History The Jalopy Parade & Bonfire

[Ryan]

It was September of 1948 and the City of Chicago was fed up with the dangerous Jalopies roaming their streets. They gathered as many death machines as they could, dressed them in banners declaring their crime, and paraded them around the city. The pa...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

[Rich Venza]

I find it interesting that a 7 year old 1941 Hudson was concidered a Jalopy by 1948!

[1950ChevySuburban]

If we don't learn from our past, we are destined to repeat it.

[MIGHTY]

Man if they destroyed hot rods and jalopies publicly today I believe there would be a riot for sure. That just makes me angry. Fortunately I dont know of anyone now adays who would take there drivable Hot rod or jalopy or even Rat Rod to purposly be destroyed. that is insane! It would be a hell of an auction though. People buying up these cars at incredible prices instead of burning them.

[Barz51]

Jalopies don't kill people, people kill people.

[model.A.keith]

''These event were sort of common across the country during this period and most were sponsored by new car dealers. Now that’s marketing…''


Only to be replaced with Shiney new Death Machines !


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[HOTRODSURFER]

kinda like cash for clunkers

[JohnJoyo]

Originally Posted by Barz51

Jalopies don't kill people, people kill people.

Nice.....just like guns.

[GREASEMONKEY72]

damn shame

[Tman]

Government intervention knows no timelines.

There wouldn't be riots, look at the Clunker program. I saw lots of solid cars going to scrap. Not any different than these in the 40s.

[onedge]

Wow didnt know that happened. And all the cool wreckers.

[Paul]

the only sign that makes any sense at all is "repair them or destroy them"

[BLAKE]

Originally Posted by Tman

I saw lots of solid cars going to scrap. Not any different than these in the 40s.

... I doubt that anyone will EVER be nostalgic for a '94 LeSabre that was 'thoughtlessly' scrapped by the Clunkers program.

[RichG]

It looks like they just took cars that had already been involved in accidents from the junkyard and used them for advertising... but still best not to give the idiots any ideas they can use today, they'll get it all wrong and end up just costing us a bunch of money... nevermind, too late.

I want the tow truck that was carrying the one car completely off the ground, that thing was tough!

[Tman]

Originally Posted by BLAKE

... I doubt that anyone will EVER be nostalgic for a '94 LeSabre that was 'thoughtlessly' scrapped by the Clunkers program.

We never know, you or I sure won't but I saw several Camaros and Firebirds here in town that SOMEONE would like.

[HEMI32]

For more of these photographs, be sure to checkout Harms Way's 1953 Battle Cry "DEATH TO ALL JALOPIES !!!" thread.

[retro54]

Originally Posted by HEMI32

For more of these pics, be sure to checkout Harms Way's 1953 Battle Cry "DEATH TO ALL JALOPIES !!!" thread.

Haha, yes... I thought I was having dejavu.... great pictures and story anyways!

[RDR]

I could believe that kind of mentality coming out of CHICAGO....

[the-rodster]

Damn jalopies seemed to kill a lot of little girls

Rich

[BrerHair]

All politics. Martin Kennelly was just elected mayor of Chicago the year before. His one line mayoral bio would read
"Kennelly is best known, however, as a rather ineffectual mayor. He was never comfortable with the style of Chicago politics, and generally refrained from intra-party politics and controversy. Instead, he preferred photo opportunities and ribbon cutting to actual governance. "

Martin H. Kennelly (1887-1961) served as the mayor of Chicago from 1947 until 1955. Before embarking on his political career, Kennelly was a successful Chicago businessman, serving as the first president of Allied Van Lines starting in 1928.

Just another political move to stir up the masses. But, unfortunately, it was a wide brush that painted "jalopy"-anything with a bad image that stuck.