Hot rods are invited to Alfa Romeo’s centennial, Jaguar’s 75th and the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta’s 50th birthday bashes.
Hot rods were last shown at Pebble Beach in 2007.
Uniquely American, hot rods continue to draw appreciation and respect both here and around the world. The historic sense of community that was integral to early hot rod culture continues to connect powerfully with people.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of diehard hot rodders Ken Gross, Bruce Meyer and others, the powers at Pebble Beach opened up the “green” for the first time to America’s performance heritage: Hot Rods. That was 1997. Since then, America’s premier Concours has hosted a Hot Rod Class every two to three years. The last time that hot rods roamed the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links was 2007 when the Deuce was the featured rod.
Spurgin-Giovanine roadster at SCTA meet in 1948.
The 60th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (August 15) will showcase and celebrate the halcyon days of dry lakes racing, during the years just before and after World War II. That’s when young men with little money but remarkable intuitive engineering and a lot of enthusiasm built cars in their backyards that rivaled the performance of the best in the world. Before the term hot rod had been coined, they built and raced very fast cars.
Alfa Romeo celebrates its centennial this year.
The Hot Rod Lakesters and Bonneville Racers Class at this year’s Concours will include cars built and raced between 1927 and 1953, the years when this form of racing developed and flourished. Also being celebrated this year are the 75th anniversary of Jaguar, Alfa Romeo’s centennial, and legendary Ghia-designed vehicles. Special classes will focus on the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, the centennial of the Indianapolis 500, and Prewar American Motorcycles.
One of the highlights of this year’s Hot Rod class is the Spurgin-Giovanine roadster, a California dry lakes racer that in 1948 set world records at six consecutive Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) meets and was the year’s overall points champion. It was also “Hot Rod of the Month” and on the cover of the March 1949 issue of Hot Rod. Whereas virtually all other successful competitors ran Ford or Mercury Flathead V8s, Chuck Spurgin and Bob Giovanine chose a highly modified Chevrolet four-banger!
Racers, L to R, Rufi, Giovanine and Spurgin at Muroc, 1948.
The car they built and raced so successfully was recently discovered intact after four decades parked behind a home in the California desert. This diminutive, hand-built racecar has been painstakingly restored and will be shown publicly for the first time on August 15. Current owner Ernest Nagamatsu has brought the car back to its 1940s racing trim and, even more importantly, back into the families of the men who originally built it. “Helping to bring this long lost and legendary racecar back into public view has been a terrific experience,” said Dr. Nagamatsu, a dentist from Los Angeles. “But connecting with the families of the men who built and campaigned the car, and giving them a chance to see first-hand what their dads cared so much about, has been magic.”
“This car epitomizes hot rod ingenuity, and its story is one of community and family. It’s still drawing people together,” said Dr. Nagamatsu. “Curt Giovanine discovered he had the original 1948 header for the car, as confirmed by weld marks shown in photographs from the 1948 season. He said to me, ‘This header belongs to the car,’ and he gave it to me. This reflects the spirit of the project and the car. As one of the most important and significant hot rods ever raced, I’m honored to share it with families of Bob and Chuck and to have it included in this year’s Hot Rod Class at the Pebble Beach Concours.”
First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has grown to be the world’s premier celebration of the automobile. For more information, please visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net