Hemmings Daily: Legendary Deuce roadster allegedly established the quarter mile standard by beating quarter horse

Photos by Karissa Hosek, courtesy RM Sotheby's, except where noted. The race took place over the distance of two telephone poles, or about 60 feet, and the winner never shifted out of first gear, but according to some of hot rodding's pioneers, Pete Henderson established the quarter mile - all 1,320 feet of it - as the standard for organized drag racing with that race and with his victory over a quarter horse in a Deuce roadster headed to auction next month. For all the countless times the story has been told [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, September 15, 2017 [Legendary Deuce roadster allegedly established the quarter mile standard by beating a quarter horse]( [Legendary Deuce roadster allegedly established the quarter mile standard by beating a quarter horse]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos by Karissa Hosek, courtesy RM Sotheby's, except where noted. The race took place over the distance of two telephone poles, or about 60 feet, and the winner never shifted out of first gear, but according to some of hot rodding's pioneers, Pete Henderson established the quarter mile - all 1,320 feet of it - as the standard for organized drag racing with that race and with his victory over a quarter horse in a Deuce roadster headed to auction next month. For all the countless times the story has been told ... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1942 Nash Ambassador Six Slipstream sedan]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1942 Nash Ambassador Six Slipstream sedan]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: Beautifully restored 1942 Nash Ambassador 6 Slipstream Sedan. Great value for a all around restored car with very nice paint, interior, wood grain, glass and excellent mechanics! This quality pre-war Nash has just been professionally detailed and polished and is ready to wow the crowds wherever she goes! This peppy 42' Nash with a "three on the tree" transmission with overdrive is a ton of fun to drive, with excellent handling and smooth shifting. The car handles great and cruises ...[Read More]( [Toyota closing California museum, opening new Experience Center in Texas]( [Toyota closing California museum, opening new Experience Center in Texas]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Floorplan for the Toyota Experience Center, opening in Plano, Texas. Photos courtesy Toyota Motor North America. When Toyota announced its U.S. headquarters would be moving from Torrance, California, to Plano, Texas, it seemed likely that the automaker's U.S. museum would follow. The shutdown of the Toyota USA Museum in Torrance has now been confirmed for September 28, and in its place the company will be opening a new, 44,000-square-foot Experience Center on the campus of its new Texas headquarters. ..[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Devil's Eye driver rings]( [Devil's Eye driver rings]( Posted by Jim O'Clair - Photos courtesy Virginia Historical Society. While researching an upcoming story on the Kline Kar, I found some information about the car on the Virginia Historical website. The automobiles were manufactured in Richmond, not exactly the Detroit of the South, about 2,500 were built, and only two still known to exist. One of them is on display at the Story of Virginia display at the Virginia Historical Society. Also on display in the Virginians at Work exhibit at the museum are a convertible top for a Kline Kar, s...[Read More]( [Seattle, 1956 and 1970]( [Seattle, 1956 and 1970]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1970 (above); October 1956 (below) Location: unknown (above); Harrison Street and Taylor Avenue (below) Source: Seattle Municipal Archives on Flickr What do you see here? ...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [HemmingsPRO] Seller Listings [Learn More]( [1939 Plymouth]( [1939 Plymouth $10,950]( [1964 Mercury Comet]( [1964 Mercury Comet $27,990]( [1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme]( [1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme $9,500]( [1957 Ford Thunderbird]( [1957 Ford Thunderbird $36,500]( [1967 Chevrolet Chevelle]( [1967 Chevrolet Chevelle $42,900]( [1930 Ford Model A]( [1930 Ford Model A $26,900]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 9/15/1881: Ettore Bugatti born, Milan, Italy UPCOMING EVENTS [Fall Jefferson]( September 22, 2017 - Jefferson, WI [Fall Boardwalk Classic Car Show]( September 22, 2017 - Wildwood, NJ [2017 James Dean Run]( September 