History Shirley Temple's Hot Rod

Shirley Temple is often pictured as a child in her pedal car and later in a slightly larger toy car something like a go-kart. But when she got into her twenties she still had an appreciation of small cars.

DIG THIS little hot rod !!! Does anyone know any more about it? Where is it today. Surely it got preserved.

I'll shamelessly admit to having lifted the pics from www.autopuzzles.com. Specifically http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=15529.msg143528#msg143528

Dang, Shirl, that thing is cool!!!

 

Is that her stunt double driving?

 

It is thought to be young Shirley at the wheel.

Anyone know if this car was ever in a movie?

 

Very cool!
2nd pic looks like she's bangin' a gear ..... go girl!

 

In the 1st picture....it looks like the Griffith Park Observatory in the background on the hill. Parts of "Rebel Without A Cause" (James Dean) was filmed there.

 

I'm digging the wheel spats.. traditional aero. haha

 

It's a 4 wheeled Gee Bee! Gary

 

Austin Bantam based? I'v seen several pix of 'stars' of the period with Bantams that indicate they were a popular toy in that crowd.

 

Stan Betz has at least one of Shirley's cars (I'm almost certain it's a Bantam). I don't know if it's that particular one, but the one he has was definitely used in a movie of her's. Stan was a good buddy of Ken Howard, and has lot's of old automotive related movie props, some of which he probably picked up when Ken and Ed Roth worked at "Cars of the Stars" in Orange County.

 

She doesn't bear even a passing resemblance to Shirley Temple

 

The wheels look a lot like some rare late 1930's two piece style that took a 12 inch tire.

 

I like this clip.


http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=224

 

looks more like Shelly Winters. Neat looking little car though

 

I want it!

 

So is it faster in reverse or does it just look that way?

 

could be a custom King Midget. What ever it is it looks cool as hell.

 

Those plates appear to be 32' California or very close. The Bantam given a GeeBee scalloped paint job might connect it to Howard Hughes?


The driver looks very familiar. Hummm

 

Shirleys brother was a hotrodder even ran at the dry lakes

 

I instantly thought of the Gee Bee too! My all-time favorite hot rod airplane. My father grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts and remembers seeing the Gee Bee flying around.

furyus

 

Take a look at Shirley here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Temple at age 26 in 1944. I think you will agree it could certainly be the same woman. She is still with us and now in her 80s. An amazingly accomplished woman.

Someone run over to Betz and take a picture of his Shirley Temple car.

 

She was more like 16 in '44. I think the car looks a little more like the Gee Bee Z than the R2.

​

 

Thereis a replica hanking in a glass building just off to the right of I91 going South, has the effect of having it flying right at you.

 

Stan Betz did indeed have one of Shirley Temple's scale cars but that was designed on a Dodge Tourer ca 1928. I have seen that particular car many times. I have not seen Stan in a few years but I think he sold off a lot of his collection.

 

Saw Shirley Temples little car she drove around the movie set, on In color classic TV show last night and thought of how many kids at that time, and even years later would have thought that to be the ultimate Christmas gift.
(Found this)
http://theoldmotor.com/?p=150837

 

I have a hubcap from a Shirley Temple car.

 

That's not Shirley Temple.

 

Shirley Temple's brother raced a roadster at the dry lakes.

 

Surely there's some pictures of him racing to add to this thread.

 

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=150837