Motion Pictures Craig Breedlove's Dragster

The rocket powered drag strip rocket was on the front cover of car craft back then when it was yellow and sponsored by screeming yellow zonkers.

 

He also ran a fully streamlined front motored digger for a short time. It's sitting in Garlit's museum.

 

Thanks for another great film Mazooma1. Your archive of both still and moving pictures is amazing!

 

The following three shots of Craig Breedlove's "streamliner" are from George Klass who was the third partner in the famous "Pulsator" twin Chevy fueler. In retrospect, this car was way ahead of its time. Note the front wheel farrings... these were another first and did not appear again for another 6 years on rear engine fuelers. The nose looks a lot like Garlits' 1993 "spoon car". Hummm? Actually, the major problem with this car (as in Tommy Ivo's "Videoliner") were the aerodynamics and of course, the weight. Breedlove only ran the car five times with no success whatsoever. Back to the salt flats.

This is a good shot of Al Sharp and his trick aluminum heads. The engine belonged to Al (354" Chrysler). The car has the first dragster tire ever built by Goodyear and they were terrible... but Goodyear learned quick! Craig Breedlove on left -- no clue on right.
Photo from George Klass

In one of its rare appearances, Craig Breedlove's "Shell Oil Streamliner" smokes the hides at Riverside in 1964... its one and only appearance at a drag strip.
Photo from George Klass

 

Craig Breedlove - "Spirit II" - AA/FD - Riverside, 1964

 

Pete Ogden and Denny Craig who both worked on that car passed away in the last year or so.Those guys had so much talent it was scary. They are missed.

 

that was an amazing video , talk about quick , fast and in a hurry!! wow!

 

the car is for sale on this site.
http://www.creative-interiors.com/1969SOA.htm

Interesting history about the car. He crashed it at Bonneville, but the real death of the car was a ban on the interstate transportation of the rocket fuel.

 

I remember reading a story about a teenage Craig Breedlove in one of the early issues of TRJ....if I recall he jumped in a deuce 3 window that belonged to a friend of his and was flying down the street in it when he pitched it sideways into a curb. The car flipped violently and flung him out of the roof insert...right through the wooden ribbing and chicken wire! He laid on the ground like he was dead until the cops showed up at which point he jumped up and took off running..........anybody else remember reading this story or did I dream it?

 

Yeah, the guy that owned the coupe was of course really bummed out! Imagine loaning your car to this hot shoe Breedlove and having him wreck it! Hah! Giant cojones though, he.

 

Don't forget Breedlove drove the Daytona Coupe & set a few endurance records @ the salt too.

 

Awesome. I had the chance to meet him at a Goodguys show a few years ago. He was there as one of the guests, doing the whole signing autographs thing. I didn't meet him at the signing but actually at one of the lunch tables. My friend and I were sitting there and he asked if this seat was taken and I invited him to have a seat, not realizing who he was. Through conversation he introduced himself and I was starstruck. I realized this was the lsr record holder I had read about as a kid.
In essence, I had lunch with Craig Breedlove! How Cool!
A truly genuine, cool and laidback gentleman.

 

By the look of it, that's a three-wheeled car, and if I'm not mistaken it wasn't considered a 'car' by the sanctioning authorities. Looks like it worked REAL good though. Shot out of a cannon and dead straight. I still reckon it's cheating though if you ain't turning the tyres.

Dig that helmet too.

 

This clip is one in a series from a BBC documentary on the Arfons vs Breedlove battle for the land speed record. Craig's reaction is at the 4 minute mark.

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I posted the whole series here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=382723

 

That was just fucking stupendous! THANKS!

 

That is pure treasure. Man to hear those young icons chatting it up with the big hair and all the signs of the time. The vocals being so clear, and the casual approach is mind bending, just so rare to hear a conversation such as this. Watching the other stuff around the whole scene is awesome as well. Very special and deeply appreciated by me, thanx for my fix. Ahh! gold rollin thru my veins!! ~Sololobo~

 

Great morning wake up call. HAMB! Thanks. Slim

 

thanks ryan and mazooma for bringing that video to light. very enjoyable

 

Mr. Breedlove? That name sounds familiar. Isn't that the name of Janette Lee's (aka The Black Widow) husband? I don't recall his first name.

He was just on American Chopper.

 

One of my heros as a kid. Still one of my heros as a man.

 

Bravo..........excellent video Thanks for sharing

 

He sounds real laidback, not like a speed junkie...seems like he should have been trying to catch a wave...that was an amazing video...i love this place...

 

Rocket Power, Simply Fantastic!! Craig is soooo Cool. Thanks for sharing this!!

 

Super cool film! Craig Breedlove is one of my heros! After he swam out of the water at B'ville he said "and for my next trick..I'll set myself on fire"! The documantary In Search of Speed - The Battle of Bonneville is here on the hamb in it's entirety in another thread and is definately worth watching.

I remember back in 1974 or 75 I saw the Armor All Rocket dragster make a run at Sacramento Raceway. It ran 5.0 et at 300 mph and about blew me out of the stands! Rockets are not jets. The jet dragsters are tame and plentiful compared to jet cars. Breedloves and the Armor All car are the only jets I've ever heard of.

 

My Craig Breedlove story is from 1966 or so. Breedlove's wife (or ex-wife) and daughter were living in Costa Mesa, CA., just about a block away from us and went to the same 5th grade school as I did. Somehow, contact was made with Craig and an "Assembly" was scheduled and the whole school went off to the auditorium meet Craig and watch a film of his salt flat exploits.
When the film was over dozens of young kids surrounded Breedlove to get his autograph, me included.
My big regret is I did not SAVE IT!!. But it was a cool experience to meet the man.
Tom

 

Ummm...not quite sure what you're saying here. Jets or rockets?

 

Great stuff, Thanks for sharing

 

Breedlove was pretty impressive, but if you're talking CRAZY (in a good way), then you can't go past Rosco McGlashan and his ROCKET powered bike and go-kart. He lives here in Perth, haven't seen him for a while though.