If you always thought you were “too cool for school,” do we have a Pick of the Day for you. It’s a 1947 Chevrolet school bus that proclaims “Too Kool for School” as it travels on down the road. (Sorry, would-be buyers, the bus just sold, but we find it so interesting that we’re sharing its story nonetheless.)
The bus is advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, which notes this vehicle originally was titled as a station wagon, until the Kowalski Customs Company got involved.
Kowalski apparently added the rear “box” from a 1986 Wolfington school bus to the 1947 Chevy wagon to create a vehicle for a driver and 12 passengers.
“All excellent, with modern conveniences, a new engine, and a complete restoration,” the dealer notes. “Your story of walking miles to school in shoes that were passed down from your siblings just went right out of the folding entry door.”
The dealer points out a blackened grille and bumpers, a front-hinged hood, rounded fenders with chrome bezel headlamps, and chromed front wheels with large wheel nuts in the center, “just like the big guys.” Rear wheels are dualies.
The bus has tinted windows and the rounded back looks much more like the late ’40s than the mid-’80s, and still with an emergency exit door and flashing lights.
Inside, there’s the driver’s seat, with overhead controls for lights and air conditioning, and with that handy door-handle mechanism. Each of the 6 vinyl-covered bench seats are designed to hold a pair of occupants.
“Please be reminded,” the dealer notes, “you will be stopping at all RR crossings where the folding door will be opened to complete the STOP/LOOK and LISTEN requirement.”
The bus is powered by a 350cid Chevy small-block V8 with a 4-speed automatic transmission and Dana 60 rear.
Under the bus, there is “some surface rust, some patina, but overall a solid frame and floor pan and a big fuel tank on back. A like-new exhaust system is snaking its way towards the back through independent coil spring suspension up front and leaf springs in back. Power disc brakes are on the front, and power drums are on back.”
The dealer adds, “It’s not every day one gets to drive a 1947 Kool Bus, so I hopped on and fired it up. It sprang to life effortlessly, and it was off to my route and picking up the kids. Nice smooth acceleration, good solid braking, and quick and responsive power steering allowed me to handle this fairly large vehicle with ease.
“All lighting was working, and I was able to hold up traffic on main street for a good solid hour with my every block stops.”
A white 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible that was the last automobile to safely carry President John F. Kennedy before he was assassinated sold for $375,075 during the Bonhams American Presidential Experience Auction held October 14 in New York.
The Lincoln convertible, which on the fateful morning of November 22 1963, took Kennedy and the First Lady to the Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth for the flight to Dallas, was the top-selling piece of presidential memorabilia presented at the auction.
President Kennedy, the First Lady and Texas Governor John Connally being driven in the 1963 Lincoln | Archive photo
The second-highest sale was that of a personal Kennedy item, his government-issued Air Force One leather bomber jacket that the President had given to his friend and advisor David Powers. The jacket, with the presidential seal affixed over the right breast, sold for $250,075.
Several other large pieces of Kennedy memorabilia were no sales at the auction, including a 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark VExecutive Limousine used by President Kennedy for personal trips in Washington, DC.; the full-size display replica of the Boeing 707 used as Air Force One; and the full-size replica of the Oval Office in the White House, complete with furniture and decoration.
The Presidential Experience Auction, which included a number of other historic presidential items from various administrations, was held with a live auctioneer on the rostrum at the Bonhams’ showroom on Madison Avenue and was live streamed on the Bonhams website, with bids accepted online, by phone or by absentee bidding.
Kennedy’s leather flight jacket received strong bidding | Bonhams
The two presidential Lincolns were the only automobiles at the auction, which also offered documents, letters, photos and other significant items linked with a number of presidents, such as a lock of George Washington’s hair and a stone fragment from the White House.
Two auction lots placed third in the bidding, each selling for $12,575: a framed display piece memorializing Kennedy’s creation of the Peace Corp., including the pen used in the signing, and an 18th Century china set used during the years that Thomas Jefferson occupied the White House.
For more results from the auction, visit the Bonhams website.
Fascinating story in the Automotive Hall of Fame museum newsletter from Dearborn, Michigan, regarding Ralph Teetor. “Who?” you might ask.
Turns out that in 1945, engineer Ralph Teetor created the technology we know as cruise control, though he called it “Speedostat” in his patent application.
Making Teetor’s creation all the more impressive was the fact that he was blind.