22, 2017 - Fairmount, IN [2017 Great Smoky Mountain Auto Fest Reunion]( September 22, 2017 - Kodak, TN [Cruisen' with the Cops]( September 22, 2017 - Indianapolis, IN [The 13th Annual Antique Automobile Show]( September 22, 2017 - Toms River, NJ [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: [Sponsor]( [1928 Packard 533]( [1928 Packard 533]( [$78,500]( [1967 Plymouth GTX]( [1967 Plymouth GTX]( [$30,000]( [1955 Chrysler New Yorker]( [1955 Chrysler New Yorker]( [$17,900]( [1936 Ford]( [1936 Ford]( [$36,000]( [1966 Chevrolet Corvair]( [1966 Chevrolet Corvair]( [$14,500]( [1951 Mercury]( [1951 Mercury]( [$29,500]( [1973 Buick]( [1973 Buick]( [$28,000]( [1967 Austin-Healey Sprite]( [1967 Austin-Healey Sprite]( [$7,000]( [1970 Chevy complete cab]( [1970 Chevy complete cab]( [$1,100]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [Remembering the "Sonic Sound" and performance of Kenner's SSP Racers]( [Remembering the 'Sonic Sound' and performance of Kenner's SSP Racers]( [Chevrolet's Car Conservation Plan]( [Chevrolet's Car Conservation Plan]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, September 14, 2017 [In effort to protect racers, backers of RPM Act accused of creating loopholes]( [In effort to protect racers, backers of RPM Act accused of creating loopholes]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photo by the author. Just about everybody in Wednesday's Congressional subcommittee hearing addressing the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act seemed to agree that nobody wants to bring an end to amateur racing and other forms of motorsports, but committee members and witnesses described the language of the act as overly broad and full of loopholes that would allow regular street-driven cars to bypass emissions controls. "The concern with the bill isn't whether racing conversions should be allowed," ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1966 Lincoln Continental]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1966 Lincoln Continental]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Just out of restoration 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: I acquired this car in April of 2010. This car has been in restoration for almost 6 years, the car was recently completed and just picked up from Bakers Auto of CT who went over the whole car and made all the necessary repairs to make sure this is a reliable and truly original 66 Lincoln. It took me months to find the correct car and this vehicle was a clean rust free, complete car with original pai...[Read More]( [Mazda's latest MX-5 Miata almost went retro]( [Mazda's latest MX-5 Miata almost went retro]( Posted by Ronan Glon - The Japanese ND design proposal (R) honored the design of the original Miata. Photos courtesy Mazda USA. The fourth-generation MX-5 Miata takes Mazda's Kodo design language into new territory. It's much sharper-looking than the first three generations of the car, and yet it remains instantly recognizable as a Miata. Sketches published recently by Mazda reveal its design team considered taking the roadster in a completely different direction. The development process started in 2011, when Mazda asked its des...[Read More]( [Reminiscing - The 1940 Chevy and the LFV Gene]( [Reminiscing - The 1940 Chevy and the LFV Gene]( Posted by Richard Lentinello - Photo courtesy of Scott Jay. It appears that in the DNA Genome there is a recessive gene known as LFV (love for vehicles) that exists, but is not widely known. It usually occurs in males who grew up in the 1950 and '60s. The gene causes its carrier to love all types of moving vehicles. I have it and so do many of my friends. It manifested itself with me at the age of 10, and caused me to build carts using wood and old wheels off baby carriages. I was always disappointed when my creations would disin...[Read More]( [Seattle, 1962]( [Seattle, 1962]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1962 Location: Cherry Street between Seventh and Eights avenues, Seattle, Washington Source: Seattle Municipal Archives on Flickr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, September 13, 2017 [Big. Yellow. Different. Yellowstone-used White 706 bus lets all the light in]( [Big. Yellow. Different. Yellowstone-used White 706 bus lets all the light in]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos by Greg Keysar, courtesy RM Sotheby's. Ironically, while Alexis de Sakhnoffsky's designs emphasized streamlining and speed, the 14-passenger bus he drew up for White to sell to tour operators in Yellowstoneone of which will cross the auction block this fallwas intended for a far more leisurely pace. Until 1916, visitors to Yellowstone National Park had just two options for getting around the vast space (other than horseback, of course): private automobiles and horse-drawn coaches. As Robert Goss a...