Since sharing several photos from his collections earlier this month, Charlie Beesley has been hard at work building a blog to showcase said photos. In among them are these three he’s shared with us, along with what he’s been able to find out about their subjects.
The Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois was built in 1934 by industrialist Robert Ilg on the grounds of a recreation area for employees of the Ilg Hot Air Electric Ventilating Company of Chicago. The gold speedster in the foreground is an atom age mystery. (photo is dated November 1961 – ed.)
Built in the early 1930s by Minnesota teenager Bob Shotwell, this rear-engined tricycle coupe is powered by an inline four from a 1931 Indian motorcycle, with bodywork hand hammered from sheet steel at his dad’s radiator shop. Bob and his brother Edward made local headlines with a 6,000 mile grand tour, the car eventually racking up some 150,000 miles before its retirement. Fearing little Philbert would be plundered by bike restorers for its mill, Shotwell offered the car to Jay Leno, who restored it to a semblance of its former glory, minus the twin sidemounts and punk graffiti on the fender valence.
People personalize their cars in very personal ways, but this particular impulse is new to me. Seems that Hebron, Ohio’s Manny Powell had a tricked out 454 big block that he wanted on permanent display, so he sawed a ’69 Z28 shell into 29 pieces and went from there. Honey, I shrunk the Camaro? As for interior accommodations, try to imagine any of the guys on either side, inside.
Thanks, Charlie!