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𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝔸 𝕥𝕠 ℤ… ℙ𝕖𝕓𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕕 ℝ𝕒𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝟟𝟝𝕥𝕙.
1953 Tatum GMC Special, owned by Rob Manson
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 tube frame chassis designed and built by Chuck Tatum. The engine, originally from a truck, is an inline 6 cylinder GMC. For the 1954 and 1955 seasons, Wayne Engineering of Los Angeles, supplied full race 302c.i. versions with its 12-valve cross flow cylinder head. Jack Hagemann of Hayward, Ca. built the all-aluminum body.
The Tatum Special won its first race at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in the spring of 1953 – Chuck Manning driving – and went on to win many more in the next three years throughout California. During that period, it also won the Best Sports Car Trophy at the 1954 Oakland National Roadster Show and was Hot Rod Magazine’s Cover Car for October 1953. The Tatum turned 157 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats and co-starred with Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie in the Hollywood epic JOHNNY DARK. Chuck Tatum raced his Special in the Del Monte Trophy feature race at the 1954 Pebble Beach Road Races. The Tatum GMC Special has been an active vintage racing participant since the mid-1980’s and is entered in the Del Monte Trophy Race Group for the Rolex Monterey Historic Reunion most years since 2015.
Chuck’s son Blake Tatum, race driver, had his first victory of any kind when he drove the Tatum Special at an CSRG event back in 1998 at Sonoma Raceway. He drove it again at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, August 14/15 2021. Driver in 2026 this week is the experience and quick Dave DZ Zurlinden.
More at https://dmtrg.com/rob-manson-1953-tatum-gmc-special/