Ralph Teetor
Born in Hagerstown, Indiana, in 1890, Teetor lost his sight as a youngster, but his father and uncles trained him to be a machinist and at age 13, Teetor built his own car.
He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, helped the U.S. Navy balance steam-turbine rotors on its ships during World War I, and went to work for the family company, Perfect Circle Corporation, as lead engineer for the automotive supplier.
Teetor’s sense of touch was remarkable and there are stories about him inspecting castings and identifying variances as small as .002 inch.
His Speedostat was inspired by Teetor’s driver. Teetor didn’t like the way his driver varied his car’s speed as they traveled so he created a device that would enable a consistent rate of travel. Chrysler became the first to install what it called “Auto-Pilot” into its vehicles in 1958. Cadillac followed suit a year later with the now-generically recognized “Cruise Control.”
In 1945, Teetor addressed a group of blind World War II veterans, telling them, “you are not handicapped so long as you can think logically.”
Semi-Autonomous Corvette on display
The SAM Corvette | Museum photo
After his body but not his spirit was shattered in a crash during an Indycar race, Sam Schmidt vowed to drive again around the famed Brickyard. That was made possible with the help of Arrow Electronics, which worked with Schmidt to produce SAM, the Semi-Autonomous Motorcar that Schmidt drove at more than 100 mph around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Schmidt also has driven SAMs up Pikes Peak and reached 192 mph in a demonstration run. He also has been granted a one-off Nevada license to drive Arrow Corvettes on public roads.
And now, the original SAM Corvette has gone on display at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Petersen offers online preview
Although the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has yet to re-open because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, its staff has been busy preparing three new exhibits, and you can preview them online.
The exhibits are:
Supercars: A Century of Spectacle and Speed, featuring such vehicles as the 1991 Ferrari F40 and 1998 McLaren F1 LM.
Extreme Conditions, featuring such vehicles as the 1989 Porshce 964 “Desert Flyer” that raced in Mexico; “Goldirocks,” a rock-crawler Jeep raced by the late Jessi Combs; a 2020 Land Rover Defender Trek; and a pair of Zero South Hummer H1s that traveled across Antarctica.
Redefining Performance, featuring such Porsches as a 1951 356SL Gmund Coupe, 1979 935 Kremer K3 and 2016 911 RSR.
Costume party car show
Although the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California, remains closed due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, it is staging an online costume party car show starting November 8 and running until winners are announced on the 12th. For details, visit the museum website.
Gilmore offers ‘Haunted Hunt’
Speaking of Halloween tricks and treats, the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, will stage a “Haunted Hunt” on October 29, 30 and 31.
“Spooky clues will lead you through the campus and when completed, the kids will receive a small bag of candy,” the museum said. “It’s sure to be a fun and safe alternative to traditional trick or treating.”
Beaulieu opens its workshop
Britain’s National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is opening its vehicle workshop to non-museum vehicles.
“For nearly half a century, the workshop engineers have kept the National Motor Museum’s prestigious vehicle collection in tip-top order, tackling Land Speed Record breakers, legendary racing cars, unique luxury limousines, film star cars and more,” the museum said in its announcement.
“Now the workshop engineers are offering the same quality of service to private owners of historic vehicles, from veteran and vintage cars all the way up to pre-1970s classics.”
If you missed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s recent ZoomCast featuring historian Donald Davidson and broadcaster Bob Jenkins, or if you simply want to watch it again, it is now available for viewing on the museum’s YouTube channel.
Special events this weekend
1935 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne | Museum photo by Michael Furman
The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, continues the Under the Hood video series on its YouTube channel on October 16 with a detailed look at the 1935 Voisin Type C25 Aerodyne.
The Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island stages a “hoods-up” weekend October 17-18 with the engines exposed on more than 75 vehicles.
On October 17, the Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, stages “Mustang Hold’em and National Bullitt Day” with a “poker run” rally with Ford or Mustang-related stops along the route.
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, hosts a cars & coffee event from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. on October 17. Because of a 50-car limit, vehicle owners must pre-register through the museum’s website.
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana, hosts co-authors Jim Allen and John Glancy and their book, “The International Scout Encyclopedia” for a presentation and question-and-answer session at 2 p.m. on October 17.
Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, Florida, hosts its monthly car show October 17 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard, California, re-opens October 17. Plans call for the museum to be open to visitors from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for the time being.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts author Matt Stone and his latest book, Bullitt: The Cars and The People Behind Steve McQueen, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on October 17.
