37 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

This photo was taken at an SCCA Regional at Eagle Mountain early in 1959.

photo from Willem Oosthoek collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 01 June 2009 - 14:09.

[Sharman]

One of Wacky Arnotts creations?

[WGD706]

The last listings of SCCA National races at Eagle Mountain, Fort Worth, Texas that I can find were from 1957. Of course your photo is from a regional race.
http://wsrp.ic.cz/natus1957.html

Edited by WGD706, 02 June 2009 - 00:48.

[Jerry Entin]

The Texas region of the SCCA in Fort Worth used the Eagle Mountain track at least until February 1959, when Gary Laughlin won a Regional there with a Maserati 250S. There may have been subsequent events in 1959, but soon it became no longer available for competition, which explains the switch by the Region to Green Valley.

all research Willem Oosthoek

[Sharman]

Jerry
I have looked at all the shots I can find of Arnolts and whilst it has a lot in common with them it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi. Am I right in thinking that Scaliogne was resposible for most A-Bristols and Astons? If so your car pretty certainly came from the same pen
John

[RShaw]

Looks like a Devin-bodied special to me.
The size and position of the exhaust might indicate a Triumph engine, i.e., on the right, passenger side. Plus apparently it was in the small-bore race, judging by the TR just peeking into the frame on the right. Also, the body does not quite fit the track of the chassis. the rear wheels in particular appear to be beyond the edge of the fender. This would be another indication that perhaps it was a 'glass body on a production car chassis. The wheels are three-ear knock-offs, which would be unusual for a small British car of the period, but they could be Borranis.
All of which doesn't answer the question as to what kind of beast it is, just a few clues.

[fbarrett]

Friends:

SCCA's Sports Car magazine, April 1959 issue, reports on the Fifth Annual Frostbite Races held at Eagle Mountain National Guard Base on February 14-15, 1959. Despite several photos and two pages of text, no detailed results are shown, and I see no clues as to the car in question. The record 141 entries included Jim Hall in a supercharged Lister-Chevrolet, Hap Sharp in a Corvette, and Jay Chamberlain in a Lotus. The story was written by Murray Forsvall, with photos by Roland Chatham. That's the only 1959 race shown on the SCCA schedule of national and regional races in the magazine.

Frank

Edited by fbarrett, 03 June 2009 - 21:11.

[D-Type]

Looking at the numbers it appears that the car was originally no 73 and later had the 1 added to make it no 173. Dis the race numbers have any significance that year? Such as being allocated for the seson. Does the colour of the numbers have any significance (like in club motorcycle racing)?

Thoughts based on total ignorance of the SCCA scene.

[Sharman]

I am now convinced that this is an Arnolt, it could be MG powered. It could be Bristol powered. It could be Aston Martin powered. Or it could be Corvette powered. It would be logical for the Bristol or Aston powered versions to have three into two exhausts, the MG(XPAG) would likely have a single pipe. The Corvette would have pipes either side. Whatever it is has a fair amount of oomph because the car is sitting back on it's heels. To follow Shaws argument it is Bristol powered and in the 2000cc class. As the later cars were built onto a Bristol Chassis and the greatest number were Bristol powered thia argues for an Arnolt Bristol. Any better ideas?

Edited by Sharman, 04 June 2009 - 11:59.

[Terry Walker]

Improved the colour a bit, if that's any help.

[David Birchall]

I don't agree that it is Bristol powered-there is not sufficient height for the Bristol engine.

I too think it is a Devin bodied special.

[antonvrs]

I too am sure it's a Devin- definitely not an Arnolt-Bristol. The wheels/hubs ring a bell far back in my memory but it needs to chime a few more times.
Anton

[ZOOOM]

Let's see.... If I search my memory banks from back in the 50's....
YES! It's a gazonlydownhill!

Definitely NOT an Arnolt Bristol. Wacky never built anything that good looking...

ZOOOM

Edited by ZOOOM, 04 June 2009 - 16:59.