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1941 Willys Jeep]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1941 Willys Jeep]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Stainless steel 1941 Willys Jeep for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This 1941 Willys Jeep is Stainless Steel and exceeds all the desired requirements and features of currently built cars. A 1941 Jeep is rarely called Cute but this 1941 Willys is. She has the Classic Willys Jeep looks, performance, reliability and with a touch of attitude. What follows is a very brief list of what makes this 1941 Willys a Custom, one of a kind car. Specifications: Clear Title as a 1941 Willys Jeep....[Read More]( [TVR returns with launch of 2018 Griffith coupe]( [TVR returns with launch of 2018 Griffith coupe]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - The 2018 TVR Griffith. Photos courtesy TVR. In 2013, then-defunct boutique British sports car brand TVR was revived by Les Edgar, John Chasey and a group of investors under the TVR Automotive Limited name. In 2014, work began on an all-new model, the first such clean-sheet design bearing the legendary marque's name in more than a decade. On Friday, September 8, the reborn automaker debuted the 2018 Griffith sport coupe at the 2017 Goodwood Revival. TVR enlisted the help of Gordon Murray Design (GMD) in cre...[Read More]( [Sawmill gravy and sushi - why Nissan's Skyline R32 GTR NISMO is more like a Plymouth Superbird 440 Six-Pack than a Buick GNX]( [Sawmill gravy and sushi - why Nissan's Skyline R32 GTR NISMO is more like a Plymouth Superbird 440 Six-Pack than a Buick GNX]( Posted by Jeff Koch - 1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO. Photos by author. The detailspower, production numbers, you name itmake the Nissan Skyline GTR NISMO very much a match for the Buick GNX (see the September 2017 issue of Hemmings Motor News, ON SALE NOW for a deep dive comparing GTR and GNX). But the differing philosophies behind the Buick and the Nissan mean that, despite ending up with similar specifications, they literally and figuratively have come from very different places. We would suggest that a more kindred spirit to...[Read More]( [Seattle, 1956]( [Seattle, 1956]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: October 1956 Location: Aurora Avenue at Mercer Street, Seattle, Washington Source: Seattle Municipal Archives on Flickr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, September 12, 2017 [One-of-a-kind "barn find" Ferrari Daytona sells for $2.16 million at Ferrari-only auction]( [One-of-a-kind 'barn find' Ferrari Daytona sells for $2.16 million at Ferrari-only auction]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 "Daytona" Berlinetta alloy body. Photo by Diana Varga, courtesy RM Sotheby's. Of the nearly 1,300 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta "Daytona" models constructed over six years of production, just 15 were originally built for competition with aluminum alloy bodies. Three series of five alloy Daytonas were constructed by Ferrari's "Assistenza Clienti" department in Modena for privateer teams, but one lightweight road car was also built. For nearly four decades, its Japanese owner kept the one-of-o...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1967 Austin FX4 London Taxi]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1967 Austin FX4 London Taxi]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: TAXI CAB, 1967 AUSTIN FX4 LONDON TAXI! Come take a look at this unique, cute, cute, cute Taxi! This is the iconic London taxicab seen round the world, particularly in British settled countries and "the" form of transportation in London, of course! This is a very original taxi and "oh so rare" petrol (gasoline) powered whereas most of these taxis were diesel, loud, noisy and smelly. I believe this petrol powered engine was used in the Austin Healey also. Excellent shape, original, g...[Read More]( [Goodguys upping cutoff year from 1972 to 1987 for most events]( [Goodguys upping cutoff year from 1972 to 1987 for most events]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - A rooftop view of the 2016 Goodguys Nashville Nationals. Photos courtesy Goodguys. Since 1998, and with a few exceptions, participation at Goodguys car shows and autocross events has been open to American-powered rods, customs, classics, trucks, street machines, and muscle cars built no later than 1972. For 2018, the organization that bills itself as "the world's largest hot rodding association" has relaxed its rules a bit, opening up participation at most events to American vehicles built as late as 1987. F...