Mark your calendar
With rain earlier this month forcing a change in plans, the Fall Ford Garage Sale at the Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, has been moved to October 24 and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California, re-opens to visitors on October 24, though with limitations on the number of visitors at any given time.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts author Pete Evanow and his book Nissan: 50 Years of Exhilarating Performance from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on October 24.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, plans special “Spooky Halloween” events for children on October 24, 25 and 31. For details, visit the museum website.
The British Motor Museum at Gaydon plans a “Rocket-Fueled Half-Term” packed with activities for young visitors from October 24 through November 1. Visit the museum website for details.
The British National Motor Museum at Beaulieu offers a special exhibition, “Motoring in Miniature — the Toys of Your Childhood,” during England’s “Half-Term” school recess period October 24 to November 1.
The Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard, California, hosts its first Sunday cars and coffee car show — Muscles & Mojo — on November 1. The event runs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, hosts its annual “Vets ’n Vettes” event November 12-14. On the 14th, the museum’s Motorsports Park offers a 1-day high-performance driver introduction designed for those new to “recreational performance driving.” For details, visit the track website.
The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee opens a new exhibit, “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” on November 21.
“In the decades before America paved its highways, early riders had to be prepared for all sorts of terrain: sand, clay or dirt – and wandering those makeshift byways were Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” the museum notes. “Today, it’s called off-road or adventure touring; back then it was just called riding.
“Since 1903, Harley-Davidson motorcycles proved their toughness by riding over wooded hills, through stone-choked creek beds and up mountain sides. ‘Off-road Harley-Davidson’ tells the history of motorcycles designed for rough roads, the people who rode them and the adventures they shared.”
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
Toyota and its Lexus luxury division have signed on as presenting sponsors for Barrett-Jackson’s first-ever Fall Auction, to be held October 22 -24 at WestWorld of Scottsdale, Arizona, the auction company’s home-base venue.
The sponsorship deal includes two all-new models being featured during the auction — the 2021 Toyota Venza all-wheel-drive hybrid, and the 2021 Lexus IS, which the automaker calls the most track-tested version of the sports sedan ever built.
Toyota also will sponsor the Fall Auction Live Stream that will broadcast the automobilia auction and all the auction cars without interruptions.
The 2021 Lexus IS has been race-track tuned | Toyota
The auction company’s relationship with Toyota/Lexus was cemented when two significant Toyota and Lexus first-production models sold for charities during Barrett-Jackson’s back-to-back editions of its signature January auctions at WestWorld.
“Last year, we welcomed Toyota and Lexus to the Barrett-Jackson family,” said Craig Jackson, the chairman and chief executive, “and together made history with two charity sales: VIN 001 of the 2020 Supra at the 2019 Scottsdale Auction for $2.1 million and VIN 001 of the 2021 Lexus LC convertible at the 2020 Scottsdale Auction for $2 million.
“We’re excited to build on that momentum with Toyota and Lexus during our 2020 Fall Auction.”
The 2021 Toyota Venza is a full gas/electric hybrid with all-wheel-drive | Toyota
The Fall Auction, Barrett-Jackson’s first live in-person sale since January, was added when three of the company’s scheduled auctions – in Connecticut, Palm Beach and Las Vegas – were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. While two online auctions have been held, the Scottsdale event will be the first on-site auction to take place since the COVID-19 restrictions were instituted.
The auction will not, however, be the kind of grand, sprawling event customarily held by the company, with the attendees limited primarily to bidders, consignors and their guests, plus a reduced number of media representatives. Enhanced live online and phone bidding options will be available for registered bidders, and the auction will be televised on the FYI and History cable channels.
During the live auction broadcasts, Toyota and Lexus advertisements will feature Craig Jackson, who will comment on the passion behind the collector car hobby and the Japanese automaker’s rising role.
The 2012 Lexus LFA will be auctioned among a number of high-performance exotics | Barrett-Jackson
“Barrett-Jackson has been an amazing partner for both the Toyota and Lexus brands, and together we’ve raised more than $4 million for charity thus far,” said Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales for Toyota Motor North America. “We’re excited to support the Fall Auction and showcase the new Toyota Venza and Lexus IS during the show.”
Barrett-Jackson expects to offer nearly 500 cars, trucks and motorcycles at the Fall Auction, just about every one of them at no reserve, plus a horde of quality automobilia items.
