The Original Rollin' Stone

This blog is dedicated to the memory of my brother, Carl. He was the 1957 NHRA National Champion at the finals in Oklahoma City. His 1932 Street Roadster brought the title back home to Dallas and he was extremely proud of this accomplishment. Being one of the pioneers of the sport, it was nothing to visit his home and find someone like NHRA President Wally Parks, or drivers Don Garlits, Kenny Bernstein, or Bob Langley spending the night there.
In the early 1960's my brother got a letter from a lawyer representing the Rolling Stones rock group. The letter accused him of stealing their name and insisted he stop using it. He replied with a photo showing one of his cars at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1955 with 'Rollin' Stone' on the side of it. He told the lawyer to peddle his wares somewhere else and if he ever heard from him again it would be he that sought legal action..
The photos show the beautiful 1932 Ford Roadster. In black & white as it looked in 1957. The color ones show the roadster after my brother's death in 1981. Jim Smith of Tulsa rebuilt the car to look as it did in 1957. He did a super job and the car sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $330,000. The car recently showed up at a Pebble Beach, California show. My brother may be gone, but his legacy and the 'Rollin Stone' roadster lives on.