brian

 

Oh Ok ! so that is the one that Bob had with the flathead. Cool !!
Took my first ever trip to the Nats South in that thing in 82'.
Awesome to see it's still alive and kicking !!

 

Brian...is that the current Rodders Journal? I'll have to run over to the book store and grab that!

I honestly can't call the black one Cottons though...simply because both cars were/are notorious in their own right and were well linked to the individual owners!
However, it's OBVIOUS that both cars were designed, and as it turns out, built by a pretty incredible guy...that of course being Cotton Werksman!

Cotton's yellow version is on the missing list? That news sucks...
Hope it turns up complete at some point!!!

 

Yes, it's AWOL. According to the black cars owner, Cotton's yellow one changed hands a couple times, and was last owned by a guy in Pennsylvania who had a little disagreement with the IRS, ended up in prison and his possessions were auctioned off. The where a bouts of the car are unknown. The registration and vin # exist, Greg is hoping to track it down.

 

Brian .... That car you have pictured was featured in American Rodder in the 90s (when American Rodder used to be cool) I believe it mentioned cotton maybe doing or helping with the chassis or car but I don't think it was a complete build by cotton I think the orig. owner was a good friend of cotton though

 

Thats just nuts!
How can such an iconic car just fall thru the cracks?
You would think someone with money and an urge to preserve would have been right on that auction!
I think I'd be taking out ad's to let people know I scored that if it were mine! loL

You say the Ardun wasn't with the car when it got auctioned, so is it available for reinstallation when the car gets found?

 

I like it because it breaks a lot of T Bucket "rules". I especially like the stripped down, purpose built interior. Nothing says "quick", like stripped down T Bucket. Every time someone tells me I need a full interior in mine, I remember T Buckets done this way.

 

This car is bitchin!

 

Hello to all,
Brian thanks for the nice comments, about my car, and I enjoyed the phone conversation. Enjoy the photo's I gave you during the Autorama.
First thing off, I AM PERSONAL FRIENDS with Cotton Werksman, Bob Knaack, and also Jim Unruh. I have been so for many years. I am also the CURRENT OWNER of Bob Knaack's roadster, but I am the 2nd Owner of the vehicle.
For starters, the bodies of all 3 cars are 1915's and NOT 1923's. There is a big difference. I would like to clarify some things, having been said form the article of Cotton Werksman in the Rodder's Journal. My car is the 2nd car out of all 3 that were built, it is NOT a clone! The 3rd car is more of a clone to the 1st car built. As stated in "TRJ", I am running a "Plain Jane Flathead"! Not the case, it is a "Full House Flat Motor". I always wanted an Ardun Motor, so I put it in, because I LIKE IT!
Cotton worked on the car, and Bob spent 7 years finishing it. Since 1975 it has been on the road. Currently it is on DISPLAY at the Gilmore Car Museum.
Here are some extra photo's. The photo's of the 3rd car, is with the aluminum gas tank and Red Chinese script. The photo of the 1st car, is above the picture of Norm Grabowski, and Bob Knaack.

 

I saw a magazine feature (it might have been Rod & Custom) on a very similar car in about 1972(?) and going from memory here I believe the owner's name was Wilson Farrell and the car was called something like the flexi-flier. Could it have been the 3rd Werksman car?

 

When I met Bob he had came to work for an engineer I waas working for who was also a friend of Bobs. He had wrecked the roadster going to get some paint for a 39 Ford Tudor he was working on. He still had his small machine shop in Hixson Tn and we would go over after work and repair and rebuilt the roadster.
Bob was a wealth of knowledge and info and was also mt intro to hot rods.
Heck I can remember hauling the frame then the body to another buddy I knew that did paint and body work and repainted everything. Bob even had the template pattern for the flames from when the car was originally built and the guys used those and redid the flames. That is an awesome car.At that time it had the Torque thrusts all around and the Goodyear tires from the Indy car.
Hot flathead, muncie 4 speed and that quick change was a hell of a combo !!!

 

...and thats all that matters!