Among the features cars is a high-performance 2012 Lexus LFA, one of just 178 sold in the United States, which will be joined by a number of other modern exotics and muscle cars.
Other highlights include a broad selection of resto-mod classic cars and trucks, including a number of brawny off roaders. There also will be three opportunities to give to worthy charities with the sales of three very-special vehicles.
A few years ago, I had a neighbor who had outfitted his Jeep Cherokee for very serious off-roading, the most challenging terrain he could find in the Arizona desert and mountains.
In fact, he’d made that vehicle so stout that when it was struck one day by an errant city bus, it was the larger vehicle that sustained the most damage.
But there was one thing my neighbor couldn’t do to his off-roader that he wished he could, and that was to make it electric powered so he could explore the wilderness in silence.
Fast forward a couple of decades and news comes from Germany that the EQC 4×4², the latest concept vehicle from Mercedes-Benz, is just what my neighbor wanted — a battery-powered, go-anywhere 4×4.
“The EQC 4×4² shows that electrification at Mercedes-Benz already goes farther than the road network,” according to the news release from Daimler, which notes that the concept vehicle was developed off the EQC 400 4Matic model, although unlike my neighbor, silence wasn’t necessarily Mercedes’ goal.
“The technical highlights include the multi-link portal axles as well as the production of a powerful sound in the interior and exterior,” Daimler reports. “The headlamps turn into ‘ampspeakers,’ because they also function as a loudspeaker at the same time.” Say what? Why?
The release notes that, “The EQC 4×4² is an electric car of extremes. Mercedes-Benz wishes to test the limits with this vehicle, and show that e-mobility is not just urban but also conceivable off-road.”
“The EQC 4×4² shows how enjoyable sustainable mobility can be,” said Jurgen Eberle, chief development engineer for the project. “This is where electromobility high-tech and an intriguing customer experience are transferred to the mountains.”
The concept vehicle has more ground clearance than a G-Class SUV. Approach and departure angles are 31.8 and 33 degrees, respectively, again greater than the G-Class.
In a survey obviously not commissioned by Starbucks, McDonald’s or any other establishment with drive-thru food and beverage service, two-thirds of motorists (66 percent) said they would extend the ban on don’t drink and drive to all beverages, not just those that are alcoholic.
The survey of nearly 700 drivers was done in England by Motorpoint, which claims to be the UK’s largest independent car retailer.
Motorpoint noted in announcing the results that, “While it is not illegal to drink while driving, you can still be issued with a fine because it is classed as driving without due care and attention… the police are still able to issue penalty points and a fine as the act of drinking can be viewed as a ‘distraction’ and therefore is classed as driving without due care and attention.
“This currently carries a £100 fine and three penalty points. Other motoring offenses that are also classed as ‘careless’ include trying to read a map, adjusting a stereo, eating as well as listening to loud music while driving on the road.”
Imagine how much faster the morning commute would go if you didn’t have to wait in the drive-thru line for your early-morning cup of coffee. Drinking even coffee or a soda would be banned if 2/3 of British drivers had their way | Derek Jensen photo
“The results of our survey are pretty emphatic,” Hayden Vokes, Motorpoint marketing director, was quoted. “While many of us will take a soft drink on a car journey, even the shortest lapse in concentration could have potentially fatal consequences for other people.
“This is why it’s always advisable to stop off somewhere along the way to enjoy a drink, have something to eat, check your messages on your phone – you should avoid doing anything that has the potential to distract you while you are driving.”
Sources vary about the average length of time people that keep their vehicles. According to Autolist, that duration is about six years (roughly the same term length of a new-car loan). Just like anything else in life, people like to change things up and enjoy fresh aesthetics, new feature content, or different driving experiences throughout their driving careers.
But one family in Twin Falls, Idaho, has kept their 1969 Mercury for more than 50 years.
“My parents purchased this station wagon brand new in the fall of 1969,” the Twin Falls, Idaho, seller says. “Yes, I was the child in the third row facing backwards.”
The listing contains photos from the family album, including a shot of the Mercury’s original owner proudly posing with the car when it was new.
The Mercury Montego name dates to model year 1968 when it was rolled out as a four-door sedan, two-door hardtop, four-door station wagon and two-door convertible. The Montego shared underpinnings with the Ford Torino and pulled its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica. The name evokes thoughts of the classic Beach Boys song “Kokomo,” with the lyrics “Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go.”
