Showing posts with label breedlove. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breedlove. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 03, 2024
Thursday, April 06, 2023
Craig Breedlove, first to 500 and 600 mph at Bonneville, died on April 4, 2023, at the age of 86.
I really don't know what to say when one of the legends dies of old age.
Breedlove, Shelby, Mickey, Roth... there are many others but I just want to set the context of what I mean, those few guys were legends IN their own life!
Not many ever achieve half the fame, cult celebrity, or whatever it is that these guys have.
Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, John Wayne... there are probably only a hundred or so in my life that have made their mark like this. Evel Knievel and Craig Breedlove were effing hero worshipped by young guys like me in the 70s.
What the hell can I articulate in a head line, that conveys the respect for their accomplishments? Some gutted it out, like Breedlove, in a car they made in the garage. Some, like Knievel, rode the wave, hyped their reputation, dared again and again to try for a mark just a bit past what they'd already risked their life for, and often failed.
But they all went into the history books. None were forgotten until their obit was splashed in the news.
Not only did Breedlove hit the 500 and 600, he pushed every other wanna be to try for the next number, the next record, and then he went and did the AMX records, and kept kids entertained in the magazines like Hot Rod and Car Craft. He was one of the few to cause the country to wonder, what IS the highest speed that can be conquered at Bonneville? And then the others came to race on the salt. Arfons, Thompson, etc.
I am just a car guy, those guys were legends, and when we learn they've died of old age, what the hell can I say to show respect, and a bit of appreciation for all the motivation and good will they created for so many car guys?
I went with what another guy I respect immensely would probably say, in what I think was the way Walter Cronkite used to speak, when I was watching the CBS evening news regularly, impressed by what a straight shooter and outstanding anchorman Cronkite was, such a grandpa like guy who told you the news, and ended the show with "and that's the way it is"
So, Craig Breedlove, first to 500 and 600 mph at Bonneville, died on April 4, 2023, at the age of 86.
Friday, July 15, 2022
The U.S. Postal Service is commemorating the pony car greats with five new stamps, painted by Tom Fritz, o be released in August 2022, at the Great American Stamp Show, at the Sacramento Convention Center
Wendy Masorti of the American Philatelic Society reported Dec. 27, 2021, on the APS website that the USPS is working with the California Automobile Museum to have pony cars displayed on the show floor for the ceremony.
That wing on the back of the roof is a factory option, the Craig Breedlove wing. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AMC_Javelin_1969_Craig_Breedlove_roof_spoiler_detail.jpg
Monday, April 25, 2022
This Javelin that Craig Breedlove set a new C-Production class record of 161.733 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats with, is up for sale. It’s only ever been driven 19 miles – all on the salt.
Saturday, September 05, 2020
Monday, January 07, 2019
AMC marketing stunt in 1968 was pretty cool, but, then the cars were never used again. This one only has 19 miles on it, some of those were setting the record of 161 miles an hour on Bonneville
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/bonneville-baja-former-car-craft-publisher-sal-fish-seen/
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0512-126296/1968-amc-javelin/
Monday, November 12, 2018
Friday, January 20, 2017
the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry extensively damaged the Spirit of America when they had it on loan from Craig Breedlove, and they didn't fess up about it, so he's sueing them, and the lawsuit was just given the greenlight by a federal judge.
the Museum of Science and Industry contacted Breedlove and requested him to loan the vehicle to it for an exhibition in 1965 (that's right, over 50 years ago). The two parties made an oral agreement, with conditions of the loan being:
the Spirit of America would not be shown commercially anywhere other than at the Museum without Breedlove’s prior written approval;
the Spirit of America would be made available in the event that a motion picture about the record runs of the vehicle was going to be made; and
in the event that the Spirit of America was to be removed from exhibition, it would returned to Mr. Breedlove at his request.
When it was returned to him in 2015, he discovered that it had been damaged, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Damage included exterior panels that no longer fit, stretched intake duct mountings for the jet engine and graffiti where schoolchildren carved their initials in the aluminum finish, the lawsuit said.
In addition, Breedlove said the vehicle’s frame had been cut and “unprofessionally” rewelded, and the driver’s seat was missing. The car was taken to a professional restoration shop, which estimated repair costs at $395,000.
Other missing parts included water, oil and fuel tanks and the Spirit’s historic turnaround dolly.
Previously the court wasn't convinced that Breedlove had a claim, and then, he shoved it to them with the documents that listed the standards and best practices from the American Association of Museums (which the Museum of Science and Industry is part of).
That, apparently, was what the judge needed to see to let the museum get taken to court.
Steven Young, a Los Angeles-based attorney representing Breedlove, said Monday the AAM standards "made clearer to the court" that the museum was negligent in its handling of the vehicle. "They didn't live up to museum standards," Young said.
"Stewardship is the careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a museum's care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated documentation, as well as proper intellectual control."
http://jalopnik.com/former-land-speed-record-holder-to-sue-museum-for-fucki-1791067864
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-jet-car-breedlove-0110-biz-20170109-story.html
the Spirit of America would not be shown commercially anywhere other than at the Museum without Breedlove’s prior written approval;
the Spirit of America would be made available in the event that a motion picture about the record runs of the vehicle was going to be made; and
in the event that the Spirit of America was to be removed from exhibition, it would returned to Mr. Breedlove at his request.
