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Lance Reventlow's Incredible California Hot Rod

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ron Kellogg, May 5, 2010.

  1. Flatheadguy
    Joined: Dec 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,037

    Flatheadguy
    Member

    Proud to say that my Uncle Warren Olson was one of the kingpins in the design, construction, maintanance and overall organization of the Scarab race team from beginning to (sadly) the end. All those who were affliliated with the team were brilliant. And Lance was a true gentleman....as were they all.
     
  2. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    The Scarab is without a doubt, the ultimate front engine sports racer. Performance aside, they have a certain rightness about them.

    All three of the original front engined Scarabs are currently actively vintage raced.

    Rob Walton owns what I will call chassis #1. This car is the left hand drive car which Reventlow converted this car to street use in the early 60's.

    Augie Pabst owns chassis 2 which is a RHD drive car. Augie also owns the mid-engined 1962 Scarab. Pabst did not own the Meister Brau team. Harry Heuer was the team principal, with the cars funded by the Peter Hand Brewery of Chicago. Augie was the lead driver in 1959 and 1960, left the team, and got the cars final win in 1963. Augie is getting older, and has not raced the car for the last two years, although it has been at the track. If he should choose to not drive, I would think we will see his son Augie III in the car as he is very competent behind the wheel.

    The Collier Museum in Florida owns chassis 3 (RHD, identified by hood scoop), which was badly wrecked in 1962, subsequently repaired, then burned in a garage fire. It was restored, then re-restored in recent years with a new frame and body. This car was originally delivered with a 4 cylinder Offy engine, and replaced with a SBC almost immediately.
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  3. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    I have a signed letter from your uncle on RAI stationary in my Scarab shrine at home. He and his lovely bride, Miss Simone are very nice people.
     
  4. bonesy
    Joined: Aug 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,999

    bonesy
    Member


    Hahaha - I thought the same thing.
     
  5. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    BRE Datsun legend John Morton in the Collier Museum chassis #3 at Road America, 2008

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    Augie Pabst III in the 1962 rear engine Scarab. This was the final car built by RAI. It ran an aluminum Buick originally, and now has SBC power.

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    Augie exiting pit lane at Road America in chassis #2, about 1993.

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Thanks for the info!!!

    Are you going to the "Hunnert Car Heads Up" at the Grove this Saturday?
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  9. DocWatson
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 10,273

    DocWatson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    All this and all I get is nostalgic for O/T motorcycles. Ducati have way too much of my money, it was a 'stage' I guess? 916 996 998.............(I dont want to admit to the other).
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  10. rexrogers
    Joined: Sep 18, 2007
    Posts: 1,033

    rexrogers
    Member

    I was able to be involved with doing a little work on the anniversary Scarab a few years back, those cars are beyond cool. I am surprised you don't see more of the recreations out there.
     
  11. That guy sure had a great life going up to the end...and he was married to Jill St. John to boot...she was always a fav of mine...Ho Hum...

     
  12. calorchard
    Joined: Nov 29, 2009
    Posts: 69

    calorchard
    Member

    [​IMG]

    My photo with autograph....now I will have to take a closer look !!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
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  13. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    pretty neat image.... cool

    they still use them... and quite succesfully.

    I'm more of an air cooled 2 valve guy, missing my sport a little these days, though the Guzzi is fun... Nailheads and Ducs, do you like hot redheads as well?
     
  14. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    There was a single seater Scarab "restored" locally about 10 years ago, but I don't know what was original about it.
     
  15. Wasn't Jim Hall also involved with this Scarab stuff? I think the car he called Chaparell I was a front engine Scarab.
     
  16. racer756
    Joined: May 24, 2006
    Posts: 1,558

    racer756
    Member

    I wish my folks would have worked a little harder...
     
  17. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    In 1961, Dick Troutman & Tom Barnes who were involved with building the original Reventlow cars came up with a next generation design, that you could loosely call, an "updated" Scarab. But Reventlow had no involvement with it. Jim Hall ultimately bankrolled the construction of those cars, which became the Chaparral I. As you can see, there is a fair bit of resemblance, although they lack the grace of the Reventlow cars. I'd call the Chaparral I something of a half-brother to a Scarab.

    The Chapparal I cars were fast and won their share of races. Harry Heuer of the Meister Brau team drove both, and in comparing the two cars, has been quoted that "the Scarab never tried to kill anyone".