Retained in this Montego is its original 351cid V8 engine. In fact, according to the seller, most of the Mercury is original to its 1969 build, including the paint and much of the upholstery. There are a couple of mechanical and cosmetic issues to address, the seller says, including an inoperative power rear window and some rust on the tailgate, although the seller is including a replacement gate in the sale. The photo gallery that accompanies the listing also shows some rust in the rear quarters.
The good news is that the Mercury is said to be well-sorted mechanically, and the sale includes an invoice for work performed between July and September 2020. The seller states that the car runs great. The odometer shows about 81,000 miles.
We aren’t sure why the seller is parting ways with this family heirloom after such longstanding ownership, but hopefully it goes to another loving home. The asking price is $14,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
When your product looks pretty much exactly like its competitors, you have to get creative with your marketing plan. After all, how do you let consumers know your product is better than the others when they all appear to be identical?
And so welcome to the world of the Michelin Man, the Goodyear Blimp, the Pirelli calendar, and the world’s largest tire, the later serving car-building Detroit much like the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign does for place-your-bet Las Vegas.
The Michelin Man loves cars and their occupants | Michelin North America photo
We begin our story in Lyon, France, at the Universal and Colonial Exhibition, a global trade show, in 1894. To attract people to their display, brothers Edouard and Andre Michelin arranged their white-wrapped tires into stacks that resembled children’s snowmen.
“Give it some arms and legs, and it would look like a man,” Edouard said to Andre.
Andre’s response was not recorded, but four years later, that stack of tires sprouted not only arms and legs but hands and feet, a head and a name, and Bibendum, the Michelin Man, was introduced as both the guardian against road hazards, who sacrificed his own body to protect vehicles and their passengers, and as a smiling travel and tour guide for those venturing out in their newfangled motorcars.
Although he appeared to have been all but retired after World War II, and was not much involved in promoting Michelin’s breakthrough radial tires, Bibendum made a comeback after American astronauts landed on the moon in the summer of 1969. Perhaps the tire company had little choice after people around the world remarked how the men in space suits bounding around the lunar surface reminded them of the Michelin Man.
Bibendum was back, and soon was among the first championing the cause of sustainable mobility on a global stage, and in a poll of branding experts conducted by a Canadian business magazine, he was rated the No. 1 best corporate emblem in the world, ahead of the likes of the CBS eye, the Playboy bunny, the Nike swoosh and even the Red Cross’s red cross.
Goodyear blimp casts a large shadow | Larry Edsall photo
While the Michelin Man may be No. 1 with advertising experts, many sports fans would tell you their favorite tire-touting object is the Goodyear Blimp. Goodyear entered into a joint venture with Zeppelin in 1923 and in 1925 produced Pilgrim, the first blimp to use helium instead of flammable hydrogen as its lighter-than-air gas filler.
(Note: While both are airships, lighter-than-air aircraft with propulsion and steering systems, a Zeppelin, named for its German inventor, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, has a rigid internal structure and can be larger and faster in flight than a blimp, which takes its shape from the gas inside filling its airtight envelope. The term “blimp” was coined around 1915, reportedly inspired by the sound made when such an aircraft was thumped by a person’s hand.)
Not content merely with the tire company’s name on its blimps, in 1930 the Goodyear Blimp Defender became the first airship carrying 10 aluminum-framed panels, the Neon-O-Gram, that proclaimed “Goodyear” or other messages across the night sky.
The company also produced airships for the U.S. Navy and to provide surveillance of the American coastlines during World War II. After the war, Goodyear blimps were used to carry television cameras, the Enterprise V flying over the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, in 1955. It wasn’t long before Goodyear blimps, operating from bases in Ohio, Florida, Texas and California, were as much a part of American sports events as were tailgating and cheerleaders.
The Uniroyal tire, now with a new radial-style exterior, sits next to the I94 freeway near Detroit | Steven J. Frey photo
The tire with its U.S. Royal type and Ferris wheel at the New York World’s Fair | Steven J. Frey photo
During the 1964 New York World’s Fair, more than 2 million people — including Jacqueline Kennedy and her daughter Caroline — rode a Ferris wheel that looked like a gigantic, more-than-80-foot-tall U.S. Royal tire. The wheel had 24 gondolas, each with room for four people.
The fair ended, the device was taken apart, the Ferris wheel went to New Jersey while the tire shell was shipped to Detroit, where the steel skeleton and tire (made of fiberglass rather than rubber) were reassembled at the Uniroyal office adjacent to I-94 between Metro Airport and downtown Detroit.