[maoricar]

Looking at the rear hub area MIGHT lead one to the thought that the rear brakes are inboard, being something of a Luddite, I cannot enhance or enlarge that area.
The exhaust outlet on the right side precludes many Brit based in-line engines, however the 'set-back' seems considerable, which might indicate an engine of somewhat compact dimensions; ie a 4cyl.
Apart from Sunbeam Alpine, I cannot think of ANY Brit based sports-cars with triple-eared knock-offs.
One MIGHT lean toward an Italian based 'special' ---Alfa ? with a slightly ill-fitting after-market body
It does seem to have quite generous ground clearance, however all that said, it also seems pretty well turned out

[fbarrett]

Looking at the numbers it appears that the car was originally no 73 and later had the 1 added to make it no 173. Do the race numbers have any significance that year? Such as being allocated for the season. Does the colour of the numbers have any significance (like in club motorcycle racing)?

Duncan:

From what I understand, SCCA drivers could have favorite numbers, but they were not permanently assigned, so if two cars showed up at a race with the same number, one often added a "1" before it, via tape, as here. I don't think the color was significant. Other 1959 issues of Sports Car contain no other photos of this car.

I'd vote for a Devin body, possibly with a V8, a popular combination then. The Triumph may well indicate a smaller-engined class, but in those days SCCA often ran novice races, mixing the cars.

Frank

[Jerry Entin]

As everyone agrees:
It looks more like a Devin-bodied something, possibly Chevy-powered. What is strange is the fact it carries USAC decals, without any indication of what class it raced in.

Wacky's Arnolt/Bristols were much higher. Their bodies were built by Bertone.

There were not many Devin-bodied cars in the Texas/Oklahoma/Louisiana area in the late 50s. I agree that unless miracles were performed with the headers of a Chevy engine, the one pipe approach in the Devin could indicate a Triumph engine.

In the March 1958 race at Mansfield, Louisiana, not far from the Texas state line, one D.G. Miller shows up in the prelim and in the feature, running a Triumph in EM class. This means substantial modifications to the production car and just the installation of a Devin body would fit the bill. The car ran under #30, finishing 12th overall in the prelim and retired in the main event. The #173 car, photographed one year later, may have changed ownership or it could still be D.G. Miller at the wheel. My bet is for a Devin/Triumph.


all research Willem Oosthoek.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 June 2009 - 22:40.

[RShaw]

I would agree that the evidence and the contemporary availability of Triumph hardware vs more exotic marques make it likely that it is a Devin-Triumph, but there are a couple of items that still bother me.
1. The hub/wheel issue pointed out by Anton. They are unusual and unlike anything I have seen on a Triumph. On the other hand the car is a very well turned out piece, with other features deviating from the norm such as the fin on the headrest, and the slightly modified radiator air intake, so who's to say the wheels and hubs couldn't have been swapped out as well.
2. The position of the exhaust pipe. Most Triumphs will have an under-the-car exhaust because the manifold dumps straight down so as to get the manifold heat away from the carbs sharing the same side of the cylinder head. An engine with a cross-flow head such as an Alfa (thank you "maoricar") would be more likely to have the exhaust pipe exiting in the middle of the fender since the manifold runners could extend straight out from the head, then through the engine compartment panels, etc.

And you thought you were done with this, didn't you Willem?

Ron Shaw

[Jean L]

It is the Hixon.

[Sharman]

OK Jean put us out of our misery

[Lotus11Register]

Paul Epperson showed this photo to "Reb" an older gentleman who knew Eagle Mountain well and remembers the races of that period. Reb's recollection is that this was indeed a Devin-bodied Triumph special, and that he saw it once or twice in the Louisiana racing area.

Paul's car, a Lotus Eleven seen in the Eagle Mountain photo in the Gary Knutson thread, also wore a three-digit race number (116) for this occasion. According to the SCCA Sportscar article, there were 141 entries for the Frostbite races and the article photos show several with an extra 1 before their usual race numbers. Just today Paul has spoken with Murray Forsvall, the author of the article, who doesn't have much to add here but did suggest several names of others who might know more. Paul is going to follow-up with them.

Off topic perhaps, but the '59 Frostbite races have held my interest because this was an occasion when the SCCA allowed Lotus Eleven Clubs to compete with production cars. Despite the high number of entries, SCCA allowed Club Elevens (1100cc) to race with the F and G production sports cars. The Clubs were driven by JC Kilburn and Jay Chamberlain, and according to JC both cars were specifically brought there for the production car race. Both men had LeMans Elevens available for the G-Modified event. Yes, it's all part of another story, but Eagle Mountain was a strange place that weekend.

