A.J. Watson built a new chassis and constructed the “New” HOW Spl. for Mari Hulman George and Roger Walcott in 1956.  The car was completed from parts and running gear from the old Springfield Welding Special, Mari purchased from Bessie Lee Paoli in 1954.

Bob DeBisschop, Mari’s chief mechanic, helped with the construction and stayed with the car until Barney Wimmer took over as chief mechanic in July 1956.

The car ran the Championship trail from 1956 thru 1961 competing in 58 plus races.  Elmer George, Mari Hulman’s husband, was the primary driver.  Elmer was a respected racer who ran midgets and won the 1957 Mid-West Sprint Car Championship.   This Champ Car won only one Championship race yet finished in the top five 10 times. 

Elmer was suspended one year by the United States Auto Club (USAC) for an altercation he had with a USAC Official after the July 14, 1959 Langhorne, PA. race.  He had failed to heed the Black Flag for eleven laps.  He eventually pitted due to a worn out right rear tire.   Eddie Sachs took over in relief and finished 2nd.

When the USAC Official requested Elmer’s competition license, Elmer punched him causing the suspension.  Elmer appealed.  It mattered little, as he was the son-in-law of Anton ‘Tony’ Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and an USAC Board Member.  Mr. Hulman  recused  himself from voting on the matter.  Elmer lost the appeal and was fined One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500).

Al Keller took over driving duties until Wayne Weiler was assigned the seat. 

            A.J. Foyt drove the car for one race at Langhorne, PA. on April 13, 1960.

            Elmer was back in USAC good graces for the DeQuoin, IL. race Sept 5, 1960. 

In 1962 Mari Hulman sold the car to Bill Ward of Riverside, CA.  It ran several championship races under Bill’s ownership.  Billy Cantrell and Colby Scroggins were the drivers.  Ken Worth was Bill’s mechanic. 

About 1964, Bill sold the car to Jimmie Mayeda also of Riverside, CA.  Bill kept the Offenhauser engine and Jimmie shortened the car six inches making it a sprint car and installed a small block Chevy engine.  Jay East was Jimmie’s driver.

Approximately 1966 Jimmie sold the sprint car to Terry L. Kawell of Colton, CA.  As chief mechanic and driver, Terry raced the car all over the West into the late ‘70’s.  After his final race it sat idle in his back yard for twenty (20) years.

In early 1999, a friend of mine, James Haag of Grand Marsh, WI., alerted me as to the history and location of the car.  In December of 2000 I bought the car from Terry. 

My chief mechanic Marc Hart with his right-hand men Steve Lambert and Curly Browne (a friend from NZ) did most of the restoration at my shop in Corona, CA., which was completed in May 2006.  The aluminum restoration and painting was done by Andy Palmer of Palmer Coachworks, Bellflower, CA.  The fiberglass work was done by Stan Meleski of Benchmark Composites, Cerritos, CA.

1937 Delahaye

1964 ATS 2500GTS

Country of Manufacture: Italy    Vin #: 2006
Model Type: 2 Door Coupe
Body Designer: Franco Scaglione (built by Allemano)
Engine: ATS 2.5 liter V8 (2467cc)
History: The story of ATS, Italy’s first mid-engined sports car, began at Ferrari with the 1961 firing of Girolamo Gardini following his complaint to Enzo Ferrari about his wife’s erratic, meddlesome and disruptive involvement in company affairs and the effect it was having on morale. Gardini had been with Enzo Ferrari and his various racing ventures since 1942 and, as Sales Director, was highly respected within the Ferrari organization. Several other key employees, including engineers Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini, managers Galazzi (foundry), Selmi (personnel) and Tavoni (competition), banded together in support of Gardini by writing a letter to Ferrari, which they all signed. This event, known as the "Palace Revolt", resulted in this entire group of key employees being fired. The six ex-Ferrari men immediately set out to seek financing to start their own Formula 1 and GT car venture. They eventually secured the financial support of Giorgio Billi, an Italian industrialist, Jaime Ortiz-Patino, a Bolivian tin magnate and Count Volpi, a 24 year old Italian aristocrat who had just inherited an immense fortune. In the new venture, Billi held 40%, Patino and Volpi 20% each and the 6 Ferrari men, the remaining 20% between them. The venture was a disaster from the beginning. There was constant bickering between Billi and Volpi and the underdeveloped Formula 1 car driven by Phil Hill, rarely finished a race. Conversely, the GT car, which debuted at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, was a great success to the extent that it was highly praised in the press of the day for its very rigid and advanced space frame chassis, its handling and high speed performance.
 

