History 1950s Bonneville: Color Pics from the Hassad Family Collection

I think I said "wow" like a dozen times. That tiny Crosely powered T is comically cool.

 

Pure gold. My favorite era of Bonneville racing. Thank you Jim and Todd for sharing these great photos with us!

 

Amazing shots! Thanks to the family and you!

 

Wow! - Thanks

 

Can you imagine the feeling screaming along in any of those hemi cars? Thanks for sharing.

 

Some great detailed shots

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Killer pictures brother!

 

Gosh! Great historic photos. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

seeing these vintage photos with only 39 shots is why I used to take 500 - 1000 pics at the shows I went to. don't have that energy anymore.

 

Great stuff.........thanks for posting.

 

I was actually surprised that the Hassad family was able to take these 39 shots during the 5 years they attended the Bonneville National Speed Trials event (i.e., 54, ‘56, ‘57, '58, & ‘59).

Typically, Speed Week participants are way too busy wrenching on their own vehicles or prepping for a run down the course to take pics of other vehicles at the event.

In the ‘80s & ‘90s, I used to shoot 35mm film at the SCTA Bonneville Nats (Speed Week) & the USFRA World of Speed events ... and only shot 3 (maybe 4) rolls of 36 exposure film at each event.

When I “crewed” on the Walsh family’s #333 Street Roadster and on the Salmen family's “$um Fun” Gas / Fuel Roadster, I was a “go-fer” & the “team photographer.” I rarely had time to take photos of any other cars in the pits ... so the majority of my photos of the other cars were shot while we were waiting in line to run.

Nowadays, a Bonneville Speed Week spectator (with a DSLR or smartphone) could easily shoot 500-1000 images on the salt ... and another 100-200 at the casino parking lot “car show” ... but shooting these same pics with film (vice digital) would be cost prohibitive.

Charlie Markley told me that in the dozens of years they raced their roadsters, lakesters, & streamliner at Bonneville; they never took ANY photographs ... that they were always just too busy!

So come this August (pandemic, weather, & course conditions permitting), I plan to attend Speed Week with the Markley’s #360 Fuel Roadster ... and be their “team photographer” (with my trusty Canon DSLR & a bunch of memory cards).

 

FYI, all of my dad's photos were shot with his trusty Kodak 35mm, no "auto" anything, just close that f stop down all the way! Sadly, some "waviness" is in some of the pics because the slides warped with heat over the years. It does give them a "vintage" look however. I am very happy to share these pics and thank you so much, HEMI32 for all your work in posting them here.

 

Thank you so very much for sharing!

 

believe me when I tell you there is nothing "easy" about shooting 1,000 photos at a car show, especially now that I am 60. maybe I should start training now for Goodguys in August...I only took 2 or 300 last year.

 

Jim -

No ... THANK YOU for allowing me to share your parents Bonneville slides with the "Traditional Hot Rodding" community.

I've tried to accurately caption each image with factually correct information (based on books, magazines, event programs, & other documentation in my archives) ... but still have a bit of research to do on a few of the images.

Please don't hesitate to correct any misinformation I may have posted ... and please feel free to share any stories about your family's '54, '56, '57, '58, & '59 trips to the salt.

I speak for myself and for the many other "pseudo Hot Rod historians" here on the H.A.M.B., when I say how much we appreciate your willingness to share these historically significant COLOR images with us ... they will help to preserve our hobby's rich past for future generations of Hot Rodders.​

- Todd

 

Great photos, thanks for sharing. Can never get enough Bonneville history. I'll hopefully be on the salt again this year taking photos and hopefully seeing some good racing on DRY salt!

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Thank You! So glad these were saved for us to enjoy today. Bob

 

History in the making.Great times.

 

I hit the “like all” key, amazing photos. Thanks for sharing.

 

Another incredible photo collection emerges, thank you both for sharing these. I am an administrator on a FB site for pre''55 hot rods (as is Jimmy Barter). I would like to share a couple of these, and call attention to this page so that others may see the whole collection. May I have your permission to post a couple of them, with credit to Todd and to Jim for them?

 

I keep coming back....Dang. Wish I coulda been there.

 

David -

As you are aware, I'm a member of several of Lynn's FB groups (including his "Pre-'55 Period Correct Hot Rods" group) ... and I used to be the Admin of his "1932 ford vintage & period style" group.

I was actually going to share the three (3) images shot at the 1954 Bonneville Nats in the "Pre-'55 Period Correct Hot Rods" group ... but since the "Guy Mabee Drilling Co. Special" Sports Car is the only pic of a "Pre-'55 Hot Rod", I decided against it.

That stated, I doubt @Jim Hassad would object if you posted a link to this thread.​

- Todd

 

I'm pretty sure this is the ex Chet Herbert car now owned by Ermie Immerso. However the car ran in 1959 (I think) so the year doesn't fit with the time period for the photos.

 

Mike -

Good eye!

This is indeed Ermie Immerso's #333 "KRAFT AUTO Special" streamliner:

​

... which arrived late to the '59 Speed Week event.

I was under the (obviously mistaken) impression that the Hassad's last trip to the salt was 1958 ... so I never thought this car could be Immerso's circa 1959 'liner.

I have updated post #22 accordingly.
​

- Todd

 

Yah, great to see old historical pics like these!

 

Jim -- thank you for sharing. Truly memorable photographs!

 

WOW, Thanks to BOTH you guys for sharing...I can almost taste the salt.

It's funny, that what seems to be just normal days of racing to them...is priceless history to us,,,because Hassad family was thoughtful enough to take pictures (and share them)

 

I always like seeing these old pics because I was there from 53 to 58 and met most of those people.
The green pickup in the background of this pic is mine. My avatar is my race car.

 

Very cool ......especially seeing the Ruddy modified roadster. The memory of sitting in it in 57 was
damn ominous for a 12 yo. I took it very serious as Tom related to getting sick to his stomach before every run. It looks like it still had the tall windscreen which actually stole all the air and made it hard to breath at 200.

 

Todd, I can't speak for Lynn, but I think it would fine to post those pictures...Lynn has posted several photos that are post-'55 -- including a few Bill Hewett photos that are dated '56.