Their risqué logo is a popular subject for reproduction t-shirts and decals. Their founder's '36 Ford kustom is well respected. Don Garlits recently apologized for jumping ship to them from Isky's back in the late-'50s or early-'60s. That sums up my knowledge. Can anybody tell me when they went out of business? Thanks.
Whoa !! I was a young dude reading hot rod magazines back then. If my parents had seen that ad, the magazine and my butt would both have been burned up !! lol --- Steve ---
Yep, saw that. It doesn't really say what happened to Giovanoni, though. Garlits said they closed up on him, which is why he went to Crower, but I'm not sure when that was. 1959? 1964? I'm not a drag-race historian, so I don't know when his sponsorships changed.
Do a search There was a post about him that listed a lot of his history. I became interested when I spotted the address on his shop truck. I knew that it was a Wash DC address. As I understand it, he started in DC and then moved to Fla. Lots of info in that old thread. I was not driving yet when he was in town. I love this picture.
Sorry, I composed this post on my phone and the autocorrect wants to make it that way. I've done multiple searches, and all the info seems to be for the '58-'59 era. Nothing definitive about when the end was.
I remember seeing this car run Convair Field in Allentown Pa. in 55 - 56. What a runner. It was all flat black then. Oh yea, it had a Flat head.
Sorry to bring this thread back around but can anyone identify this speed shop? I can't quite read the text in the corner...
Since the provocative lady straddling the cam, head back ect, was mentioned check out the angle of the 'bump stick' on the trucks buck board. Yep, sex sells.
Same decal but with "Speed Specialties"as the cam company. That before,after? Same outfit?Were they from California?
I have seven new large t shirts that have been sitting in a box for many years. Don't know where they came from but they are ''new'', that is never worn. They are what we had left after the tornado at the Goodguys indy years ago. These were in the truck. I have pictures from when I was a flagger in 1960 and Garlits had Giovannoni cams on Swamp Rat two. Same day his brother Ed ran Swamp Rat one.
I have had rhat decal on every hot rod I had since 1961. I often wondered how Speed Sport Specialties of Pacific Palisaides could use this very similar logo. ~sololobo~
After my dad quit driving for Herbert,(Chet wanted to run Chevys & my dad hated em),he started running Giovanonni Cams. Heres a magazine article with my dad & Garlits. My dad told me the story many yrs ago,,Garlits saw that my dad was doing pretty good with the G Cams & he jumped ship with Isky for awhile & started using G Cams. The picture is my mom,dad & myself from 61,,and that's yours truly "modeling" a tshirt in a Giovanonni Cams brochure from 61 as well,,I was 4.
The Jalopy Journal