ISO GRIFO 7 LITRE (Series I)
               

Country of Manufacture: Italy     Vin #: 7L950297
Model Type: 2 Door Coupe
Body Designer: Bertone (Giugiaro)
Engine: Corvette L36 427 V8
History: The ISO company was founded by Renzo Rivolta, an industrialist best known for making refrigerators, motor scooters and the Isetta bubble car, which he later licensed to BMW. The first high performance car made by ISO was the very successful 2 door Rivolta. This was followed by the fastback Grifo which grew out of the earlier Rivolta that was engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini, designed by Bertone (Giugiaro) and powered by Corvette 327 V8. Using the same Bizzarrini designed unit-body/monocoque underpinnings, Bertone designed a sleek 2 seat berlinetta. With the prototype Grifo A3L receiving critical acclaim, a production version appeared 18 months later in 1965. A higher powered, limited production version known as the Grifo 7 Litre using Corvette 427, 400 bhp engines (usually in combination with 4-speed gearboxes or 3 speed automatics, although a few were fitted with a ZF 5-speed), became an option in late 1968. The 5-speed big block version was the fastest of all Grifo’s and, in the late sixties was recognized as the fastest production car in the world.

BIZZARRINI 5300 SPYDER S.I.

Country Of Manufacture: Italy    Vin #: 0315S
Model Type: 2 Door, Targa Top Coupe
Body Designer: Stile Italia
Engine: Corvette 327 (5354cc)
History: Developed by Giotto Bizzarrini, most famous for developing the most collectible of all Ferrari’s, the 250 GTO. Bizzarrini was also responsible for developing the chassis and V12 engine for the first Lamborghini and the chassis design for the ISO Rivolta and Grifo. The Bizzarrini 5300 Strada grew out of his work for Iso and was initially known as the Iso A3C.

Production: Of the 149 Bizzarrini A3C’s/A3L’s/Strada’s and GT America’s built, just 3 were Spyders. The first had a 3-part roof. It could be a full coupe, a targa top or a full convertible, as the entire roll bar structure could be totally removed. This original prototype was never fully developed due to chassis flex. The second and third cars were known as 5300 Spyder S.I.’s. The car shown here, the third car built (vin # 0315S) was the most developed of the 3 cars and differed visually from the second car in having wind wings instead of a single glazed side window.
This car took first place in its class when shown at Pebble Beach in 1989.

LANCIA B24S AURELIA SPYDER

Country of Manufacture: Italy     Vin #: 1044
Model Type: 2 Door Convertible
Body Designer: Pininfarina (Francesco Martinengo)
Engine: Aluminum V6 (2452cc)


History: Produced for one year only (1955), the Spyder was designed primarily for the US market. Considered one of Pininfarina’s greatest designs the distinctive features included the wrap-around windscreen and low-cut doors requiring removable, Plexiglas side curtains. The Spyder uses essentially the same drive train used in the technically innovative and highly regarded B20 coupe (although few parts are interchangeable). Lancia created the first V6 and this, combined with a rear transaxle made this model very advanced for the time. This particular car has Borrani’s, the rare Nardi Kit upgrade including a special Nardi manifold and camshaft and twin Weber 40 DCL5 downdraft carburetors. This car is one of 20 made fitted with a removable aluminum hardtop.

Production: A total of 240 Spyders were made including 7 that were lost with the sinking of the Andrea Doria. The Spyder was followed by the far more numerous Convertible, which has less voluptuous fenders, traditional windshield with wind wings and windup side glass.
 

     MONTEVERDI HIGH SPEED 375/4
 

Country of Manufacture: Switzerland     Vin #: 3118
Model Type: 4 Door Sedan
Body Designer: Peter Monteverdi / Fissore
Engine: Chrysler 440 Magnum 7.2 Liter V8 (7206)

History: Peter Monteverdi constructed his first car when he was 17 years old. While still in his twenties, he formed his own racing team, MBM (Monteverdi Binningen Motors), and he competed successfully in many international events piloting his own cars. A near fatal crash in a Porsche powered Formula 1 MBM ended his career. In the early sixties, Monteverdi developed a very successful business distributing Ferrari’s, Lancia, BMW and Rolls Royce. However, following a disagreement with Enzo Ferrari, at age 33, he decided to design his own Gran Turismo. This car is a 4-door luxury Limousine utilizing the basic front and rear design elements of the 375L 2+2 coupe but with a 20.4 inch extension to the wheelbase, thus allowing the addition of 2 extra doors and ample legroom. The 4 door 375/4 Limousines were purchased almost exclusively by Arab oil sheiks and this particular car belonged to the Royal family of Qatar, who reportedly still have 5 in their stable and use them for everyday transportation. This car is one of two 375/4’s in this Monteverdi collection that also includes the mid-engined Hai, First and Second Series 375/S’s, 375L and Sierra. Peter Monteverdi died in 1998 at age 65 years.

Production: Actual production numbers for this model are vague, as Monteverdi only released production numbers for cars made through 1973 when series production ceased and the 375/4 could only be custom ordered. There were 13 375/4’s built between 1971 and 1973. The last car carrying Vin # 3128 was built in 1978, so the assumption is that a total of 28 cars were built.

1960 Chapparal