Oakland Roadster Show 1959

Recently at Customs of Sweden's webside there was photo posted from the Oakland Roadster Show held in 1959, the guy that did post it, Gene-rator here at H.A.M.B. thought it could be a fun thing to try to identify as many customs as possble from that show. I agree, it's a fun thing to try to identify the cars at that show. Some cars was easy to identify, some cars are less easy to identitfy... While I'm a custom car guy I've focused at customs, even though I noticed one of the rods as well.

Here are the photos and my attempt to identify cars. There are a few of the cars that I'm not sure about... I would be great if more photos from the same show could be found and also if the members of H.A.M.B can identify more of the cars.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w237/katten_konrad/show-1.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/ddstnkmp/Stude-a-mino/HRDS-070033-WHERE-1-HR.jpg

http://images110.fotki.com/v606/photos/0/484450/8001086/Cx31-vi.jpg

1 55 Thunderbird – Jerry Anolik
2 54 Ford - James Logue
3 55 '55 T-bird "Green Voodoo" - Don Tognotti
4 58 T-bird ”Ultra-bird” – Shirley Barris
5 55 Chevrolet – Jim Seaton
6 51 Mercury "La Espada"- Al McKeown
7 56 Ford cvt – Frank Monteleone
8 (???) 58 T-bird – (???) Larry Watson
9 50 Ford cvt - Joan van der Kamp
10 55 Studebaker "Aristocart" - Dick Gonzales
11 40 Ford cpe - Tom Hocker
12 55 Corvette - Bob McNulty
13 53 Studebaker - Lee Talbot
14 T-/ A-Roadster p-u - Don Hentzell
15 50 Ford - Don Gregg
16 54 F100 - Otto Rhode
17 56 Corvette - Bob Moriera
18 55-56 T-bird - Unknown
19 Unknown
20 41 Ford cvt - Harold Whitehead
21 58 Impala - Unknown
22 Chev 49-52 cpe - Unknown
23 F100 - Unknown
24 58 Corvette - Unknown

 

Here's #1 as of last year at Goodguys Pleasanton. That's Jerry with my son. Wonder if he sold it and what is going on with it now.

 

Thanks for the pictures

 

Damn thanks for the pics!

Looks at the windshield on this car in the foreground. MG? Jag? That's not factory is it?

 

Austin Healy- and that's stock.

 

Wow, ya know those cars are something am no way shape or form well versed in but I feel like I should be. That one is really beautiful!

 

Wow, gets me that much more excited about seeing all of the customs at the upcoming Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, Ca-Thanks for the post

 

Those Healys are rad. That windscreen is adjustable from the factory.

 

Rikster's marked-up pic is in the Jan-11 HRDeluxe, in the Eric Rickman 1959 photos feature. A few pages later there is another pic of Jerry Anolik's T-Bird, and it says it is now owned and being restored by "collector Joe Hickenbottom".

 

Thank you, RPW for posting this quiz here at HAMB.
I do beleive I've got too many "oh, I think I have seen that car.."
Anyways, the one who has the programme has the key to this, but that would be cheating wouldn't it.

 

Sorry, but I do not understand what you mean with: I do beleive I've got too many "oh, I think I have seen that car.."

I'm the only one that did answer that quiz. Many of the cars that I did recognize was not that tough.... With others I had a good help of my collection of old magazines, later written custom books as well as the Internet that gave me lot of help.

1 55 Thunderbird – Jerry Anolik. Easy, the cover of Custom Cars July 59 (with a photo from the very same show!)
2 54 Ford - James Logue (Featured in Custom Cars)
3 55 '55 T-bird "Green Voodoo" - Don Tognotti (the wellknown show promotor's car, it has published in many Barris books and old magazines)
4 58 T-bird ”Ultra-bird” – Shirley Barris (very wellknown, published in many Barris books...)
5 55 Chevrolet – Jim Seaton (wellknown Barris kustom, published in many Barris books...)
6 51 Mercury "La Espada"- Al McKeown. A tough one for me... I do remember seeing it somewhere, first the top got me thinking of the Bailon built '56 Chev, then the program gave me the key to the identification of it...
7 56 Ford cvt – Frank Monteleone. Wellknown!
8 (???) 58 T-bird – (???) Larry Watson. Not sure, looking at the scallops, it MIGHT be Watson's, but very little of the car shows in the photo.
9 50 Ford cvt - Joan van der Kamp. Easy one, for instance, it is in the Winfield book...
10 55 Studebaker "Aristocart" - Dick Gonzales, known from several show feauters in Custom Cars
11 40 Ford cpe - Tom Hocker. A famous kustom!
12 55 Corvette - Bob McNulty. Custom Car magazine, many photos there in various versions.
13 53 Studebaker - Lee Talbot. The HAMB, there is a post about that one!
14 T-/ A-Roadster p-u - Don Hentzell. Gasoline Magazine, last issue and a this photo from the show were it shows in the background http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/ddstnkmp/Stude-a-mino old pics/oldpics8.jpg
15 50 Ford - Don Gregg, a wellknown car, no other one looks like that
16 54 F100 - Otto Rhodes. It has been restored recently and its well known that is was there, the front shows at the photo and the program did confirm it.
17 56 Corvette - Bob Moriera, color photo on Custom Cars July 59 shows little of the front. It has also been featured in Custom Cars.
18 55-56 T-bird - Unknown
19 Unknown
20 41 Ford cvt - Harold Whitehead. Real though, but the program tells about it and by the details of the car at the photo, it has to be that one
21 58 Impala - Unknown
22 Chev 49-52 cpe - Unknown
23 F100 - Unknown
24 58 Corvette - Unknown

