History Iconic Roadsters that set the bar for the rest of us

About a year ago, I picked up a little roadster built in 56'. I have been having a ball driving this car. It make me want to build another one. I started thinking about the guys that made a huge impact on the hobby. Here are a few to get things rolling.

Dick Williams 27

The McGee 32

Tom McMullen's 32

Doane Spencer's 32


Conrad's A


Barris/Krikorian's 1929 A, The Emperor


Norm Grabowski's T




Tommy Ivo's T


I'm sure there are plenty more. These are just the ones that popped into my head.

 

As a kid it was Mc Mullins car that struck a chord with me.

 

The Triple Nickel

 

Tony Nancy's Roadster

 

Niekamp Roadster

 

Isky

 

Gary Kessler's

 

One of my all time favorites, the Jim Khougaz roadster......141.95 mph at El Mirage in 49.

 

The Orr's roadster

 

I was born in 1972, so Barry Lobeck's roadster is the one I gravitate towards. I believe the photo credit goes to @TRJ (when Steve Coonan owned the car).

 

The McGee/Scritchfield roadster struck a chord with me to the point I now cruise the streets and interstates in our look-a-like highboy and wouldn't part with it for all the tea in China. Make that Bolivia. It has a few amenities that Scritch's roadster lacked because I reside in an furnace called Texas. So far, we have visited El Mirage 4 times, the California Horod Reunion once, LARS once, and the shops of Terry Hegman and Alan Budnik plus too many others to mention. It's a long trip from San Antonio but so worth it once we land.

 

Pete Henderson done it for me.

 

Would have been my choice too if I had read the OP's wording closer.

 

Fred Steele. He built it when he was a kid and drove it (1955 ? ) to California and back from the East Coast with it being chopped and channeled . Kept it his entire life. Unchanged. A crappy picture. Would love to see this in real life. 3 Dog Garage.

 

The Bud Bryan highboy, Guasco’s ‘29, Lamasa‘32,Stanback‘s ‘29, Nitti ‘32, Magoo’s “A”, Dick Patton’s ‘34, Cotton Werksmans Ardun... mind blown...too many others!

 

The McGee Roadster hits all of the high notes for me.

 

Navarro roadster.


That's all.

 

X's 2!

 

Matt Murray’s Free T is pretty cool too.jmho. Snowman

 

I don't think Clint Eastwood set the bar too high. HRP

 

If you are a fan of Bonneville. I have carried this copy of HRM around since I was 4. Would not let my folks throw out any of dads magazines. Peek Bros. car is my earliest knowledge of Bonneville.

 

Beat me to that one, I was looking for that shot!

 

Well, someone had to post it !

 

This car was always influential for me in my roadster build.

Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Wally Parks had a pretty nice roadster. HRP

 

all legendary rods...
1967-'69 Saturday night at the movies, mom gave us a half a paper cup of M+Ms each...
they played a movie from '59... think it was attack of the giant gilla monster...
one guy climbed into his t roadster … memory told me they all did... wanted a climb in roadster...
built a '30 roadster pick up in 1984... have had 10 fenderless hot rods since…
but it was that movie that started it all... maybe the worst singing in recorded history..