After Michelin acquired Uniroyal Goodrich in 1990, the gigantic landmark was restored with a new look of a radial tire, a new hubcap and neon lighting of the Uniroyal lettering. From 1998 to 2003, an 11-foot “nail” emerged from the tread to promote Uniroyal’s new puncture-resistant tire line. Another restoration took place with new steel beams inside and replacement of the neon lighting.
How large is that tire? Mac’sMotorCityGarage.com reports that were a car built to the same scale, it would be 200 feet tall and stretch 720 feet (2½ football fields) in length.
Pages from Pirelli calendars | Larry Edsall photo
While Michelin has its man, Goodyear its blimp and Uniroyal its big tire, Pirelli has its calendar, aka “The Cal,” and that phrase is trademarked by the Italian tire company, which proclaims The Cal as “The most beautiful women, showcased by the greatest photographers. It is, simply, the world’s most famous calendar.”
Anyone could purchase a copy of Sports Illustrated’s bathing suit issue, but Pirelli produces only 20,000 copies of its calendar and sends them to a selected audience, though exhibitions of the artwork has spread to galleries and books and to global news coverage (or uncoverage as the case might be with specific images).
The Cal was launched in 1964, was discontinued for a decade during the oil crisis period, and has evolved with the times, The New York Times reporting that the 2016 Pirelli Calendar, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, signaled a cultural shift.
“This is the first time there is no provocation in the posting, and the first time the attraction of the subjects is in their resumes, not their measurements,” the newspaper noted.
“We call it the rise of the shero,” the newspaper quoted advertising executive Jennifer Zimmerman, who added that with such a change in emphasis, “the greatest offender had become the greatest bandwagoneer.”
It may not have a blimp, a Ferris wheel or a calendar, but Firestone supplied the tires that carried Ray Harroun to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500-mile race and has been the exclusive tire used in Indy car racing since 2000. But even before it had such a deal, its tires had carried the winning car to Victory Lane in more than half of the Indy 500s.
Firestone was acquired by Bridgestone in the late 1980s. But in the 1960s and ‘70s, Firestone’s television advertising featured a jingle that became part of American pop culture:
“Wherever wheels are rolling.
No matter what the load.
The name that’s known is Firestone
Where the rubber meets the road.”
While their tires may look alike, and all of them providing the only contact between vehicle and roadway, these companies and their competitors have ventured far and wide (and high) in a variety of ways to promote their products with the tire-buying public.
Although it almost always carries a pair of pilots, it really takes only one such expert to fly the Goodyear Blimp. But it takes a ground crew of around 20 people to get the airship ready for its flight, and then safely back to the ground again.
I discovered the above when I was invited to ride along on a flight in 2010, when the Spirit of America was visiting, quite fittingly, Goodyear, Arizona, a community founded by the rubber company, not to grow rubber, but cotton.
Our flight takes us over Phoenix International Raceway during a NASCAR weekend
During World War I, the German Navy prevented the shipping of the Egyptian cotton used to produce strong fibers for American tire production, so Goodyear launched Southwest Cotton and bought 16,000 acres of desert to grow and produce its own fibers.
During World War II, the U.S. military built an airport and test facility. After the war, as many as 5,000 airplanes were mothballed at what later would become a general-aviation center.
The airport also serves as a temporary base for Goodyear blimps when they are the Phoenix area to provide aerial camera service for auto races, golf tournaments, football games, etc.
Ground crew holds things steady so we can climb aboard
Technically, blimps are airships, and the nautical connection becomes clear when you ride along. There are mooring lines used to keep the gondola passenger compartment hovering just above the ground during takeoff and landing and our pilot, Captain Kristen Davis, noted that piloting a blimp compares much more to piloting a very large boat than either an airplane or helicopter.
And like stepping into a boat from a docket, you take that first step carefully because, while held by ropes, the blimp is not stationary but moving up and down as it seeks to go skyward. Fortunately, the Godyear ground crew is ready to prevent any misstep.
The blimp/ship rides on an ocean of air, not water, and that air has to be relatively calm for the flight to take place. Each of the Spirit’s two engines could propel it to a speed of 25 mph. For safety, the blimps were grounded if the wind exceeds that rate. (Since then, Goodyear also has launched a new fleet of larger, more Zeppelin-like airships capable of at top speed of more than 70 mph.)