[Jerry Entin]

Ray Hixon Special

The Ray Hixon owned L & G Special, co-driven by Hixon and Duke Knowlton in the September 1959 Road America 500.

Jean may be up to something.
Supporting his claim:
- Devin body
- Same race number
- similar paint job
- driver's helmet and dark goggles seem similar

Against it:
- different nose treatment
- massive V8 engine [BM class]
- different exhaust treatment
- different headrest [higher and no fin]
- large air scoop on the hood
- different rear view mirror
- no wire wheels
It is entirely possible that in the six months after the #173 photo was taken the car received a second life with an American V8.

RA Historian: What can you tell us about Ray Hixon and his L & G Special?

all research Willem Oosthoek - photo scanned for site Laurie Williamson
photo Willem Oosthoek collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 June 2009 - 16:16.

[Jean L]

I have a (bad) photocopy of an article about the Hixon in On the grid september 1960,and pics show the Hixon with
- the correct nose treatment
- the exhaust treatment
- the special headrest
- the wire wheels
#73
and some differences,rollbar,airscoop etc

[Geoff E]

Is this relevant? http://tinyurl.com/poccsn

[Jerry Entin]

Jean L has nailed the Mystery car:
Here is a synopsis of what the article says about the car:

It's construction represented an investment of $2,920. It was the project of Indianapolis used-car manager Ray Hixon, set out to prove that it was possible to develop a relatively inexpensive racing car using as many standard parts as possible. He started out with a handmade box frame.

Engine: 301 c.i Corvette with fuel injection

Gearbox: Corvette 4-speed

Body: secondhand fiberglass shell made by Devin, cut in the middle and widened by four inches to fit the chassis. The added center part was aluminum

Suspension: coil springs upfront, leaf in the rear [Corvette again]

Radiator: mounted under an angle

Brakes: Corvette drums with ceramic linings

Wheels: Dayton knock-off wires

The article includes photos of the Hixon with "#173 photo" nose, Novi-type fin, a roll bar [not seen in the #173 photo], side pipes and USAC decals, undoubtedly in honor of Hixon's hometown Indianapolis and with professional USAC road races in mind.

Steering: Corvette

Instruments: Stewart-Warner

[Jerry Entin]

It is clear that the car was finished before 1960, the year quoted in Vintage American Road Racing Cars as posted by Geoff E, more likely by late 1958/early 1959.

The photos indicate that between early 1959 and its appearance in the September 1959 Road America numerous modifications were made, indicating a lack of competitiveness of the original design. Perhaps the Dayton wires were incapable of handling all that power and the Novi fin must have been purely decorative.

With a base in Indianapolis, it is strange it would show up in SCCA events in the Texas/Louisiana area, even by U.S. standards quite a long distance for an amateur racer/owner such as Hixon. Is anybody aware of its existence today?

all research Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

After Eagle Mountain in 1959 I have been able to find only three appearances for the L & G Special that year:

- June 20, Road America June Sprints, 20th OA [3rd in BM] with Bob Spooner and Bud Gates

- July 5, USAC's Meadowdale 444, DNF with Ray Hixon

- September 12, Road America 500, DNF with Ray Hixon and Duke Knowlton


At Meadowdale the car used a 5.6-liter Chevy engine, another indication it was a work in progress. Its official name, L & G Special, must have referred to the Chevy dealership where Hixon worked. A search shows there is still a L & G Motorsports in business in Indianapolis, under Autodealers/Used cars.

all research Willem Oosthoek

[RA Historian]

The car was not listed in the entry list for the 1959 Road America 500. It was a DNF in the race with 55 laps (of 125) completed. Listed in the results as the L&G Special. I have no photos of it, even though I was there. Frankly, I just don't remember it.
Tom

[Jean L]

Also:

Road America,september 6,1958
#73 Corvette Special,BM2,Ray Hixon.

Marlboro,april 19,1959
#273 Corvette Special,BM2,Ray Hixon.