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  18. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    In the early 1980's, Lance's half-brother Richard Reventlow commissioned Dick Troutman to build a 25th Anniversary edition, shown below. I assume Richard had the car built because no originals were available for sale. With very few updates, the car is identical to the 1958 models. Richard sold the car to Ron Kellogg who owned it for quite a few years. It later passed to Bob Sirna who puts it on track with Tony Delorenzo at the wheel. Perhaps Ron can provide some more details on the car and his time with it.

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    Do you happen to have any photos from Meadowdale '58?
     
  20. Ron Kellogg
    Joined: Nov 9, 2009
    Posts: 14

    Ron Kellogg

    Hello Flatheadguy, you have got to be proud of your Uncle Warren Olsen, & Aunt Simone, they were much more then a major factor, they really ran the whole Scarab operation, Warren ran the shop, and hired & fired as needed, Simone did so much, she handled the books for the company, they both ran the Europe racing program, I sent them many photos to let me know who the people were, and recieved the names of almost everyone shown, a real class act, and nice people, that I have found so many over the years owning some of the very special cars & things over the years, and thanks so much to Ryan allowing me to show some of this history to all of you, as I do get a kick from the nice comments over the months, you all might be surprized how my family had to put up with because of my love for the automobile in any form, met some of the great drivers, and believe me, funds were not really there, but instead of buying a new Ford or Chev for 3 grand, I'd buy a used 300SL for that same amount, and my wife would go shopping, or deliver our daughter & son to school, and it was a thrill driving some of the great cars, and owning some great racing cars on a budget, was a lot of fun, and guess I should write a book one of these days, once I have the time, but who cares about a car guy who has owned a bunch of cars, and by the way all you guys I have found are very pure in your love of the history of the automotive world, so as long as you don't get bored, I'll try and get something interesting each month for all to enjoy, as I get more out of this then you get from reading and looking at the stuff I put out for all to see.
    Have a GREAT SUMMER
    Ron Kellogg
     
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  21. oldandkrusty
    Joined: Oct 8, 2002
    Posts: 2,141

    oldandkrusty
    Member

    Ron, there is no way that you can get more pleasure out of posting your wonderful bits of nostalgia and the accompanying photos than those of us HAMBers who love history and can't wait to relive it. If so, it is most likely illegal and the federales will soon be coming to your house to haul you away!

    Now that you have baited the hook, you've got all of us here on the HAMB anxiously waiting for your next installment of the Kellogg Chronicles. More please...

     
  22. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    After Reventlow was done with the front engine sports cars, he sold one of them to Jim Jeffords of Milwaukee for $17,500. Jeffords found a backer in the Stephani brothers who owned Nickey Chevroley in Chicago. They painted the car purple, and dubbed it the "Nickey Nouse". Here is Jeffords on the treacherous Meadowdale Raceway track in 1959. When the Stephanis cooled on the expense of racing the car, it was sold to Harry Heuer and the Meister Brau racing team, where it raced until 1963. This is the car Augie Pabst bought in the late 70's, and has vintage raced since.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2010
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  23. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    Also from Meadowdale is this beautiful postcard from July 1959. Jeffords is on the pole. Augie Pabst is in the red #7 Ferrari in the middle of the front row. The Scarab Jeffords is driving is the same car that Chuck Daigh decimated the field with the previous September.

    [​IMG]
     
  24. OK. This must explain why a guy writing letters to the editor of Car and Driver used the pen name, 'Rent Snatchlow'.
     
  25. hotrodtom
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 231

    hotrodtom
    Member

     
  26.  
  27. Deuce3wCpe
    Joined: Aug 21, 2004
    Posts: 848

    Deuce3wCpe
    Member
    from New Jersey

    I thought Californian Don Orosco owned a Scarab. I think..........could be wrong about that...thought I saw it some years ago at Riverside.


    .....also thinking Dutch did all of the lettering, striping, etc. for Reventlow on the original cars.




    .
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2010
  28. Warbird7
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 99

    Warbird7
    Member

    Orosco owned the Reventlow LHD car. He sold that car to Rob Walton about a decade ago. But, I believe Orosco had a replica built that he has since vintage raced, and probably still owns.

    Yes, Von Dutch did paint work on the Reventlow cars. The story told in the Scarab book was that he would come in at night and work. In the morning there would be beer cans, masking paper and all sorts of debris scattered all over, but the cars would be beautiful. He would mix the paint until he got a color he liked and was quoted as saying "That's a nice blue". From then on the color of the RAI cars was called "That's a nice blue".
     
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