To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Petersen Automotive Museum Auction event, 8 December 2018.
Estimate:
$100,000 - $130,000
- An authentic and period-correct early SoCal custom
- Originally built and then restored by the who's-who of hot
rodding
- Presented at the finest custom shows and concours
d'elegance
- An exceptional award-winning Track T
If you're looking for a period-perfect historic hot rod, this is
it: Jack Thompson's '27 track-nose Model T roadster.
It was featured in a four-page article in the August 1958 issue of
Hot Rod Magazine, photographed by the incomparable Eric Rickman. A
photo of the racy two-seater even appeared on the magazine's front
cover. The later T's slender body was the basis for many
record-setting Southern California dry lakes competitors. For
street use, knowledgeable hot rodders emulated the functionally
pretty race-car look with streamlined track noses and louvered
hoods. The '27 T already had the perfect combination of a snug
cockpit, and a tapered turtle-deck. All it needed was a low-slung
chassis and a full belly pan to optimize aerodynamics and complete
the look.
Hailing from Woodland Hills, California, Thompson's classic Track T
roadster was one of the best of the early feature cars. Its sharp
black body rested on boxed early Essex rails - a favorite with hot
rodders half a century ago. It was built in 1954 by an all-star
cast. Streamlining was thanks to a Claude Hampson (Kurtis-Kraft
Racing) custom-built track nose. Finishing touches included a
chopped windshield, louvered side panels, and '39 Ford teardrop
taillights. Race car-inspired nerf bars, front and rear, echoed the
car's well-executed circle track theme. Authentic Kelsey-Hayes wire
wheels, early Ford hydraulic brakes, and a tubular front axle
provided the right running gear. A three-speed '39 Ford gearbox,
with a curved floor shifter, was fitted with a '42 Lincoln-Zephyr
close-ratio first and second gear cluster. The legendary Tony Nancy
did the upholstery, and Art Summers was responsible for the
pinstriping. The dual exhaust tips subtly protruded from hand-built
rings under the rear nerf bar.
The engine, a modified Ford flathead, of course, was stuffed with
the best speed equipment of the period. A '37 Lincoln radiator was
cut four inches, mounted at a 45-degree angle, and topped with a
high point header tank. Inside the cockpit, there was a banjo
steering wheel from a 356 Porsche and a full set of Stewart-Warner
gauges on an engine-turned dash panel.
Restored by Gary Schroeder (of Schroeder Steering fame) and Rick
Cresse (Tri-C Engineering), the modified T won the coveted Bruce
Meyer Preservation Perpetual Trophy, the "Von Dutch" Award for the
best pinstriping (this time by Tom "Itchy" Otis), and the trophy
for the Best Altered T at the Grand National Roadster Show in 1997.
It also participated in the first Historic Hot Rod Class at the
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, later that same year.
George Gray (Van Nuys) did the repaint in PPG Deltron Black acrylic
enamel, and Dan Miller (Westlake Village) re-did the interior in
Carmine Red Naugahyde. The original steering column was replaced
with a Tri-C Super Slim four-position column for easier access. In
2007, this car won the "Excellence in Design" Award at the Art
Center School of Design show in Pasadena.
In the mid-1950s, there was nothing more classic in hot rod terms
than a modified Model T roadster, and very few have survived in
virtually the same condition that they were originally built. This
award-winning T is the perfect way to experience the early days of
hot rodding.
It is period perfect, authentic, and, most importantly, quick.To
view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ca18.