Yesterday I found some pages of the program, posted at the HAMB. That confirmed some of my findings! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=6134

 

# 12 is Bob Mcnulty's Corvette, "The Shark". He was a good friend, I helped him with his later Kellison, Which I have posted pictures of before on the HAMB., and he won a special trophy in early 60's GNRS. He was killed in a boat in the late 60's. R.I.P. He is missed.

 

oh yea, I spottet some cars like Seation's and mrs. Barris'.
I initilally posted this thread at CKOS' forum as a new year's quiz to get some discussion going on our forum, but it's a little hard to get it going but has been interesting. What I meant with "I think I've seen that car" is that I might mix up cars, and have'nt got the possibility to check 'em. My magazine collection is stored for the moment.
The link to the programe was fun! To read about cars from the time brings you so much more info.

 

Look closer @ the Healey. It ain't stock. I have a '56 but the engine is a banger. This one has the common hot rodder SB chev in it. "The poor man's Cobra". Fast Eddie

 

I have spent MANY hours on the phone with Jerry and he is a GREAT guy........I really hope to meet him in person someday and have an iced tea with him.

Chris

 

On the same page in HRD where I scan the photo from ORS there's a photo of Lee Titus' 32. It could be the same car beneath number 10..

 

The black 1932 black ford in the middle of page belonged to Eddie Bosio. I am doing a search on information about Eddie Bosio.Eddie has flamed out. A service for him will be in Redding ca, next month. Can you confirm the date of the photo of the roadster show. I believe it to be 1956. Thanks [email protected]

 

The photos are from the National Roadster Show 1959, the show was held in Oakland February 14-22 (in 1956 no '58 Corvettes or Impalas could attend...). That it is 1959 can be confirmed by a lot of magazine references .

I've found two more photos from the show!

The one below was found on the net and is from Car Craft. July 59 I think. Anyone out there with the original magazine, maybe there is more photos in that magazine.

Also, a few years later, on the inside cover of Custom Cars Annual 1962, there is a photo from the '59 Show! I will scan that tomorrow...

 

My eyesight is shot, but that T modified in the middle with the rake and the small front wheels might be Mickey Himsl's car. Ill try to find a picture.

 

I believe Jerry Anolik has sold his car.

 

Here's the photo published on the inside cover of Custom Cars Annual 1962 (three years after the ´59 show) and a closer look at the photo in Car Craft

On Car Craft photo, left of Don Tognotti's T-bird I can see Mitch Nagao's X-Tura '57 Thunderbird!

Also thinking about the unidentified 49-52 Chev (due to long distance from the photographers) . It is probably Jerry Sahagons '51 Chev cpe.

(Of course, on the show was also Ala Kart, AMBR winner both 58 and 59, and Dean Jeffries Satin Pearl Porsche, though they are not seen on these photos)

 

This photo was also taken at the show

 

I seen Jerrys Car on Craigslist about a year ago.It wasnt cheap.

 

I thought at first you were mistaken, but then I saw a small glimpse of the rear of the T-Birdin the corner. Damn it that I don't have my magazines around me here! One bold 'Bird by Barris with the same theme in front and rear grilles.
Good work, ol' chap!

 

Nope, it's a '34 what I can see by the new photos by RPW.

 

Gene_Rator: Even if you're without the magazines you've got the Internet!
http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Xtura

 

Shelby didn't produce the Cobra until 1962. Max Balchowsky and other rodders had been dropping V8s into Healeys long before then. Carroll Shelby had approached Donald Healey to do a SBC into a Healey but was turned down and ended up going with Ford and AC.

 

Trying to find out when Bob Acosta won the grand national roadster award. Some where in the 80s Thanks Texs1935

 

I don't know about that but when I saw it at the Monterey Mecum Auction in August I heard that the reserve was so ridiculously high that the auctioneer said, "Get it out of here!" and refused to even take bids when it came over the block.

 

back to the top, does anyone think that the corvette in the picture (number 24) is an earlier version of this corvette? I think the grill shell looks the same....Does anyone have any other pictures of the corvette pictured in the '59 roadster show?

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=729217&showall=1

I think its funny that noone can REALLY provide a great history about the corvette in the thread I linked here, and the corvette pictures as car number 24 in this picture.