Bonneville News Reel 1953!

Bonneville News Reel 1953!

If you offered me the use of a time machine, and said you could send me back to any particular time and place in Hot Rod history, I’d probably say to send me to the Oakland Roadster show in 1950, or Bonneville Speed Week anytime between 1949 – 1955. By sheer luck I found this very short news reel from the 1953 gathering on the salt flats and it’s worth the watch. This is some clear black and white footage, and a very special car is mentioned: The Shadoff Special streamliner, which actually made its debut at Bonneville in 1953. The car made a blistering initial run of 231.6 mph that year, but couldn’t back it up to set a record, as the engine was still having some break-in issues. The reason the team gets awarded at the end of the clip is actually for the Maremont Trophy given to the car with best design and construction. Strangely, you only see the Shadoff racing from a distance and never up close!

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