Ryan submitted a new blog post: Tom Cobbs: Bonneville, 1958 Part 2 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
these photos are incredible....and your dedication and effort to provide them is so appreciated.... until you are better paid....thank you
Sweet! As a youngster, I came across some books about hot rodding in the town library, and I was amazed by the cars and people who were doing this thing called Bonneville. I was hooked! BTW, timeframe was around 1964-65, and the town was Stockbridge MA. Not a hotbed for hot rodding. And the cars that really made me want to build something like those was Ak Miller’s different Devin bodied specials, just like the one in your photos today.
Also... this is something I feel like I need to hammer home every now and then. We wouldn’t be staring at these photos if not for a handful of people who gave a damn when it mattered. Credit where it’s due: 1. The Cobbs Family. I don’t know them personally, and I don’t know the exact path these photos took after Tom. But somebody in that family cared enough not to let them vanish into a dumpster. Whoever you are, we owe you. 2. Ralph Whitworth. Ralph was a friend of mine, and one of the few people I’ve met who understood... really understood... the importance of preserving traditional hot rod and racing history. He somehow got hold of the Cobbs archive, and it’s only because of him that I have access to it now. Two quick Ralph stories, because the man deserves it. I never met him in person, only through phone calls and emails. About 20 years ago, I posted on the HAMB about problems with my HP printer. Turns out, the CEO of HP (Ralph) was lurking. A week later, two white-glove engineers show up at my shitty little office with a crazy industrial printer. I still use that thing today. Ralph made that happen. Years later, when Tardel and I were trying to get the Hot Rod Revolution off the ground, nobody was signing up. I was ready to quit. Ralph flat-out refused to let it fail. He shipped out the Cobbs roadster, the So-Cal roadster, and a pile of historically significant cars... and just let us have them for the weekend. No strings attached. That set the tone for what I still think were some of the best true hot rod shows ever thrown. The guy was pure magic. 3. Larry Stein. After Ralph passed, Larry was the one holding the archive. Ralph had sent it to him for scanning, but he died before Larry could deliver it. Larry knew what he had was important, so he sat on it... wouldn’t let it disappear... until he got hold of Ralph’s family. They told him to deliver it to me. Without Larry, these photos wouldn’t be digital and we’d be none the wiser. He’s a hero in this story, even though he’s never asked for the recognition. So yeah… that’s the chain of hands that kept this archive alive. Worth repeating. Much more to come...
and this is a reason why I am an Alliance member...the boss is like none other and is focused on his mission...
Thanks for sharing. I envision a gallery setting with massive prints hanging up and a white floor. It would be like you were standing there on the salt back then.
Incredible shots! That 999 car is so beautiful. Plus a great story of the path that got the Cobb pictures to you in the end. What a miracle!
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