No.32 in our series of cars in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – 1947-1955 Sports Racing & GT Cars group Race #56 ST402 was the second of the initial three Siata 300BC production cars-an outgrowth of the Orchidea semi-prototype built for Otto Linton and documented at www.speedcraftspecial.com. A run of fifty was ultimately built for… Continue reading Marty Stein: 1952 Siata 300BC
Month: August 2017
Rob Manson: 1953 Kurtis 500S Dodge
Frank Kurtis based the design for the 1953 Kurtis 500S sports car on his successful Kurtis 500 Indianapolis roadster chassis, widened to accommodate two people and the V8 motors available at the time. Between 20 and 30 of the cars were built in one year only, at Kurtis Kraft in Glendale, California. This Kurtis 500S… Continue reading Rob Manson: 1953 Kurtis 500S Dodge
Rob Manson: 1953 Tatum GMC Special
Charles “Chuck” Tatum was a decorated Marine Corps veteran of Iwo Jima from Stockton, California. He built the Tatum GMC Special in late 1952-early 1953 on a dare from friends Phil Hill, Sammy Weiss and Doug Trotter. Pre and Post War Ford suspension and drum brakes are mounted on a Tatum, designed and built, tube… Continue reading Rob Manson: 1953 Tatum GMC Special
Stu Hanssen: 1951 Hanssen Baldwin Special
This the third car built by Willis Baldwin of Santa Barbara. It was raced from 1954 thru 1960 by Wm. Hanssen at tracks such as Palm Springs, Hanson Dam, Santa Barbara, and the famed Pebble Beach circuit. It is based on a shortened 1947 Ford chassis and is powered by a Ford Flathead V8 with… Continue reading Stu Hanssen: 1951 Hanssen Baldwin Special
Don Blenderman: 1955 Murphy Kurtis 500SX
Frank Kurtis, the highly successful Indianapolis car constructor, built four Kurtis 500SX sports racing cars at his Kurtis Kraft facilities in Glendale, California. Each car was unique. This is chassis number 3 (8 55 SX3) commissioned by Culver City Buick dealer Bill Murphy. Murphy had owned and raced two earlier Kurtis 500S sports cars, but… Continue reading Don Blenderman: 1955 Murphy Kurtis 500SX
Steve Schuler: 1955 Hagemann Chrysler Special
The Hagemann Chrysler Special was built for amateur racer John Barneson by Jack Hagemann of San Leandro, California. Hydroplane and race engine builder George Nauro was chosen to build the powerful Chrysler 300 Hemi motor. Hagemann developed his metal shaping skills during WWII at the Alameda Naval Air Station. He had already designed and built… Continue reading Steve Schuler: 1955 Hagemann Chrysler Special
Lou Pavesi: 1953 Huffaker-Marston Healey
The Huffaker-Marston Healey Special was built in Marin County, California, for sports car salesman and enthusiast Mick Marston, by famed race car constructor, Joe Huffaker. It is the first Huffaker built sports racing car. Marston acquired a wrecked Austin Healey 100 sports car which became the donor of most of the Special’s components. Huffaker designed… Continue reading Lou Pavesi: 1953 Huffaker-Marston Healey
Rick Cannon: 1950 Cannon Mk1 Special
Ted Cannon, built the Cannon Mk.1 and two other sports racing Specials at his machine shop in North Hollywood, California. It was mostly built from parts accumulated from other projects. The chassis, from his father’s 1934 Dodge, was shortened and the frame rails were boxed for rigidity. The coil spring front suspension and drum brakes… Continue reading Rick Cannon: 1950 Cannon Mk1 Special
Terry Buffum: 1949 Parkinson Jaguar Special
The Parkinson Jaguar was originally an aluminum bodied Jaguar XK-120 roadster (#670191), one of the first of the new Jaguar sports cars to arrive in California. Don Parkinson, a young Los Angeles architect and sports car enthusiast, drove it to Pebble Beach to show in the 1950 Concours d’Elegance and to race in the inaugural… Continue reading Terry Buffum: 1949 Parkinson Jaguar Special
Rob Manson: 1949 Baldwin Mercury Special
The Baldwin Mercury Special was built in Santa Barbara, California by Willis “Bill” Baldwin. Baldwin built four sports racing Specials. This is the second of the four. The Baldwin Mercury’s major components are from a wrecked 1946 Ford Tudor. It is powered by a hot- rodded Ford/Mercury Flathead V8 with three Stromberg carburetors. The Edelbrock… Continue reading Rob Manson: 1949 Baldwin Mercury Special