When it was returned to him in 2015, he discovered that it had been damaged, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Damage included exterior panels that no longer fit, stretched intake duct mountings for the jet engine and graffiti where schoolchildren carved their initials in the aluminum finish, the lawsuit said.
In addition, Breedlove said the vehicle’s frame had been cut and “unprofessionally” rewelded, and the driver’s seat was missing. The car was taken to a professional restoration shop, which estimated repair costs at $395,000.
Other missing parts included water, oil and fuel tanks and the Spirit’s historic turnaround dolly.
Previously the court wasn't convinced that Breedlove had a claim, and then, he shoved it to them with the documents that listed the standards and best practices from the American Association of Museums (which the Museum of Science and Industry is part of).
That, apparently, was what the judge needed to see to let the museum get taken to court.
Steven Young, a Los Angeles-based attorney representing Breedlove, said Monday the AAM standards "made clearer to the court" that the museum was negligent in its handling of the vehicle. "They didn't live up to museum standards," Young said.
"Stewardship is the careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a museum's care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated documentation, as well as proper intellectual control."
http://jalopnik.com/former-land-speed-record-holder-to-sue-museum-for-fucki-1791067864
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-jet-car-breedlove-0110-biz-20170109-story.html
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
at SEMA Shell will have the ’64 Shelby Cobra Daytona which was the Goodyear tire test vehicle at the Bonneville in '65. SEMA will mark the 50th anniversary of the day, and the 1st time Craig Breedlove, Peter Brock and the Cobra have been reunited since
at the Shell space #60005, in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center on Tuesday, November 3 from 2:00-2:20 pm
That's just the opener for Shell... check out the rest of the Shell celeb guests:
· Tommy Pike – Tuesday, November 3 from 10:30-10:45 am
· Ron Capps – Tuesday, November 3 from 1:30-1:45 pm
· Craig Breedlove and Peter Brock – Tuesday, November 3 from 3:30-4:00 pm
· Bryce Menzies – Wednesday, November 4 from 10:15-10:30 am
· Larry Koester – Wednesday, November 4 from 12:45-1:00 pm
· Neil Tjin – Wednesday, November 4 from 1:45-2:00 pm
· Matt Hagan – Wednesday, November 4 from 2:00-2:15 pm
· Craig Jackson – Wednesday, November 4 from 2:30-2:45 pm
· Tommy Pike, John Hennessey along with Jeff and Meg Bailey – Friday, November 6 from 6:00-7:00 (at SEMA Ignited)
Sunday, April 05, 2015
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
How Craig Breedlove got Shell to sponsor him...
Hot Rod Magazine:
You’ve had a long relationship with Shell Oil. How did that begin?
You’ve had a long relationship with Shell Oil. How did that begin?
Craig Breedlove:
When I was building the car at my dad’s house, I got to a point where I was more broke than when I started and was really down to brass tacks.
When I was in a car club in Culver City, there was a Shell station at the corner of Venice and Sepulveda owned by Andy Anderson. We all used to hang out there and work for him sometimes, and he was kind of a mentor to us.
The Shell district office was right next door to the station, and when I was completely against the wall with the car, I asked Andy who was in charge of that office. It was a real tough guy named Bill Lawler, an ex Marine.
"I’m here to talk to you about the Spirit of America, which I think will be great for our country and also for Shell Oil Company, and I’d like to have a little of your time to present it to you.’ He gave me 10 minutes.
I set the model down in front of the desk and set up the flip chart. He saw this big mahogany box but didn’t know what was in it, so after he saw the flip chart presentation he said, ‘Alright goddammit, what’s in the box?’ I handed him the model and said, ‘This is the Spirit of America.’
He got real excited and jumped up and showed everyone the model, telling all the Shell people about it. He asked me, ‘You really think you’re going to break the record don’t you?’ I said, ‘Mr. Lawler, I don’t think I’m going to break the record, I know I’m going to break it,’ and he pounded the table and said ‘That’s what I like to hear! I’m going to do anything in my power to see that Shell Oil backs you.” And that was the start.
We got turned down three times by the director of marketing in New York until one trip he was in Los Angeles for something, and they got him cornered in a bar and fed him martinis until he approved the project.
from the November 2014 issue of Hot Rod and their website
http://blogs.hotrod.com/craig-breedlove-americas-600-mph-man-129183.html
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Imagine having a grand opening for your tire store and Goodyear arranging for the land speed record holding car to be there!
I just heard from Mike that this was in Vernal Utah. His uncle had a 1967 GT Mustang with a 390 and a factory four speed and pulled the car down main street in a parade.
His grandmother ran a local motel called the Diamond Hills motel and Craig stayed there during his stay. Mike tells me that there is a picture of his uncles car pulling the Spirit of America down main street in the hotel.
coolest thing I've ever heard Goodyear doing
Found on http://carrosantigos.wordpress.com
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
The Land Speed Record vehicles. The variety of design and sophistication
1905 Napier
104.65mph that record was bested a few minutes later by the $50,000 twin engined Mercedes, of H.B. Bowden
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2012/07/land-speed-record-vehicles-part-one.html and
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2012/07/land-speed-record-vehicles-part-2-jet.html
the 1905 Darracq photo and more story about it here: http://theoldmotor.com/?p=134988
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