Beauty

[nascar03]

 

[Rruuff Day]

How much did someone say you could lower with the stock bolts?

 

[Black 03 Z06]

So wandering off track again does anyone know who this guy is? The little symbol on his drivers suit is a small clue. Another clue is that he was a powered by Chevrolet guy and somewhat famous aside from racing.

 

[nascar03]

Is it YOU?
That little symbol on his drivers suit looks like a button...
Right above that leaky pen mark.

Ha ha
G

 

[Black 03 Z06]

 

[Rruuff Day]

Well.... I'm no expert here but after much deliberation and research, I think that's a snap Graham, not a button.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

You guys are no fun!

That is a photograph of American race car builder and driver Lance Reventlow. His mother was Barbra Hutton one of the wealthiest women in the world as heiress to the Woolworth Stores fortune, his father was Count Kurt von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow a wealthy man who was also a race car driver. The Count had won the Targa Florio road race in the late 1940's. Lance lived in Canada at one point in his life but head back to his native California where he got deeply involved in the world of automobile racing.

He was a good friend of fellow sports car racer and actor James Dean, having shared a coffee with him just 30 minutes before his death. Reventlow was married to actress Jill St. John.

At one point Reventlow thought of buying and racing British built Listers, The Briggs Cunningham team raced them with great success. However he believed he could build something better and started the race car company Scarab. These original sports cars were Chevrolet powered racers developed along with chief engineer, Phil Remington. Remington would go on to work with Shelby on the Cobra Team and Dan Gurney's All American Racers.

Scarab, later in its existence went Formula One racing. Front engine cars were powered with motors designed by Indy Engine designer and builder Leo Gossen. They also tried Buick and Offenhauser motors. It was 1960, the team was a long way from the F1 scene and they were working on front engine cars while the trend was firmly rear engine. They tried but were not successful.

Reventlow was killed in an airplane crash at Aspen Colorado in 1972.

 

[nascar03]

Lance was my second guess.
Great story Murray..
I’ve read about his life before..quite the fellow.
Thanx

Graham

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Somebody directed Rruuff Day to the penalty box for outrageous behaviour….Eric said "I am out of here"

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Not great on identifying the old land cruisers but wonder if that is a Cadillac Eldorado pulling this beauty....

 

[vintageracer]

Yes. Cadillac Eldorado. Approx 1968 (give or take a couple of years).

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Apparently one of four 1961 factory race cars. I let them do the photo shoot in my garage….well maybe not

283 cubic inches, fuel injected 283 horsepower. 36 gallon tank and a heater delete.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Is this all of them?

 

[Rruuff Day]

Just a general note that this thread has just been made a "Sticky". Since August, It has become one of the more popular threads to visit with over 3200 views....Many thanks to @Black 03 Z06 as the author and main contributor, and also to the many respondents and viewers. Just another example of the quality and popularity of this forum and it's members, both old and new.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Just waiting for its pilot….this beauty waits to fly

 

[Black 03 Z06]

This beauty seems to have been well prepared….Lots of hardware with this one

I like the "pie crust" slicks

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Beautiful Corvette….And stock to boot

 

[ddgermann]

Now that's a beautiful Corvette! Perfect color too!

 

[Black 03 Z06]

If a beauty is determined by dollar value well these three are indeed beauties…A couple of Ferrari GTO's being led by a Cunningham Corvette.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

The only Ford powered beauty seems to causing some issues…..LOL