[Jerry Entin]

Jean L :
Very well done:
Yes, 2nd in BM in the 1958 Road America 500, solo driven by Ray Hixon, although a lowly 21st OA.

Why the car would show up at an unsuitable Mickey Mouse track such as Marlboro is beyond me.
He finished 16th OA and last in April of 1959 at Marlboro.

And then there was Cumberland on May 17, 1959: 20th place finish out of 23, 2nd in BM, with Ray Hixon at the wheel again [#73] .

All this means the car was completed during the summer of 1958, a far cry from the year 1960 claimed in the book, which obviously followed the write-up in the September 1960 issue of On The Grid magazine too literally.

all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 June 2009 - 22:23.

[Jerry Entin]

Tom:
It is not surprising you don't remember the car. For the 1959 Road America 500 the organizers used a reverse grid, with the GM cars first, followed by EM, etc, and the BM cars at the end of the grid. In fact, Ray Hixon was on the very last row among a field of 56 cars, so he was easy to miss. It is unlikely that Ray carved his way through the field like some of the Cunningham Listers and other fast CM entrants did, so the L & G Special remained one of the many also-rans.

all research Willem Oosthoek

[Jerry Entin]

Eddie Crawford's Cunningham Lister #62 lapping the L & G Special #73 at Road America

More detective work on Ray Hixon's Special. I found the above image in the Chicago SCCA Region's magazine, among a number of photos illustrating the 1959 Road America 500 report. The Hixon Special still features side pipes, fin and wire wheels. What the heck! How is this possible after the photo in post 21, supposedly taken in the same race? Could the above photo have been a left-over from the 1958 RA 500?

Well, in 1958 no Cunningham Lister ran with #62 and the image had to be taken in 1959. No Cunningham Lister participated in the 1959 June Sprints, so by elimination it was the 500. Subsequent research shows no #73 L & G appearances in the June Sprints or the 500 in 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963.

Going back to my old contact sheets of the 1958 RA 500, I found various images of the #73 L & G without fin or wire wheels. This means that the photo in post 21 actually shows the original version of Hixon's Special, before the large hood scoop was removed, the exhaust system went "sidepipe", the fin was added and the Dayton wires were installed.

all research Willem Oosthoek.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 June 2009 - 17:10.

[ERault]

In 1959, Ray Hixon also raced a Corvette engined Ferrari, at least at Willmot Hills on august 9 and at Milwaukee (Wisconsin GP) on august 16. Any details on that Ferrari ?

[Jean L]

In the report of the Wisconsin GP in the SCCA magazine of october 59:
"Ray Hixon in the "L&G Special",which is nothing more than a Devin body with alterations (a home-made chassis plus a real strong Corvette boiler),was having troubles with the car in the corners.It appeared to be cutting out on him,making for mighty embarrassing cornering.After a pit stop he took things easier and eventually wound up with second in class."

[ERault]

I think you are right, Jean. I was going by Competition Press, but the two reports (Willmot Hills and Milwaukee, now straighten by the SCCA article) are by the same writer (Dic van der Feen). I guess the Devin body can be confused with a Ferrari after a few beers... So probably no Ferrari for Hixon, unless someone dig something from Willmot.

[RA Historian]

Hmmm...Dic Van der Feen was one of the premier sports car racing reporters of the day, a prolific contributor to all manner of print journals. He was usually very accurate, but who knows what he may have been thinking here. Van der Feen later was the editor of SCCA's Sports Car magazine, and after that went to work for IMSA as their press officer. A very respected fellow.
Tom

[ERault]

Tom, I didn't want to offend anyone and I am deeply sorry if I did. After all, the Ferrari name came to my mind at first glance, and the car was not traveling at 150 mph when I looked at it... Nevertheless, until proven otherwise, I think we can assume Hixon did not raced a Ferrari in those two races.

[RA Historian]

No offense taken at all, and I was not defending Van der Feen, merely identifying him. It is very possible that he misidentified a race car; I have been known to do it myself.
Tom

[Jerry Entin]

Jean L : Here is the article you were saying you had a copy of on the Hixon Special:http://www.forgotten...september-1960/

 

Now, has anyone seen this car in recent times?