Bob, Steve, Tigers,
Just when I thought I was out, you guys suck me back in!
Steve, you had to be kidding when you stated "I do not know if Shelby
America raced one Tiger, although they did hire Ken Miles (who also raced
Alpines for Lew Spencer), as well as Lew himself, to race Cobras."
For the editor(TU) not to be familiar with the Shelby sponsered #45 Tiger
race program, let alone it's existence, blows me away. Your previous
edifications on Shelby American and the LAT program led me to assume that
you were very well connected to the players and details therein. The
Shelby/Tiger race connection is well documented in several easily procured
publications and featured on many Tiger websites. Please excuse me if I am
misconstruing your hosting the TU website with being an enthusiast. You may
be like many others who love to drive the Tiger, but could care less about
the historical tidbits and ancillary menutia.(ie.LAT options). Spend a few
minutes browsing some of the other Tiger websites and I am sure you will be
thrilled with pictures and information you were previously unaware of. I
believe that Mr. Miller's website has some very cool pictures and details
with respect to the Tiger racing efforts.
> Is it Doane Spencer's status you are referring to? If so, then had Shelby
> American continued to campaign the Tiger, who knows what other course
Doane
> might have taken. I certainly have no special insight in that regard. It
is
> entirely possible that Doane would have taken advantage of another
> opportunity that led to fame and glory, rather than being associated with
> the ignominious fate of the Tiger in SCCA racing. . I think Tom's point
was
> that, no matter how large Doane looms in our minds, in terms of the bigger
> racing history picture, Doane is more akin to a "well kept secret" than a
> racing "icon".
Bob,
I respectfully disagree with your perspective on Doane's racing
accomplishments and his status being a "well kept secret". Doane's Tiger
accomplishments are well documented and lauded by Tiger owners as well as
those who enjoy sportscars and the racing scene of the 1960's. Fact is that
Doane's association with the Tiger was just one of his many significant
automotive projects. Projects that are recognized as revolutionary for
their time.
He has reached mythical status and is an "icon" among the "hotrodders" of
yesterday and today. Many of his contemporaries credit Doane as the
original hotrodder. I know very little about this area, but from what I
have read, he built the first "hotrod", a 32 Ford with Mercury power. I
believe it was called the "Highboy". Doane is said to have started the
"Deuce Coupe craze that is now a huge industry with mega shows and "Hotrods"
costing well into the $100,000's.
Another one of Doane's automotive adventures was the specially modified Ford
Thunderbird he took to the Bonneville Saltflats. I've been told that he
set numerous speed records in that T-Bird. Maybe some of you who were
"there" at the time could expound on his T-Bird and other exploits on the
Salt.
I believe it was Classic and Sportscar Magazine that did a feature last year
on Doane and his many automotive accomplishments. Seems that the English
and Europeans hold Doane in very high esteem.
Colour me gone! Again!
tjj
----- Original Message -----
From: "Palmer, Robert L." <RPalmer@brobeck.com>
To: "'Ray Johnson'" <rnrbj@hotmail.com>; <tigers@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 12:22 PM
Subject: RE: Doane's overbored 260's
> Ray,
>
> Is it Doane Spencer's status you are referring to? If so, then had Shelby
> American continued to campaign the Tiger, who knows what other course
Doane
> might have taken. I certainly have no special insight in that regard. It
is
> entirely possible that Doane would have taken advantage of another
> opportunity that led to fame and glory, rather than being associated with
> the ignominious fate of the Tiger in SCCA racing. I think Tom's point was
> that, no matter how large Doane looms in our minds, in terms of the bigger
> racing history picture, Doane is more akin to a "well kept secret" than a
> racing "icon". Also, I wouldn't characterize the parting of the ways
between
> Ian Garrad and Shelby American as Shelby "not being allowed to continue
> development". I think it is clear that Lew Spencer in particular and
Shelby
> American in general held the Tiger in low regard and were, I suspect, more
> than happy to terminate the contract. I think we can easily imagine how
the
> negotiations for the 1965 contract might have gone, with Ian demanding
> better results and Carroll saying fine, but it's going to cost you a whole
> lot more than it did last year to make that happen. What we might also
> speculate on is what would have happened if Ian had given the Tiger racing
> program to Doane in the first place, to say nothing of supporting him with
> anything like the budget that Ford was giving Shelby to campaign the
Shelby
> Mustangs, for example.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ray Johnson [mailto:rnrbj@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 9:55 AM
> To: tigers@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Doane's overbored 260's
>
>
> Bob,
>
> I raise my point again. Care to speculate on the difference in perceived
> status had Shebly American been allowed to continue development of the
> racing Tiger?
>
>
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