2003 SoCal Special

After World War II, returning G.I.s had a 'need for speed.' Hot rodding took off all across the country, particularly in the west where groups like the Southern California Timing Association organized events on the dry lakes and salt flats. One soldier, former PT Boat pilot, Bill Burke, was fascinated by the fuel tanks on the fighter planes he saw during his tour of the Pacific. He believed they would make an ideal body for a streamlined car to run on the dry lakes. Back home, he purchased a tank from a war surplus junkyard in Los Angeles and set to work building the car he imagined.

Burke's car was a success, going more than 150 mph and establishing a 1949 land speed record for hot rods. His work attracted the attention of Alex Xydias, the founder of the So-Cal Speed Shop. Xydias purchased a particularly completed tanker chassis and body from Burke, finished the car, and began campaigning it on the dry lakes. The car, which came to be known as the So-Cal Lakester truly epitomized the ingenuity and innovation of hot rodding. It was constantly evolving, with changes to its suspension, body, and engine. Along the way, it established numerous land speed records, finally topping out at 198.340 mph.

The Ecotec-Powered Lakester is a joint venture between GM's Performance Division and the So-Cal Speed Job. The body was designed using advanced digital techniques to mimic the original Lakester design. Rather than aluminum, it is constructed of lightweight high-tech materials. one of the goals of the new Lakester was to demonstrate the versatility of GM's Ecotec engine and to demonstrate the versatility of GM's Ecotec engine and to inspire enthusiasts to think outside the box about the premier four-cylinder powertrain. The supercharged 2.0-liter Ecotec engine is mounted transversely, just as it is in the production Saturn ION Red Line.

The new Lakester would make Burke and Xydias proud; it broke the 200 mph mark at Bonneville in 2004. This car is on loan to the AACA Museum courtesy of the GM Heritage Collection.

Source - AACA Museum