I don’t know why, but when I first saw this 1930 Model A Speedster I immediately thought of the movie The Great Race. If you haven’t seen the 1965 classic, it stars Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood as they race cars similar to this one at the turn of the century. Well, if you want your own roadster racer, this one can be found here on Craigslist with an asking price of $16,000. Located in Tucson, Arizona, I’m not sure how practical this car is for daily driving, but for parades and occasional cruises, it seems perfect. Take a closer look and thanks to T.J. for the tip on this one.
The interior is a tasteful mix of original and custom touches. The steering wheel appears original and is in great shape. The turned dash, gauges, lights, and switches are all in the right place and look great.
The engine is a 4-cylinder with pistons that are .060 larger than stock. It also features adjustable valves, Lions head, FSI ignition with auto-advance. To keep it cool in the Arizona heat there is a 12-volt electric fan along with a new water pump. The engine is backed by a new transmission, clutch, and pressure plate. The whole thing is stopped with mechanical brakes.
These cars are known for pretty rough suspension that is dampened by Friction shocks. To help with street driving, the car features turn signals in the front and rear with LED brake lights. The fuel tank is 10 gallons, which should provide plenty of range for the four banger. Overall, this looks like a fun car for the right person. What do you think?
No information on the history of it,or who did it.
These were all home builts. I would guess it is not an updated 1930s hot rod though, but something fairly recent. The post WWI racers and street racers tended to have some sort of streamlined body. This tries to replicate the looks of the pre wwi sports cars such as the Stutz Bearcat, Mercer Raceabout, and Apperson Jackrabbit. Foregoing accuracy for the electric fan is a good touch for cruise/parade use. With those mechanical brakes you might want to trailer it to events though.
Quality work at it’s finest.
I have never been into these types of cars but boy does this one look like fun to mess around with.
Cool looking car, and it probably would be fine to drive, although a bit rough riding…. I would call this car Teddy Roosevelt (he was a RoughRider too)…. groan, terrible joke.
Terrible joke but not to worry with this group we all get it, that makes you a celebrity!
With a few changes this thing could be raced at TROG. Noe that’s how I spell fun!
I loved The Great Race. One of the best movie cars ever was Professor Fates Hannibal Twin Eight. I so want a cannon under my hood for working thru traffic.