Lost Muscle Cars. Wes Eisenschenk

back in 15 minutes.

      About 10 minutes later the phone rang in the Trapnell house. Walt eagerly answered it and was told that he, or rather Todd, was the winner of a brand-new Hurst-equipped 1970 Nova SS 396.

      A Trip to the Nationals

      Not only had the family won the Nova, but they also won an all-inclusive trip to the 1970 U.S. Nationals held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Todd and Walt were invited to partake in all of the festivities surrounding one of drag racing’s premier events. They were excited to receive such an amazing gift, but they were disappointed when Hurst informed them that the flight included for the trip to Indy was for only two individuals.

      The Trapnell family felt that they had won as a team and wanted to celebrate as a team. An agreement was made so that Walt drove instead of flying so the whole Trapnell family could enjoy the festivities in Indianapolis. Walt went on to reveal that Hurst was first class in taking care of the family. Todd, just three years old, was the star of the weekend. The Trapnells were going to be rubbing elbows with all of the top names in drag racing, from Garlits and Prudhomme to Sox & Martin. Most notable of all was that Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Linda Vaughn was going to be Todd’s personal host.

      One event they attended was the pre–U.S. Nationals gala. When it was time for a Hurst representative to take the podium and talk about the successful ad campaign, and to announce the winners of the giveaway Nova, Vaughn scooped up Todd and made her way to the podium.

      As Linda spoke about the guests of honor for the weekend, Todd flashed the V-for-victory sign that Linda had taught him, giving everyone in the crowd a chuckle. Walt went on to say that when Linda handed young Todd back to his mother he overheard Todd exclaim, “Mom, she’s squishy!” The U.S. Nationals went down to the wire in the Top Fuel division with Don Prudhomme barely inching by Jim Nicoll in the finals. The event is well known for what happened after Nicoll crossed the finish line: His clutch exploded, ripping the dragster in two.

      Prudhomme, with perhaps the best seat in the house, watched in horror as Nicoll’s dragster disintegrated and he saw the front half of the car (with its engine) shoot past him with no sign of Jim. By a stroke of luck, Nicoll had flipped on the chute just before the explosion.

      The opened chute lifted the driver and his cage/cockpit up and over the wall, setting Nicoll down in the grass. He sustained only a concussion and a swollen foot.

      Home Again

      After the finals, the Trapnell family returned home to Cleveland, with the Nova following shortly thereafter. Hurst had removed most of the graphics on the car, leaving it with just the gold striping and a few decals on the rear quarter panel.

       The Hurst Nova, without its giveaway graphics, tackles the quarter-mile at Thompson Drag Raceway in the early 1970s. This is the last known photo of the car before it slipped into oblivion. (Photo Courtesy Charles Gilchrist Collection)

      We’d all like to imagine that Walt stored the Nova away in the corner of the garage for young Todd to receive on his 16th birthday, but that is pure fiction. Walt drove the car for the rest of the summer but found out quickly that a Posi-Traction 396 big-block with 350 horses underfoot and icy Ohio roads don’t go well together. Soon Walt had purchased an old Tempest to handle the winter duties and parked the Nova until spring.

      The union between the Trapnell family and the Hurst Nova soon ended; the car was listed for sale. A middle-aged couple purchased the car with the intention of going Powder Puff racing on the east side of Cleveland. Thompson Dragway photographer Charles Gilchrist captured the Nova before the car vanished from the public eye.

      In Cognito

      The website Yenko.net is highly regarded as one of the best sources on the Internet for discussing all things Chevrolet muscle. In 2007, a thread was created questioning the whereabouts of the Hurst Nova. A series of promotional photos featuring Todd and the car were posted along with (perhaps) the last known photo of the Nova campaigning at Thompson Drag Raceway. As far as almost everyone is concerned, the car has simply vanished without a trace.

      During discussions with the Trapnell family, they disclosed all the information they had on the Hurst Nova. Ironically, they’d never been approached until I located Todd in late 2014. The Nova had been painted Hurst White and included gold striping similar to the 1969 Hurst Olds. It’s unclear what ultimately happened to this car, although it could have continued without any later owners knowing its history. With just a couple of gold stripes for reference, perhaps no one was any the wiser to the history of the car.

       The 1968 Shelby Mustang Paris Show Car

       By Peter Disher

      The plans to move Shelby American to Ford began early in 1967. Several things factored into this decision; among them was that Ford desired more control over the manufacturing process of the Shelby Mustangs. Shelby was plagued by problems with fiberglass suppliers and running production changes were common, and with the end of the lease at its Los Angeles airport facilities coming to an end, the opportunity arose for such a move.

      In July 1967, plans were being finalized for the new model year of Shelby Mustang production. Pictures of the new 1968 Shelby Mustang models had to be released before actual production began so Shelby built two pre-production photographic cars. These two “1968s” were actually built from Shelby’s 1967 engineering fleet. One was a convertible (GT500) and one was a fastback (GT350).

      AO Smith

      By the time the 1968 model year began production in September 1967, all Shelby personnel had reported to Ionia, Michigan. Along with the transition of personnel, the famed “Cobra” nameplate also became the property of Ford. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, company, AO Smith, had a plant in Ionia, Michigan, and offered Ford standardization on the assembly lines and promised larger production numbers than in previous years.

       Adorned in Sunlit Gold, this Shelby GT350 must have been an impressive sight at the Paris Auto Show in 1967. (Pierre Monet Photo)

      Smith was well known in the automotive industry and had a long history with the Big Three auto manufacturers. Original plans included production of some 8,000 Shelbys (4,450 were actually built). They also included plans for producing fuel-injected cars and supercharged versions that unfortunately never materialized. AO Smith’s first job was to build four “pilot” cars. They would not be released to the public, but would be used for testing and evaluation. All four cars were painted Sunlit Gold with each one representing a model (GT350, GT350 convertible, GT500, and GT500 convertible). Interestingly, one of these vehicles was referenced on a piece of factory paperwork with the notation as the Paris Show Car.

      A GT350 for a GT500

      Earlier in the summer of 1967, the Ford GT40 had scored its second consecutive win at Le Mans. Ford had dethroned Ferrari in 1966 and had backed it up with another dominating performance. In Europe, Ford of France was eager to display the new 1968 Shelby Mustangs and capitalize on Shelby’s name recognition. The following telegram dated September 28, 1967, was sent by George Merwin to B. Valton of Ford Motor Parts (France):

      “GT 500 due to arrive Orly airport 1900 hours Saturday, September 30. Vehicle being sold to Ford of France. Will arrive freight collect. Copy of the invoice along with waybill number has been forwarded to A. Bordereau. Color of car is gold, new 1968 color. Copy of press packet is being forwarded. Brochures and specification sheets have not yet been printed. Regards.”

      The telegram detailed the request for a new GT500 to be displayed at the Salon de l’Automobile, the prestigious Paris Auto Show. These records also show that a GT350 was substituted as a last-minute replacement. This car was delivered to Aéroport de Paris-Orly on September 30, 1967, with the Shelby Mustang to be showcased