During the Meecum auction in Des Moines on TV, (the owner of Meecum Auctions) made the announcement that he just secured the McMullens 32 Roadster for the Auction in California. Did anybody else hear that announcement. If so, It`ll be the highest selling price for a 32.
Totally not meant to start a shit-storm but..... Wonder what the highest price paid for a '32 has been to date? Not the cost to build but the highest purchase price. If McMullen's isn't the highest, I imagine it'll come close. JH
I'd rather have the Doane Spencer roadster. I remember watching Tom drive that thing through Bob's drive in in Whittier in the 60's, don't know how he made it through the line without overheating.
I didn`t start this to talk about the price of the car. I made that comment because of the long history of the car and the coverage it has had in Street Rodder. .
And Hot Rod..........And Popular Hot Rodding. It is an iconic car. I was a teenager in the 60's. When someone asks me for MY idea of a hot rod, it's the first car that pops into my head. Is the car still in El Paso? Larry T
If you collect the HRM and the 2 PHR articles, you get to see the car right before and right after the switch to Chevy trans and Chevy-based QC. I think I also have an early feature from when McMullen had just bought it...one of the small obscure custom/rod magazines.
I have a Hot Rod magazine around here somewhere where McMullen has it listed for sale for $5K. I suspect that this time around the selling price will be higher.
Yeah, weren't there at least three "McMullen roadsters"? Original one, Moser-engined one, and the SR Magazine poorly-done copy.
Didn't the original build have the car start with a credit card?? It turned the hot rod world on it's ass back in the day. I used to have both front covers of the car 15 or 20 years apart......Lost them somewhere... TBJ
Here's the "Mosher" one I took when we were in Visalia for Roadster Roundup in the mid 70's How many knew the logo on the early Street Rodder covers were his pet cougar?---He even brought the cougar to our LAR meeting one night!---On a leash!!! Also his magazine letters TRM stood for his first wife & Tom (Tom & Rosemary McMullen). Lots of "Inside stories" on Tom over the early years!----Don
Rosemary Genuso was Tom's first wife, but I can't remember anyone ever calling her anything but "Rose" Well, there were a few choice names after the divorce, but that's a different story. She Drag Raced A '57 Corvette under the name Wild Rose. When I first went to work for McMullen (Truckin' Magazine) I was introduced to one of the cougar's (not Rose, but the big ass cat) about scared me to death (there were 3, Cibie, Spoke, and Wheel) - there was also a Black Panther and a Leopard. And at onetime a Bobcat, but I think Dave Brackett took that one home as a pet. Tom and Rose divorced in 1974. He married Deana in '78 and she was with him in the plane when they passed. The company name had changed to McMullen Publications, then when Tom partnered with Ken Yee it became McMullen & Yee. In 95 that was bought out by K-III and certain titles were now published as McMullen-Argus Publishing, which was renamed Primedia in 1997. Then in 2005 Primaedia was bought out by The Source Company which became Source Interlink, which brings us to today. Whew! As for the original 32, doesn't Jorge Zaragoza still own the car? Hey Don, did you know Lynn Rosevear when he was in LA Roasters as well?
Getting further off track.. Before moving from Niagara Falls to California & marrying Tom, Rose was a regular winner at Niagara International Dragway.
I guess it will have to hit $523,000 or better. Bobhttp://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/tag/ermie-immerso/
"As for the original 32, doesn't Jorge Zaragoza still own the car?" If it's still in ElPaso I'm sure he does.
Got to remember the Petersen bought Ermie Immerso's '32 Orange Twist and it has quite the cash reserves to get what they want. I guess the McMullen roadster will be in $300,000 - $500,000 range.
I know the Orange Twist won the AMBR trophy but 50% or more people have never heard of Ermie or the Orange Twist. Then there`s the other guy who lost out at a $5oo,ooo bid. Wasn`t Ermie the crew chief or head mechanic for Carrol Shelby.
Even fewer folks remember that Dick Smith originally built Ermie Immerso's '32 Orange Twist and Buffalo Motors did a great job of making it perfect... But, I totally agree... Few cars are as widely known as th McMullen roadster... Just the number of times it was on the cover of Street Rodder it would be impossible not to be aware of it
Not really, I just checked my old LAR roster, Lynn's LAR card number was #51, don't know the year, but my LAR card # is 144, I came into the club in 1971. Yep, when Tom Married Deanna, he invited the LAR club to the wedding, not only LAR, but quite a few notables in the car magazine field. If I remember correctly, it was held close to Knotts berry farm. Tom had a few of us over for dinner at his mansion in Orange(?) one time, & gave us the "cooks tour" of his facility---Wow!--Whatta' layout!--Including the old mine tour! Did you ever see his & Deanna's home?? After LAR meeting on one night after Tom built the "Mosher" we were cruising to a restaraunt & thru some tunnels, I was next to Tom & later told him his new Mosher sounded like a "Cement Mixer" with all the noise it made in the tunnel!!---Yep, lots of stories!!!!----Don