Event Coverage McGee Roadster, Hirohata Merc & Gypsy Rose On the Mall in DC

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/...rs-to-appear-on-the-national-mall/?refer=news

 

Great representations of the categories! We're sure to pick up some appreciation and maybe a few new enthusiasts from the display. It'll also serve to "educate" the public as to what a true Hot Rod, Custom and Lowrider is. No flamed PT Cruisers, RR, etc. misconceptions.

 

Here's the Goodguys Rod & Custom press release regarding the event:

Hot Rods to Cruise the U.S. Capital

Washington, D.C. (March 16, 2017) – The Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) announced today that three iconic cars representing unique American car culture will be displayed “center stage” on the National Mall in Washington D.C. from April 12 to May 4, 2017:

• April 12 – 19 Gypsy Rose 1964 Chevrolet Impala “lowrider”
• April 20 – 26 McGee Roadster 1932 Ford V8 “hot rod”
• April 27 – May 4 Hirohata Merc 1951 Mercury Coupe “radical custom”

The vehicles will be exhibited in the HVA glass case on the walkway between the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and National Gallery of Art. The exhibition is free to the public. The vehicles are privately owned and are being commemorated and recorded as part of the HVA National Historic Vehicle Register in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) to be permanently archived in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Gypsy Rose is a beautifully painted 1964 Chevrolet Impala designed to go “low and slow” when it cruised East LA in the 1970s. It was known as one of the most extravagantly painted lowriders of the period and was featured in the opening of the 1970s sitcom “Chico and the Man.” Gypsy Rose was featured on the cover of Lowrider Magazine in 1980.


The McGee Roadster is a hot rod based on a 1932 Ford V8 Roadster. It was built by Bob McGee, a soldier who returned from the war and attended and played football for the University of Southern California. McGee raced the car on the California dry lake beds and used the car to promote hot rod safety. The iconic car was featured on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948.


The Hirohata Merc is a 1951 Mercury Coupe that was purchased by Bob Hirohata and extensively customized by master craftsmen Sam and George Barris at their shop in Lynwood, California in 1952. It was striped by Von Dutch and featured modified design elements from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, and Lincoln. Under Hirohata’s ownership, it was driven cross country from LA to Indianapolis and Detroit and back. The car collected over 150 trophies during the first several years it was shown.

​

“The HVA’s objective is to share America’s automotive heritage with the American people,” said Mark Gessler, President of the Historic Vehicle Association. “The three cars being recognized on the National Mall represent a uniquely American story of the talented builders that modified production cars for speed and style. These three examples represent true national treasures of the early days of the hot rod, custom and lowrider movements. It is their first time in Washington, DC.”

The HVA expect hot rods, custom cars and lowriders to descend on the nation’s capital during the exhibition. This three-week 2017 exhibition expands upon the two-week 2016 HVA Cars at the Capital exhibition that featured President Taft’s 1909 White Steam Car and President Reagan’s 1962 Willys ‘Jeep’ CJ-6.

The 2017 Cars at the Capital exhibition is underwritten in part through the generous support from Shell (including their Pennzoil and Quaker State brands), Hagerty, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), and TEN: The Enthusiast Network (including its AUTOMOBILE, HOT ROD, and LOWRIDER brands).



About the Historic Vehicle Association

The HVA is dedicated to preserving and sharing America’s automotive heritage. In 2014, the HVA established the National Historic Vehicle Register in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage Documentation Programs and Library of Congress to document historically significant automobiles in America’s past. The HVA is supported by over 400,000 individual historic vehicle owners, key stakeholders and corporations, as well as individual benefactors. Please visit: historicvehicle.org​

 

If you haven't seen the McGee roadster, check out the deck lid, never seen another one like it.

 

WOOHOO!!!!

I'm chaperoning for my school's trip to DC in April, and will get to see the McGee Roadster!

 

WOW!.. How cool! Will be great to see our hobby get the just recognition. Hope this educates a whole new group of folks to the "art" aspect of our beloved hot rods and customs. Sure wish they were all three on display at the same time. What a great impression that would make. ....Guess I have to make 3 trips into the city now......................Don.

 

Very cool pick of cars I love them all


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I snapped these on the way home from work. Sorry for the glare. It really is a beautiful car close up.

 

Notice the license & taillights are on the trunk lid?

 

Maybe already asked but do they leave them out there overnight?

 

............................That was one of the subtle yet really hallmark body modifications as well as hidden door hinges and others that made the car so special for its' time.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures, Gary. It is one iconic Roadster for sure.

 

back up.

 

We were there this morning. That glass box was ventilated. And great exhibit.

Sent from my SM-G920P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Great picture, Ron. Thanks for posting.

 

Ron, I must have missed you by a short few hours! Our tour went from the Air & Space to the new African American museum at 1:30 yesterday, so I had about 5 minutes to run out and grab a few pics (chaperones can't be choosers)

2935ford, yes, they leave them out (they are on 24 hour guard) and the "box" is lit- our tour guide saw last week's car and said it looked awesome lit up on the mall, since there aren't many other lights out there. DC apparently uses as little street light as possible to keep the light pollution down to bring better attention to the monuments, memorials, etc.

 

...................................That, plus it gives the criminals a better opportunity to ply their trade.

 

Nice car I should go and see it..

 

Yes, you should.
It's worth fighting the traffic.

 

................I'll ride "shotgun".............and I mean that literally.

 

The McGee roadster and the Hirohata Merc are naturally the ones that attracted my attention first but I have a (little) connection to the Gypsy Rose car, too. I bought a '53 Merc stroker motor here in Taos, NM that was built in the mid sixties in Inglewood, CA by a guy named Ralph Prey, and one of his sons was Walt Prey, the original painter of the Gypsy Rose. I think all the roses, etc were done with One Shot and hand painted. Like I said, a small connection, but it's always fun to see how we're still connected to the past in this hobby. The flathead also has a Roto-Faze distributor, made by Joe Panek, the subject of a couple recent threads. I got the original receipt for the distributor (from 1964) in a large manila envelope along with all the other original receipts for the engine parts from Edelbrock, Isky, Newhouse, Service Center, etc. Cool stuff.

 

We took the MARC train from Point of Rocks Md. To Union Station. Better than fighting the traffic. I'm planning on going back to see the Futureliner too. You should check out the American history museum also. They have a lot of H.A.M.B. friendly Hot Rods, the 1939 Athan Roadster,{ Elvis movie car}, Old cars, Trucks, Buses, gas pumps, etc. I just edited this to say, it may look like I'm just posting pictures of the the grand kids.{ Sorry}, but I guess I am! lol But it is a great trip, and well worth it! Ron...

Sent from my SM-G920P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

images from the 1932 McGee Roadster on National Display HOT ROD news article
(written by Brandon Gillogy on April 24, 2017)​

 

^^^^Love those night images^^^

 

Now that's cool!

 

This shot is just absolutely incredible. Looks like a model car in one of those clear acrylic cases.

 

The display boxes on the mall are very similar to the enclosures BMW has been using at Concours car shows the last few years - only the roof fascia / trim and lower info panels are different. I've also been wondering about security.... hate to see any of those historic builds messed with. Gary

 

PS... wonder who gets to clean all that glass?!?!?!? Gary

 

Glass cleaning Union Members I would think. Bob

 

The National Park Service, I suspect. Hopefully, those chosen are also car geeks. Gary