1953 Tatum Special Roadster

In 1952, Chuck Tatum attended a sports car race in his hometown of Stockton, California. That evening, in the bar at the local hotel, Chuck and some friends were discussing the fact that the front-running cars at the races were all imported from England or Europe. Chuck declared that he could build a car using American components that would beat all that 'foreign stuff.'

That winter, in his shop behind his house, he proceeded to build such a car. He constructed a light but rigid frame to which he attached front suspension from a 1939 Ford, a rear axle from a 1946 Ford Pickup, and steering from a 1939 Ford. He used a Lincoln transmission and chose a 1951 GMC truck engine fitted with side-draft carburetors from a 1953 Corvette. The aluminum bodywork was hand formed by his good friend, Jack Hagemann.

The Tatum Special won its first race at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA, in the spring of 1953 and went on to win many more in the next three years. Chuck successfully raced the car at Stockton, Madera, Santa Barbara, Pebble Beach, and other tracks on the west coast.