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As we have seen, Studebaker designer and part time photographer Bob Temple recorded sports car events at the Studebaker Proving Grounds and the Press on Regardless Rally in the early 1950s. Temple also went out west, and was there with Kodachrome for the Palm Springs races on March 22, 1952. Most remarkably, Jim Sitz was there as well and recorded all the cars on his invaluable set of index cards. He was therefore able to identify and comment on the cars and the personalities at the race. Our thanks to both the late Bob Temple and the very much still alive Jim Sitz.
Photos by Bob Temple courtesy Vintage Motorphoto
Story and captions by Jim Sitz
I had the good fortune to attend the March 22, 1952 event at Palm Springs, California. The photographs were taken by Bob Temple. I also had attended earlier events there in April and October of 1951.
The April 1951 event featured Jim Kimberly’s Ferrari 166 Barchetta and a young mechanic named Phil Hill, who drove his old Alfa 2.9. What a car! What a sound! The memory of Hill’s Alfa prompted me to follow his career. Race fans also saw and heard a Ferrari V-12 for first time on west coast.
On October 28, 1951, there was a bitter battle between the Barlow SIMCA and the John von Neumann MG Special. Phil Hill’s brother-in-law, Don Parkinson, won in his own Jaguar Special.
In 1951, the Cunningham cars, which had run at Le Mans that year, were sold to local California customers. All three team cars were driven across the States in November after Briggs’ shop had reconditioned them. In 1952, Briggs had trouble with the IRS and had to sell some cars to make his operation in Palm Springs look like a real business. Irving Robbins drove a Black Cunningham, which he crashed at Torrey Pines in December.
My friend, Jack McAfee, collected three trophies that weekend with the Siata 1400 roadster, the Jag XK 120, and his fast, noisy, supercharged MG Special. The MG was the famous number 88 which John Edgar had spent so much money on. John could have had a Ferrari; he got one later when he bought a 340 America from Henry Manney in 1952. Henry had scared himself in the big Ferrari.
Celebrities at the Palm Springs Races
Clark Gable was the man who bought the first Jag XK 120 out here (Bogie was not amused to lose out.) Gable was the starter for the 1952 Palm Springs races.
Keenan Wynn, son of comedian Ed Wynn, had driven his Type 57 Bugatti from New York to Hollywood in 1947. In 1950 he bought an Alfa 2300 from Tommy Lee and ran the first Palm Springs with full body. He made the Alfa into a hot rod with a Cadillac motor, which Tom Bamford drove in 1951 and 1952. Actor Frank Lovejoy was with him at the 1952 event.
Ranald “Randy” MacDougall was a screenwriter who got Oscar for script of Mildred Pierce and shared screenwriting credit for 1963’s Cleopatra. He also directed a number of films, including 1957’s Man on Fire with Bing Crosby. He raced an MG TD and the first OSCA in California, and then 1953 new Ferrari 166/53 Vignale painted red and black. He was married to star Nanette Fabray.
Bob Weiner says
Great photos. My father worked with Jerry Wright owner of the Duisenberg. As I young kid got to ride in it, what a thrill.
Allen R Kuhn says
Absolutely marvelous images from Palm Springs. They capture so well the feel of the onset of road racing So Cal. So glad Dale LaFollette re-discovered them, and for your publishing them with such an in depth and enjoyable article by Jim Sitz. Keep the Temple images and the Sitz commentary coming. Historically yours Allen R Kuhn
James Evidon says
That event was my introduction to sports cars and these many years later I still have the bug (I’m 84). The cars I remember most were the Brooklands Riley which sputtered and popped its way around. He deserved a medal for perseverance. Whether it was just slow or needed a tuning badly, I’ll never know. Certainly the prettiest special was Bill David’s blue MG. It didn’t place well but it was loverly to look at. The Al Coppel MG special was the next best turned out special, IMO. The Barlow Simca Special was all but unstoppable. Until Ken Miles’ MG Special ( pre-Flying Shingle ) Barlow pretty much owned the 1500cc class. I remember that his business partner Van Dyke ( International Motors ) usually followed Barlow home for a second or third in class. When Ken Miles’ Special appeared it was all but over for everyone else until John Von Newman built and raced his Pooper (Cooper with a Porsche engine). By then, Miles drove other people’s larger displacement cars and turned pro.
Ah, those were the days. Wild and wooly but lots of fun.
Sean Smith says
Fantastic images. I wonderful look into a bygone time.
Jim Sitz says
Mr Evidon, being of my age remembers when Ken Miles took
over the 1500cc class, winning all until Oct 1955 when Pete Lovely
in the Cooper Porsche beat Ken at Sacramento race.
But von Neumann on the other hand was VW- Porsche importer and
thus had the ONLY 550 in town—-beginning in April 1954 when
his Red 550 was at Pebble Beach (raced in Mexico year before)
It really annoyed Johnny that Miles would win when he had the
advantage. Even in 1955 von Neumann got new4 cam 550 car,
before deliveries made to private buyers,
I was so impressed in 1953 when Ken Miles upset the odds by
winning in his new MG, people assumed it was the rain at
Pebble Beach, but he just kept on winning, ands by January 1956 my
friend Miles became Porsche driver for John von Neumann in 550
That was an easy win and 3rd overall in the big car main at Torrey
Pines, passing a well driven D type Jaguar to do so..!
Jim Sitz
tony adriaensens says
COOL!!
tony adriaensens says
I’d love to use the one of the GMC-Wayne Nardi Danese for my new edition of Weekend Heroes .. also like the Union Ice Company truck in the background!
Peter Marshall says
I wish I knew where that Nardi Danese is, even if it did not have the 6C2500 engine any longer. The photos of the car in Tony Adriaensens’ collection are not bad either!
Peter
Jim Sitz says
Mr Marshall might be keen to know that 30 years ago, a friend and fellow
enthusiast for Italian cars had tried to find the Nardi coupe in Kagel Canyon
which is just north of Hansen Dam in Los Angeles and west of Tujunga Canyon.
Seems the rare car had been sighted in that neighborhood, but sorry to convey
my friend only found ’48 Buick Roadmaster !
Last I saw of the car was a shop in Glendale, just down street from Road & Track
office (I worked next door) and offered by owner for $ 2375 in our local racing
newspaper ” MotoRacing” for Dec 14th, 1956
I still wonder if it was same coupe imported to New York 1949 and then
owned by Charlie Kreisler an automobile dealer in Manhatten.? It was taken
down to Argentina in 1951 and raced by Hal Ullrich, the mechanic for both Cameron Peck’ and Brooks Stevcns. Photo of the coupe was in Motor Trend for April 1950.
faithfully
Jim Sitz