[Read More]( [Eight decades from design to track - Dick DeLuna built the race car that World War I had sidelined]( [Eight decades from design to track - Dick DeLuna built the race car that World War I had sidelined]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - The Hall-Scott racer at the Monterey Historics. Photo by Dennis Gray Photographer. One hundred years ago, Col. Elbert J. Hall received some very disappointing news. As a partner in the Hall-Scott Motorcar Co. in Berkeley, California, he'd designed a new race car for the then-oldest and most important automobile race in the U.S. -- the Vanderbilt Cup. Hall-Scott, with Col. Hall as chief engineer and Bert C. Scott as the company's financial executive, was known for building railcars and powerful engines fo...[Read More]( [Seattle, 1970s]( [Seattle, 1970s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1970s Locations: Alaskan Way at Columbia Street (above); University Street and Alaskan Way (below) Source: Seattle Municipal Archives on Flickr Aside from the glum chum, what do you see here? ...[Read More]( Monday, September 11, 2017 [Rare 1941 Lincoln Ambulance headlines 2017 Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance sneak peek]( [Rare 1941 Lincoln Ambulance headlines 2017 Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance sneak peek]( Posted by Matt Litwin - 1941 Lincoln Zephyr Ambulance - one of just 259 made and likely the only one extant; image courtesy of the AACA Museum. It's come full circle. After 12 months of planning, the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance is nearly upon us. Presented by Gullwing Motor Cars, and further supported by NOCO Company, Arkonik, Covercraft Industries, Coker Tire, MPT Industries, and Thermo-Tec, along withhospitality sponsor, Rogo Fastener Company,the 11th-annual celebration of vintage vehicles will take place on Septe...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1959 Plymouth Belvedere two-door hardtop]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1959 Plymouth Belvedere two-door hardtop]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: Believe this to be a numbers matching 1959 Plymouth Belvedere 2 door hard top. 318 V8 automatic w/ pushbutton on the dash. Power steering, brand new wide whites from Universal tire. Your choice of lancer spinners or stock cone shaped factory hubcaps. Not a show car but a very nice driver, solid floors, good glass and a pleasure to drive. Bumpers are a little pitted, paint is old but has neat patina. Everything works except the radio. Rare body style, not a lot of them out there for sa...[Read More]( [Could Jaguar's E-type Zero be the (distant) future of collector cars?]( [Could Jaguar's E-type Zero be the (distant) future of collector cars?]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Jaguar's E-type Zero. Photos by Ronan Glon, unless otherwise noted. Beginning in 2040, Britain is poised to ban the sale of all new gasoline- and diesel-powered automobiles and vans. While the rules do not yet include classic cars, Jaguar Land Rover envisions a future where even internal-combustion collector cars are outlawed. In response, the brand has created the E-type Zero, a battery-powered version of the classic E-type roadster that remains remarkably true to the original in terms of performance and externa...[Read More]( [Austin-Healey Encounter 2017]( [Austin-Healey Encounter 2017]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - Austin-Healeys on display at Encounter 2017 in Princeton, NJ. Photos by Frank Comstock. Laser-focused dedication and a love of the Austin-Healey brand brought nearly one hundred owners, as well as several dozen spouses, children, and grand-children to the Austin-Healey Sports and Touring Club's (AHSTC) Encounter 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey. Held on the grounds of the Westin Hotel in Forrestal Village, a corporate, retail, and restaurant campus on the north side of Princeton, the event showcased more than 80...