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Morning all,
I'll admit that this is a bit of a stretch for the brit-car
connection, but I think it's intriguing nonetheless.
This week marks the 46th annual Oakland Roadster show, which features the
nation's best street rods as well as other interesting vehicles. A recent full
page ad shows two of these vehicles; the Flintstone movie car, and, as Dave
Barry would say " I'm *not* making this up", Fabio's Fageol Roadster.
For some reason I had a newspaper open to this ad when a co-worker stopped
by my office and looking at the picture of the Fabio-mobile, mentioned that he
had pictures of the car in construction as his father in law had done some work
on it.
Now for those of you who have not seen this, ahem, beautiful demonstration
of what car be achieved by a manic bodyman who thinks the Gee-Bee sports racer
is the epitome of the perfect shape, it looks like it started out as a 1955 or
so Pontiac, that then had a cockpit installed as far back on the body as is
possible. Add a wrap-around windscreen, nacelle with rudder and garish
grille-like bumpers, and you have Fabio's pride & joy. When I mentioned the car
to my wife, she quipped, "Hmmmm, Fabio's car, probably looks nice but not a lot
under the hood".
Anyway, more than this, the name (Fageol) intrigued me. And then someone
named Gene posted on this very list in response to the "Mystery 100-4" thread
about a fellow named Lou Fageol who campaigned a twin-engined Porsche at the
Cumberland airport, and I had my first clue. (see attachment below)
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>In a mid fifties SCCA race at Cumberland airport there was an AH 100 that fit
>that description. At the time I thought it was rather well done! The only
>other cars that I remember distinctly was a team of Pink (with matching
>coveralls) TR2's and Lou Fageols twin engined Porsche. The location was
>memorable too. They lopped off the top of a mountain to build the airport.
>There were a few scars on the side of the hill where pilots had come in a
>little too low.
>Gene
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It all came together the other night whilst perusing an issue of "Drive"
(California's car magazine), and in an article about the Roadster show they had
a blurb about the Fageol. From memory;
The Fageol Roadster was constructed in 1952 by Lou Fageol of Oakland, and
featured a supercharged 400ci straight six, and is now owned by supermodel
Fabio. Case closed.
Daren says check it out.
cheers-
daren
We now return you to your normally-scheduled discussions of ballast
resistors and MGB brakes.
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