May 23, 1953. The new Pegaso, chassis 0121, poses for a photo at Bridgehampton. Can anyone identify the people? Photo by Robert F. Pauley.
By Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives, February 2022
Not too much mystery about the Pegasos that appeared at Bridgehampton in May of 1953. Two photographers, Robert Pauley and Glen Glendenning were there and photographed two of the Pegasos. Perhaps a mystery was the chassis number of the Z102 model that accompanied the famed “Tea Rose.” That’s where our readers come in!
A rare shot of the Trujillo Pegaso at speed at Bridgehampton. Photo by Glen Glendenning.
A Z102 was also at Bridgehampton. Photo by Glen Glendenning,
And also took to the track on a demonstration run.
Earlier in the year, photographer Jerry Lehrer was checking out the many auto shows in the New York area and took the following photos of the “Tea Rose” and a rare spider, chassis 0118. The exact location and date may still be in question, so your help is again requested.
If looks could kill. An unhappy model decorates the Trujillo Pegaso. Photo by Jerry Lehrer.
Not exactly designed for an evening gown, the Pegaso was one of at least three at the 1953 New York Auto Show. The knockout show car was chassis 0121. Photo by Jerry Lehrer.
A happier sort in the Touring spyder, which is chassis 0118. The plexiglas-covered chassis can be seen in the background. Photo by Jerry Lehrer.
The 1953 New York International Motor Sports Show was held from April 4th through April 12th and had a lot to offer. The Alfa Disco Volante was on display, straight from its showing at Geneva. The new Austin Healey 100 was also on display, a great new sports car for under $3000.
But it was the Pegaso display that nearly brought down the house. But which house? According to Tony Adriaensens:
The Pegaso stand had a white Saoutchik coupé and another in fire-engine-red flanked the Perspex-enhanced display chassis that was already shown at the Paris Salon and Earl’s Court. This stripped chassis exposed the quad overhead cam alloy V8 with dry-sump lubrication, 5-speed transaxle, torsion bar suspension and deDion rear end with inboard brakes. Main attraction however was the one-off supercharged Z102 ‘BE CUP’ offered for sale at $29,220, the most expensive car in the show. Nicknamed ‘Tea Rose’ for its iridescent almost pink to yellow paint job that bloomed as it grew paler from rocker panel to roof, it was purchased immediately by Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.
Photographer Jerry Lehrer took these photos of the Brewster Automotive Corporation stand with a number of Pegasos; the Tea Rose, the Touring Spyder, two Saoutchik bodied cars and the plexiglas covered chassis displaying the mechanicals. These photos are not identified by year or location, and Tony was writing not about these images but of the International Motorsports Show in particular. We always assumed that these photos reflected that event. But in doing further research, we find a lot of confusion.
And here is where we need your help, dear reader. We don’t think these were taken at the International Motor Sports Show after all, which was held at the Grand Central Palace, where indeed the Pegasos were also displayed, but at the New York World Motor Sports show held earlier at Madison Square Gardens (III) on February 21, 1953. And of course, don’t forget the Harford, CT. show!
Dear Pete,
While researching for my book project, working title Stanley H. Arnolt: An American Industrialist and His Cars, I came across some photographs from Fred Pittera’s 1st World Motor Sports Show, held from 21 February to 1 March 1953.
Judging by the hanging lamps or lanterns visible in the photographs, I wonder whether the venue might have been Madison Square Garden.
Best regards,
Kenneth Andrén
Malmö, Sweden
I was 10 when these Pegasos hit the show circuit. I’d forgotten that Trujillo bought the Tea Rose on the spot.
But the reason for this note is that the sreamlined Pegaso was a high performer with its 4-cam 3.2 L motor. The Jaguar XK 120 set the standard for top speed: 120 MPH.
But the Pegaso upped the ante to 132 MPH in 1953.
Jaguar immediately responded with 172 MPH on the Jabbeke highway in Belgium. The streamlined Jaguar added a steel tonneau cover and a plexiglass bubble for the driver’s head.
Jaguar was still the fastest.
the new york show pegaso cupula now resides at the louwman museum. I suspect everybody knows … I oversaw the restoration of that car. It was the most challenging one I ever had at hand .But on the other hand the most rewarding . The car is simply a work of art , a picasso on wheels . And a centerpiece of the collection.Go see it, worth the trip!!
( one example: the rear lights . sort of unobtainable… One day I visited Luciano Nicolis , then still alive . Evert Louwman was with me . In a vitrina with parts I noticed not one pair but three pairs of the required (bosch ) lights …Rare as a hen’s teeth… Luciano was gracious enough to give us a pair . Truly a great man by the way . The Nicolis museum near Verona is absolutely worth the trip ) .
next to the Pegaso Touring coupé with licence B-104440 is standing another Pegaso. It is the prototype for the ’53 Saoutchik coupé, # 150.0117.
Behind the wheel of the coloured picture of the Cupula is NOT Luis Maresca, sales manager of the Brewster Company. Mr. Maresca -bold headed- was pictured behind the wheel of the Saoutchik Pegaso prototype.