Chaparral Exhibit at the Petroleum Museum, Midland, Texas

March 21, 2011 6 CommentsJim Hall, People, Racing

Jim Hall’s Chaparrals were a huge influence on myself and many other designers. Chaparrals were innovative, leading edge designs with mysterious connections to General Motors. Big-block starships.

I grew up in Riverside, California, and when the USRRC or CANAM came to town I was at the Riverside International Raceway taking home movies (you can watch a compilation of the movies I shot back in the day here). During the week leading up to race weekend, I’d drive through local motel parking lots to see if I could spot any race cars or trailers with Texas plates. Once I went over to DeAnza Chevrolet before they moved to the Auto Center and managed to watch (through the fence) the Chaparral team work on the cars in one of the garages. Pretty cool stuff for a car crazy teenager. In 1968 I traveled to Las Vegas with friends to watch the Stardust Grand Prix, and witnessed (through binoculars) Hall’s horrible crash with Lothar Motschenbacher’s McLaren M6B.

In 2005 I had the opportunity to visit the Chaparral Exhibit at the Petroleum Museum in Midland, Texas. It’s well worth a visit, hollowed ground for Chaparral enthusiasts.

Petroleum Museum Gallery

Photos by Gary D. Smith

Ed Welburn drives the Chaparral 2.

Several years ago Ed Welburn had the opportunity to drive a Chaparral around the Tech Center. Had I known that was a possibility, I’d have stayed at GM and competed for the top spot.

Can Am Chaparral DeAnza Chevrolet Ed Welburn GM Technical Center Jim Hall Riverside International Raceway Stardust Grand Prix USRRC

6 Comments

March 21, 2011 at 7:27 am

Bryan McCready

My Chevy Monza was almost names a Chaparalle after Jim Hall’s beautiful cars. Too bad Jim and Chevrolet couldn’t agree on a dollar figure to use the name. The idea died a slow death and Chevrolet brought back the Monza nameplate, hoping most had forgotten the Corvair by then.
This page on my website outlines the deal, or lack thereof …
http://monza.homestead.com/chaparelle.html
March 21, 2011 at 9:00 am

Larry Crane

Hi Gary,

We communicated briefly when I first discovered Dean’s Garage. Did we talk about Riverside? I just noticed you lived there during the CanAm and TransAm years. I lived in Pete Brock’s house behind turn 9 on Cottonwood Ave for 5 years—’64-69. We could see all of Riverside Raceway, except for the top of the esses, from our sofa. Love your website. Thanks for all you work on behalf of the rest of us.

Larry Crane
CASA VETTURA PRODUCTIONS
March 21, 2011 at 11:11 am

Tom Falconer

Hi Gary, yet another great Dean’s Garage! thank you. Love the Jim Hall footage too. My brother Richard wrote the first book on the Chaparral (check out the book if you haven’t seen it already), and I took all the colour pics for the book on 35mm in Midland TX in 1985. We had previously spent a day at his shop in 1977 – nothing much changed in that period. Richard owns the 5th of five Troutman and Barnes front-engined Chaparrals, which he races in historic speed hill climbs and has twice been in the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I attach a picture taken in our yard last week while we did some work restoring the original ‘ball & slot’ 1961 4-speed shifter.
March 21, 2011 at 12:32 pm

Walter Gomez

Beautiful race cars! I only wish that some of the old racing grime was left on the cars, particularly the 2D & 2F!
March 21, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Tom Matano

Great! Love the video of Ed driving fast along the lake. It brought back memories of Mitchell and Chuck….driving down the same stretch

Always Inspired

Tom Matano

Executive Director
School of Industrial Design
Academy of Art University
March 21, 2011 at 7:13 pm

Leon Dixon

One word: WOW. THis is DREAM stuff! Especially the video. Of course I adored Jim Hall’s magical race cars all during their era. It was one of my personal edge-of-seat anticipations awaiting the next car in the line. And… they were not just advanced in technology and performance, but they were pretty! Each succeeding car was more amazing than its predecessor.

Also I love seeing the red Cox decal on the car. To this day, I still have my Cox and other Chaparral slot cars of the 1960s. Many still in the original boxes.

Finally, Larry Crane’s comment on Riverside Raceway… ohhhh does that bring back a lot of memories!

Ahh, the glory days of GM, American cars, American race cars, Riverside Raceway and the auto industry in general. Jim Hall and his cars have my permanent respect and admiration.

Leon Dixon
Leon Dixon & Associates Automotive Consultants

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Book is excellent reading. I like all the practical jokes that you played on each other. Haven’t put it down yet.

Paul Alflen
Gary, Just received your book and read part of it, and can’t wait to finish it! EXCELLENT BOOK WOW! Thanks!

Carl Kofron
It’s a book whose pages you’ll return to again and again…sometimes just to look, other times to read and learn and to laugh!

Helen Hutchings
It brought back so many memories. The book captures some of the antics that took place. I recommend Gary’s book for anyone that has an interest to get a glimpse of an era long gone.

John Manoogian II
Very impressed with the emphasis on the “people stories.” Most people think of GM in terms of the cars, whereas you focused on the designers that created the cars. Congratulations on your excellent and personable narrative.

Roy Lonberger
Great book! It will provide many hours of interesting reading. Thank you for writing and publishing it!

Charles Pieier
All the wonderful anecdotes and photos bring laughter and smiles of recollection of the years at GM Design. The other content is equally entertaining, too! One can keep returning to its pages, finding a new topic of interest each time.

George Camp
Gary’s book focuses on the people who drove designs and events at GM Design. It is always informative, sometimes funny and sometimes sad. Picture are breathtaking. Extremely well done.

James Rice
Thank you Gary for this wonderful publication vicariously delivering the human condition nectar recalled from the good old days at GM Design.

Bill Boudreau
Closest thing to an actual time machine I have experienced! The photos, quotes and artwork really transported me back to what was a fabulous time at GM Design.

Len Casillo
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Future is Back. Great stories and wonderful comments! Excellent selection of illustrations and photos!

Peter Brock
The book is providing lots of interesting reading along with so many great photos, illustrations and renderings.

Sheldon Payne
It’s like going to a family reunion and meeting all your old friends, the studios and the models all over again. I can almost smell the fresh clay reading your book.

Ron Will
Reading the stories and anecdotes of designers who shared their experiences in this book allowed me to vicariously imagine what it would have actually been like to have worked in a studio. Thumbs Up Gary!!

Steve Sicklick
Great book Gary. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane!

Dennis Burke
I’ve enjoyed the Dean’s Garage book. I know a lot of the designers and places you mention; it’s like a reunion or old-home week.Thank you very much for putting everything together in such a beautifully organized, fun, illuminating way.

Michael Lamm