Slippery Sedan
July 16, 2023
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Engineering Meets Art
If you’re into the kind of machinery that makes your heart beat faster and your palms sweat, then Dan Webb’s reimagining of the 1926 Panhard Razor is something you need to see. The original was a marvel of interwar-era aerodynamics—a sleek, teardrop-shaped racing car designed for top-speed competition by Panhard et Levassor. Now, Webb, the man who blends old-school craftsmanship with modern engineering, is breathing new life into this legendary machine with a chassis that’s as much a work of art as it is a feat of engineering.
BARRY BULL SESSION
There are so many good-looking ’32 Ford street rods around, one might think that building a really nice one is easy, but it is not that simple. To begin with, the Deuce is an inherently good-looking car, which presents a two-edged sword. First, you have a great-looking piece to start with, and second, you must be extremely careful not to make it look worse.
Limited Edition
Christopher Keggan has done something that Ford never managed to do: build a supercharged, five-speed, mod-motor Thunderbird. He’s not exactly a stranger to these cars…
Spotlighter
Bonneville: The Final Frontier
America’s Last Untamed Race Track
Bonneville is that final frontier, a place where a man or a woman with a better idea isn’t punished with a bunch of extra weight or politically ruled out of racing. It’s a place where a person with a better idea gets in the record book until someone with a better idea takes it away. It’s that simple, and it’s speed racing at its purest.
Author
Tim Gavern
Words & Photography
Why You Just Have to Go to Bonneville
If you’ve never been…quit your job, get a divorce, sell your dog. Sell your dog? Well, do whatever it takes, because you just gotta go and experience Bonneville at least once. There are no payouts, no big sponsors, just a bunch of old-school racers trying to go fast on the salt flats of Bonneville. And it’s not easy racing these days—it’s hard to set a record. The speeds are huge and it would take a lot of work and some dumb luck to beat some of them. But this doesn’t seem to matter to the competitors—they just build their cars and give it a shot.
A Banner Year on the Salt
2004 was a banner year for Bonneville. The salt was good, and the long course was 7 miles. There were 442 entries: 328 cars and 114 bikes, including 68 class changes. There were 156 records set: 89 cars and 67 bikes.
The Spirit of Bonneville
Bonneville is that final frontier, a place where a man or a woman with a better idea isn’t punished with a bunch of extra weight or politically ruled out of racing. It’s a place where a person with a better idea gets in the record book until someone with a better idea takes it away. It’s that simple, and it’s speed racing at its purest. You need to be there, so check it out.
*A Note for the Knuckleheads
Driving on wet salt is a serious and growing problem.
When the flats are wet or flooded, the salt crust becomes fragile and easily destroyed. Beneath it lies thick mud that will trap your vehicle—and the damage you cause can take years to heal, if it ever does.
This kind of carelessness ruins Bonneville for everyone.
It threatens racing, recreation, and the future of events on the salt. There are no excuses—if it’s wet, stay off.
You may also be held financially liable for any damage caused or for the cost of vehicle recovery efforts.
Check conditions before you go.
Travel and camp only on durable surfaces. Protect the salt flats, or risk losing access for everyone. For more info, CLICK HERE to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats Special Recreation Management Area’s website.