Thanks for posting all those extra pics of the car. Shes a beauty and I can only imagine how much fun it must be to drive.
She took one hard hit in that accident. Hope Bob wasn't hurt and we are obviously lucky that the car survives. (After a lot of hard work I'm sure.)

Wondering...was it the original car that went missing or the #3 car?

 

I remember Cotton's car when it first appeared in the magazines. I remember thinking "there's a hot rod that will turn with any muscle car out there!"
I was always surprised that this style of bucket didn't take off and change the way all buckets looked.

 

The original car is missing. The location of the third car is known, although I believe the Ardun was taken out and put in a coupe.

I agree with EGOR1 that the 2nd car was identical to the 1st. There were only two exceptions; one, the 2nd car did not have the IRS which Mr. Werksman engineered and fabricated from a variety of parts from different cars and two, it did not (originally) have an Ardun. The third car also did not have the IRS as well as some other changes.

EDIT: should read: two exceptions that I know of, there may be others. Sorry about that.

 

That was the year I saw it Bob's car too, I thought it was Cotton's!

 

NO ! WILSON FARRELL'S car is not the # 3 car . but YES it was in " R & C " in AUGUST 1972 on the cover and pages 42--43 . the body and paint are similar but that's all. it's a " CAL " build and runs a small block chevy .

 

I can answer a few more questions : YES when I bought the car from " BOB " it had " 5 " spokes on it , they are " CRESTLINE BRAND MAGS ". " BOB " did get banged---up pretty good , he wears a scar on his leg .

" COTTON'S " original car # 1 is missing about the year 2000--- thru now . IF you go to " ROYBOYPRODUCTIONS . COM /ROCKY MOUNTAIN AUTO SHOW / 2013 you will see " COTTON'S " last ARDUN ROADSTER ----- car # 3 . " COTTON'S " original ARDUN roadster is in " R & C " DECEMBER 1968 , pages 34 , 35 and 57 . " BOB'S " car is in " POPULAR HOT RODDING " JUNE 1977 pages 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 and 104 . OK the major differences between the three : # 1 car has a " FRANKLAND QC " and has " HALIBRAND disc brakes up front . THE frankland qc is a " SWING---AXLE set--up , it flexes at the center and the axle housing & brake hub fixed ---- like a corvair the coil springs limit the travel & makes it safe .
" BOB'S " car # 2 has a " HALIBRAND QC " solid axle rearend , it runs " BIG BUICK FINS DRUMS ON ALL CORNERS " springs frt & rear are buggy type. it ran a flathead , three speed , after the wreck a muncie 4 speed and 409 water pump where installed . 2013 I installed the ardun .
" COTTON'S " LAST " ARDUN ROADSTER " # 3 also runs a " QC " it may be a FRANKLAND or WINTERS . it is a solid axle with coil overs . the front brakes are also HALIBRAND discs . runs a three speed with a troque tube .

all three run a 1932----1934 steering boxes . " OK " that's all GREGG

 

I always wanted to build a model of the first Cotton T , but never got a good pic of the independent rear end. When that R&C came out, I was about 10 years old, my uncle sets me down to look at it. I remember him saying how mean it looked. I got to meet Bob in Knoxville and he told me Cotton built his car , and I noticed it had a quickchange in it. Made my day to see it there. Thanks for the information and pics so far ya'll.

 

I found it!!!!
I've been looking for magazine articles for a year on Cotton, been storing a Harley for my niece, it sold today and guess what I found behind where it was parked; the box with a 1968 R&C article on Cottons' Ardun powered T roadster in it.
Let me say this; 40 plus year old magazines don't smell real good.
I'm not real good with scanners so may take more than one submission. enjoy.
Doug
Says it's too big, here is a shot of the first page, last page and tech. box will not photograph clearly, sorry you may have to save this to your photo page and enlarge it to read text.

 

Awesome stuff!

 

I'll try last page again, cross fingers.

YEA!!!

 

Thanks for posting DDDenny, LOVE that T.

 

Here is an old pic of Bob driving the "T".