Ryan submitted a new blog post: Tom Cobbs: The NOT New York Roll Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Great roll of photos @Ryan. This photo below grabbed my attention, Buck Davis roadster in background 537B from 1951 B-ville, long served as one of the HAMB header photos, didn't think it was red but I'm not surprised. Neat grille treatment on the custom behind Tom's coupe/roadster
Aluminum Roadster.... looks handmade. I've scoured the Internet for various 50's Italian, German, English, American roadsters and a little of this / that similarities and nothing conclusive came up. It looks like they sealed a homemade or homogenized Austin Martin hood to a (less headlights ) nose of a Bug Eye. The back, Porsche or Austin Healy. I suppose every guy could see something different.
So my memory is pretty fuzzy but is that the red hot rod you saw at a local spot in Texas and couldn’t pin down the ID @Ryan ? Was a handful of years ago?
No... If we are thinking about the same sighting, that turned out to be the Gunsight Special. The car in the background of the image in question has been used off and on in our header for probably 20 years.
100% handmade, obviously an amalgamation of ideas of different brands the builder used as inspiration, a very cool little sports rod that has good flow.
Same, I see Arnolt Bristol, Cunningham, Aston Martin, Kustis. Interesting this is a mockup with G-clamps and the '40 wheels placed, not bolted to any axles
I’d never heard of Tom Cobbs having anything to do with sports cars... But hell, before digging into this archive, I didn’t know he was wrapped up in Pikes Peak or running tight with the Unsers either. Lil’ Al told me he was pretty sure Tom was doing a fair bit of tuning consulting for Indy car teams in the ’60s too. What kills me about Tom’s story though is how he managed to shape so much of the scene without ever planting himself in the spotlight. You stack up his accomplishments and it almost doesn’t make sense... like how the hell can a guy leave fingerprints on that much history without standing front and center? I’d argue it doesn’t happen by accident. It takes effort to stay in the shadows, and it takes a hell of a lot of character to want it that way. Tom was my kind of dude.
I just remember it being red and maybe in a gas station you popped into. If this car has been in the banner that long you’d have recognized it so either way this isn’t the car
The Palmdale Rd and 30th st photo may have been on his way to El Mirage, but I think he was going desert exploring at Bessemer Mine which is now part of 29 Palms Marine base. The road runs right through what is known as the KOH or the Hammers, Lucerne Valley (it was not always known as that). The photo of him on the triumph looks like he is sitting at the base of Goat mountain in Landers ca. You can get to Bessimer mine road from there. My parents homesteaded out there and I grew up exploring the area. We still own the property. The last time I was at Bessemer (on the base) riding where I was not supposed to ride, my brother and I found some Ordinance and we left quickly. The Mine is now part of the target practice zone of the base.
The Jalopy Journal