[Read More]( [Las Vegas, 1962, part 4]( [Las Vegas, 1962, part 4]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: July 1962 Location: Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada Source: Vintage Las Vegas What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, September 10, 2017 [Riverside to Le Mans and everywhere in between: Ed Hugus's busy year racing sports cars]( [Riverside to Le Mans and everywhere in between: Ed Hugus's busy year racing sports cars]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - 1957 was undoubtedly Hugus' busiest year in road racing. As usual, the first event of the season was the Sebring race held on March 23. Sebring was the only North American race that awarded drivers with F.I.A. points (Federation International de l'Automobile). Although the race was held on a Saturday, by the early 1950s it had been the original inspiration for the General Motorsslogan of Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. The concept was based on spectators' impressions of GM's cars that competed ove...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1971 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1971 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1971 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon for sale. From the seller's description: A unique opportunity to own a very low mileage mostly original Chevelle Nomad Wagon. In storage for almost 20 years in Tacoma, WA this car will be perfect for a classic family cruiser or as the basis of a killer resto-mod. With NO rust, original glass, trim, interior and drive train this is ready to go as-is or if for a project it will be low cost as the body and interior requires nothing. We purchased this as the third owner in 2010 in ori...[Read More]( [Four-Links - Burning Man cars, Calsonic Blue, RWD Swift, Huey Long]( [Four-Links - Burning Man cars, Calsonic Blue, RWD Swift, Huey Long]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - The mutant vehicles of Burning Man are always good for stretching the definition -- if not the concept -- of automobiles. Alexandrailer shot a bunch this year. * Japanese Nostalgic Car has the full story on the Calsonic Blue paint scheme, most recognizable from Nineties-era JTCC racing. * Some dude in Sweden converted his Suzuki Swift to rear-wheel drive and, rather than throw some other brand's four-cylinder (or bigger) engine under the hood, he ran a built Suzuki G13B. And then added a Caterpillar-th...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1962 Pontiac Parisienne]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1962 Pontiac Parisienne]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Unrestored 1962 Pontiac Parisienne for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: 283 ci V8 2 spd powerglide automatic Power Steering, Power Brakes. This is a totally original car just out of 30 years clean, dry storage. Car is all original the way it came from the factory with no modifications or aftermarket parts. Everything works..... all the gauges, speedo, radio with factory rear speaker, clock, courtesy lights under dash and headliner. Just removed the clear vinyl from the seats that were factory/de...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Rob Ida's Tucker Torpedo to debut at AACA Museum's "Night at the Museum"]( [Rob Ida's Tucker Torpedo to debut at AACA Museum's 'Night at the Museum']( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Rob Ida's Tucker Torpedo body. The wooden buck was based upon a 3D scan of the original scale model. Images courtesy Rob Ida unless otherwise noted. Before there was a Tucker 48, there was a Tucker Torpedo. The boldly styled coupe, shaped by designer George Lawson, never progressed beyond a quarter-scale model, but that hasn't stopped Rob Ida, his father Bob, and Sean Tucker, great-grandson of Preston Tucker, from building a full-size version. On October 4, the under-construction Tucker Torpedo will be revealed t...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Which four-door performer could you imagine in your driveway?]( [Which four-door performer could you imagine in your driveway?]( Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. Brochures from author's collection. I'll admit up front that I've always preferred vintage two-door performance cars to those with four-doors. That said, it doesn't mean that I'd never own a four-door version, but it begs the question which one? In my case, I think my first choice would be a 1973 or 1974 Pontiac Grand Am. Odd pick you say? Well, hear me out. I'm aware of the fact that some of the most powerful engines the 1960s and early 1970s had to offer could be optioned into four-d...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. If you do not want to receive this newsletter from Hemmings Motor News, you can [change your email preferences here](.