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“The Farago Fiat was a crowd stopper where ever it went. Paul was a pretty serious driver and as I recall the Michigan State Police had been advised of the event and were cooperative.”-Eric Davison. Bob Temple photo.
Photos by Bob Temple courtesy Dale LaFollette, Vintage Motorphoto
Last week we looked at the Bob Temple photos from a relatively unknown event at South Bend Indiana. This week, the Bob Temple photo file shows us another early and rare event, this time in rural Michigan called the Press on Regardless Rally. Here, we see three interesting items; another appearance of the Paul Farago Fiat 1100, the Chayne Bugatti, and, most remarkably, Eric Davison’s father with his Jag SS100. (See Eric’s article on the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum this week.)
Eric told the story of his family’s Jag back in 2011, and also related the story of the Paul Farago Fiat the same year. Meanwhile, it was Jim Sitz who saw the photos, and who first identified the time and place of the event. “Look in Road & Track, October 1950 and you’ll find a report on the event, which took place on August 5 and 6. And there it was.
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Farago Fiat 1100
The Farago Fiat resting at a farm with a gaggle of MGs. Bob Temple photo.
The Road & Track story on the POR had the Fiat as the lead photo. R&T photo.
____From the VeloceToday archives: Paul Farago____________________
Paul Farago, right, discusses the Chrysler Turbine with Giovanni Savonuzzi. Courtesy Alberta Savonuzzi.
By Eric Davison
The entry list of racing cars for the 1948-1950 events at Watkins Glen was a mixed lot and most were cars produced before WW2. One of the few new cars and arguably one of the most attractive was the Farago Fiat.
Paul Farago was an Italian from Calabria, Italy who immigrated to Detroit with his family in 1930. Paul’s father operated a bus line and Paul was a skilled mechanic by the time the family arrived in Detroit. He quickly established himself as an expert on foreign car repairs as well as a race car driver on local Michigan dirt tracks. Continue reading
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Bugatti Royale
Note the figure at the right of the photo: Looks suspiciously like Bugatti enthusiast Ken W. Purdy. Bob Temple photo.
“Chayne’s Bugatti went from him to the Henry Ford Museum but not before I got the chance to sit in it. He also had a 328 BMW. Apparently GM had a restoration shop (Unofficial).” – Eric Davison. Bob Temple photo.
R&T’s coverage included this very similar photo of the Chayne Royale.
“I don’t know the truth of the Royale but one story was that he bought it off a used car lot on Jerome Avenue in NY for $400. Possibly true in that a car that used so much gas would have been a distinct liability in the war years or the depression era.” – Eric Davison. Bob Temple photo.
According to Wiki, “Chayne first had the car running again, then he modified the car to make it more road usable and is said to have spent over US$10,000 doing so, with the completed car featuring from 1947 onwards: a brand-new intake manifold with four carburetors, instead of the original single carb setup; a new paint scheme of oyster white with a dark green trim and convertible roof.” The carb set up can be seen in these photos.Bob Temple photo.
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Davison Jaguar SS100
In the Temple photo collection, we found this shot of Charlie Davison, standing next to his Jag SS 100. Charlie Davison was the father of VeloceToday contributor Eric Davison. Says Eric, “I believe that the POR is the longest running Rally in North America and is on (or was) on the international calendar. During the first POR years my dad was the Regional Executive for the SCCA and would have appeared with coat and tie as in this photo.” Bob Temple photo.
“I do remember that the freshly painted fenders were dimpled from the stones thrown up from rural Michigan roads. This phenomenon (rural country roads) was apparently a factor in Dave Garroway’s decision to have steel fenders made for his SS. The Brits didn’t have rural roads with stones as pavement.”-Eric Davison. Bob Temple photo.
Another shot of the Davison SS. “The next year I participated in the POR as a co-driver with Alfred Rzeppa in a Simca 8 Sport. Rzeppa was the creator of the CV joint. However, he was older, 65 at the time, and drove slowly and I think that my exuberance as a 16 year old hot dog made him nervous. Looking back, it should have made me nervous.” –Eric Davison. Bob Temple photo.
____From the VeloceToday archives: Charlie Davison____________________
Finding an SS100 for sale wasn’t an easy task. They surely weren’t listed in the classified sections of the local newspapers and, unlike today there was not much of a market for old sports cars. But, in the classified section of Motor Dad found one listed; a 3 1/2 liter, gunmetal gray, red carpets and red bucket seats. The price was just about what an MG TC cost at that time, about $1800. Because the car was in England that opened up a possibility for paying for it. Continue reading
Hi, Eric,
I was on a POR (probably) in 1955, navigating for friend Jack Martin in his Singer 1500. We didn’t finish the 400 miles, had a flat and had to limp home in the middle of the night after actor Lee Marvin loaned us his MGTC jack. Youthful memories.
Earl
Pete–
Wonderful photos.
Just imagine the Bugatti rolling across America during the
Great Depression, in its journey from San Francisco to New York,
that Land Yacht must have turned as few heads,!
Mr Fuchs the original owner going from Berlin to Asia, then a side
trip down to Los Angeles for check up with Bugatti mechanic
Bunny Philips. Understand it arrived in time to be at Vanderbilt Cup
for that Grand Prix race on Long Island.
Gratefully
Jim sitz
GP Oregon
The SS-100, the Ferrari 212 Barchetta and the E-Type stand alone as the most outstanding road car designs in automotive history.