Spirit carried enough fuel for 30 hours of flight. While there was room for seven people aboard, there was no bathroom, though there was a tube the (male) pilots could use for relief during long-duration flights.
Off we go!
Our flight, part of a promotional fund-raising tour for the Support Our Troops program, lasted 50 minutes. The captain used an elevator wheel that resembled a ship’s steering wheel, but not to steer, which is by rudder pedals, but to lift the vessel into the air. Temperature and air pressure affect the helium, so the ship is built with two large, internal ballonets that can take or expel air to maintain the vehicle’s internal pressure and shape.
As in a helicopter, there’s little sensation of moving, it’s more as if the ground simply retracts from beneath us as we ascend to around 1,500 feet.
Yes, the view is amazing!
Yes, I’d be eager for another ride!
The view during my turn in the co-pilot’s front seat
When the Montage Hotel opens in 2021 at Big Sky, Montana, guests will be shuttled in historic style in a 1936 White 706 Yellowstone Bus restored by Legacy Classic Trucks.
“Legacy Classic Trucks is committed to finding special pieces of American transportation that are historically significant and giving them new life through world class restorations so that they can be enjoyed today,” Legacy founder Winslow Bent is quoted in the company’s announcement of the truck’s completion and sale.
“Our one-of-a-kind White Model 706 Yellowstone Tour Bus restoration really echoes everything that we search for in a build. The buses were originally crafted by a revolutionary vehicle designer in his day, Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.
“Due to the rare provenance of this being an original design from Count de Sakhnoffsky, Legacy Classic Trucks made this a completely original restoration project with no other modifications. It is one of our finest restorations to date.”
He added that “the purchase of this iconic vehicle ensures that Legacy’s restored piece of automotive history will continue to create new memories, all while delighting guests near the same national park where it faithfully served passengers for decades.”
“We are looking forward to the opening of Montage Big Sky with our partners at CrossHarbor, and are thrilled to bring an extraordinary experience to guests and residents with the exciting addition of Legacy Classic Trucks’ newly restored Yellowstone Tour Bus,” said Alan Fuerstman, founder, chairman and chief executive of Montage International.
Located a little more than 50 miles north of West Yellowstone, Montage Big Sky will offer 150 guest rooms and suites and 39 residences.
“For generations, visitors to Yellowstone National Park were transported through the park’s majestic natural landscape in delightfully streamlined open-air buses produced by the White Company of Cleveland, Ohio,” Legacy said in its news release. “The most-recent generation of these rare storied vehicles is the White 706, delivered in limited quantities to Yellowstone from 1936-1938.
“Only 98 Yellowstone tour buses were ever designed. Made in America during a bygone era committed to making high-quality transportation that could stand the test of time, the White 706 Yellowstone tour buses were celebrated for their peerless design and dependability.
The company noted that de Sakhnoffsky did automotive designs for Auburn, Cord, Packard, Ford, Willy-Overland, Studebaker, Chrysler, Mack and Tucker during his career. He also designed watches, furniture and marine and aircraft. De Sakhnoffsky was born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1901 and immigrated first to Paris, and then to Switzerland, and finally to the US after the Russian Revolution.
The Yellowstone buses were designed for 14 passengers, and featured a canvas canopy-style roof to provide panoramic sightseeing.
The restored bus had been in storage in Montana after its duties at the park.
“Interestingly,” Legacy reported, “while the tour bus body is made of steel and aluminum construction, the vehicle’s frame is constructed entirely of wood.
“For the restoration, Legacy Classic Trucks incorporated a White 318 16A six-cylinder engine that produces 96 horsepower. Legacy Classic Trucks also fully restored the vehicle’s original non-synchronized transmission, a unique feature of the day that gave rise to the popular moniker of ‘gear jammers’ in reference to driving these buses.”
Based in Driggs, Idaho, Legacy Classic Trucks specializes in Dodge Power Wagon, Jeep Scrambler and Chevrolet NAPCO restorations as well as doing Diamond T, Mack, Studebaker and Hudson truck restorations for ranch, personal and commercial use.
The company started in 2010 when Bent’s employment evaporated.
“What am I going to do now?” he asked his wife, Andrea.
Pointing to the Dodge Power Wagon he was restoring, her response was, “You’re already doing it. Just get an ‘Open’ sign.”
He did and a high-end restoration and resto-mod business was born.
