“A Poor Man’s Ferrari”

Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words to say. You stop at a gas station in your old car, and someone asks, “What is it?” When it’s a sunny Saturday and you don’t have anywhere to be, you tell them the full story. And when it’s a Tuesday night and you still need to make it to the grocery store before it closes, you break out the abridged version. Sometimes it’s as short as a one-liner.

“It’s a 1930 Model A,” or “It’s an old hot rod,” or “It’s an ultra-rare 1908 Mercedes that just needs paint and a new hood,” or, one that I find myself using often, “It’s a poor man’s sports car like someone would have built in the 1940s.”

There is no perfect answer, and I do genuinely enjoy talking to everyone about my project. To most folks, that last one—the poor man’s sports car—seems to make the most sense. There are no strange words in that sentence. Above all, it’s relatable.

I’m not sure where that line came from, but I can guarantee I heard it somewhere. Even so, I was digging around the old photo section of eBay when I came across this shot.

As far as I can tell, the car is a 1928-’29 Model A roadster, and the photo was taken at a Southern California drag strip in 1953. I love the simplicity of the rear suspension, the roll bar hoop, and the single ’39 Ford taillight. The slicks are mismatched, and the rear floor is holding on for dear life. Although it’s clearly a roadster, it was campaigned by a member of the “Coupes” car club out of Inglewood. Notable members included the Pierson brothers, among others.

Yes, the car is rough and tumble and undoubtedly interesting, but the reason I chose to feature it this week was the lettering. “THIS IS A POOR MAN’S FERRARI.” If that doesn’t sum up hot rodding, then I don’t know what does.

By the time I found the photo, the bidding was already out of my budget. Examining the ad, I discovered that the shot was taken by Frank Youngkin. That name isn’t familiar to me and, after doing some searching, I wasn’t able to find any of his other work. Perhaps he was related to the late Art Center College of Design professor Ted Youngkin?

There’s a whole lot of story waiting to be told here. Do you have any leads?

—Joey Ukrop