Firestone really went all out on Indy 500 advertising

https://www.facebook.com/FirestoneTires

Firestone has been on the winning Indy 500 car more than all other tire makers combined, 67 of the 100 races.

the right front tire of an Indy car, at 220 mph, is rotating faster than a turbo prop propeller

The C1 Corvette.

Conceptually and dimensionally a copy of the Jaguar XK120.

The first Corvette is a dream car with a fiberglass body at the GM Motorama held in January 1953 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. Styled by the Chevrolet design studio of Clare MacKichan, the C1 is conceptually (and even dimensionally) a copy of the Jaguar XK120.

It features a 150-hp in-line-six engine and a two-speed automatic transmission, plus a wraparound windshield cribbed from the 1938 Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia.

The face-lifted 1956 C1 gets a dramatic door cove cribbed from a Pininfarina-styled Ferrari.

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2014-chevrolet-corvette/

Carl Fisher

Carl Fisher made millions in the early 1900s supplying his Prest-O-Lite acetylene auto headlights to the nascent auto industry.

 In addition to cofounding Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of Fisher’s subsequent endeavors, starting in the 1910s, was the development of Miami Beach.

 He financed the construction of Collins Bridge from the mainland, dredged Biscayne Bay to build up the land on Miami Beach, and then platted the land and started erecting winter homes for the wealthy.

No small thinker, Fisher also built the Dixie Highway (today’s U.S. 25) to bring Northerners to Florida — it ended at the foot of Collins Bridge (since replaced by the Venetian Causeway).

Fisher lost his fortune when the 1920s Florida land boom went bust and the stock market crashed, but his accomplishments in Miami Beach endured (neighboring Fisher Island is named for him) and earned him the sobriquet Mister Miami Beach.

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/from-oldster-to-hipster/

1940s Illinois license plates were made of soybean fiberboard, then paperboard, due to wartime metal shortages

in 1943 the switch from metal to soybean fiberboard occurred to save metal for the war effort. They didn't switch back to metal until late 1948 or 1949

only dealer plates were made of steel according to https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/special/plate_history/start_history.html
http://www.pl8s.com/platestand-illinois.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Illinois

"The plastic-bodied car quickly generated its share of jokes. People said that if the auto didn't run, Ford could eat it. Or he could have his car and eat it too. Farmers began to ask each other what they were growing this year, Fords or Chryslers. The Cleveland Press wondered why Ford didn't strengthen his plastic by adding spinach. In 1943 several of these jokes were dusted off when a goat actually ate an Illinois license plate made of soybean-derived fiberboard."  http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/henry_ford_and_employees.php

DPCD

DPCD stands for Dodge Plymouth Chrysler De Soto. It was one of the pre-MoPar logos used on parts packaging  http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51567&page=215

Learning something new every day

Being a Mopar guy more than anything, and not knowing much about Chevies, I just learned that the trucks were C or K after 1959.

The C was a 2 wheel drive, the K was a 4 wheel drive.

http://www.langdalefamily.com/suburbanhistory5.html

What are the oldest car clubs in the USA? What were the car clubs that joined together to form the NHRA?

the Downriver Modified car club in the Detroit area was one of the 13 original NHRA clubs... http://www.hotrod.com/features/1511-vintage-drag-race-1932-ford-brought-back-to-life-after-50-years/

But I haven't found any mention of what other car clubs met with Wally Parks to form the NHRA


the Outriders 1932 California (restricted to 50 members)
the Knight Riders of Fullerton formed in 1934 and changed their names to California Roadsters in 1940
Road Runners 1937 (Founded by Wally Parks and Ak Miller)
Gear Grinders 1938
Sidewinders were formed in '39,
the San Diego Roadster Club in '41
Road Devils 1946
Seattle Kustom Klub was formed in January 1946
The Memphis Rodders were formed in 1947.
Prowlers of San Diego 1947
Pandraggers in 1947 Fresno
the Motor City Modified Auto Club 1948,

the very first organized speed trials at Muroc took place on October 9, 1927.


Each member of the Knight Riders club had a hand-painted sheet metal Knight Riders plaque with his number on it. The number was assigned by his roadster’s speed, number one being the fastest.

 By 1936, the ranking of the club’s roadsters by number had become controversial, so in June, the members traveled to Lucerne Dry Lake where a series of timed speed trials settled all arguments once and for all.

 Rules were then established that if a member wanted to advance his number, he must make an official challenge and put up $1. If he won, he got his dollar back and got to exchange plaques with the loser. If he lost, 50 cents went to the guy he challenged and 50 cents went to the club treasury.

The SCTA was formed with the Knight Riders, the Roadrunners, Sidewinders, Throttlers, Ramblers, and Idlers.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/oldest-active-car-club.190757/page-4

Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas- Officially the widest freeway on the planet

https://www.facebook.com/Truckers-Had-Enough-E-Magazine-699103516829413/?fref=photo

Dry lakes trivia

Muroc is named after the Corum brothers of Rosamund of about 100 years ago.

The Air Force changed the name of the dry lake from Muroc to Rogers after a pilot who crashed there (IIRC).

Edwards was a test pilot who crashed a Northrop Flying Wing bomber prototype in the late 40s.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/65803-howard-hughes-duesenberg-at-el-mirage-1947-not-what-you-think/

it wasn't a Torino Cobra... it was simply the Ford Cobra. I bet that pissed off Carroll Shelby

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2016/04/28/its-the-going-thing-1969-ford-performance-buyers-digest-brochure/