1954 Davis Special

In the early 1950s, Bob Davis of North Carolina purchased a 1941 Ford chassis for less than $40. He shortened the chassis to 100 inches and strengthened it by adding cross-member tubes. The suspension, brakes, and various other mechanical components were also upgraded. The body was put together from body scraps and metal sheets. The front nose section is courtesy of a Chevy truck cab. Parts of the rear were courtesy of the front fenders of a 1947 Plymouth. The grille was made from rods of steel and given a 'D' for Davis.

Power came from a Ford flathead V8 engine and was mated to a Ford three-speed gearbox with Zephyr gears. The engine was given three Stromberg 48 carburetors, an Isky camshaft, and a lightened flywheel.

With the car completed, Bob Davis went racing in his unique Special. Despite its modest budget, the car did rather well in competition, frequently earning podium finishes. It won the Fourth Annual Hillclimb at Pilot Mountain in November of 1955. A year later, it won another hillclimb at Grandfather Mountain while being driven by Ed Welch. Six months later, Welch drove the car to another victory at a Chimney Rock hillclimb.

Phil Styles of Burnside, North Carolina, purchased the car in 1957 and continued to use the car in competition. With Styles at the wheel, the Davis was driven to three victories in a row at Chimney Rock in 1957 and 1958 and was awarded the Baugh Memorial Trophy for his achievements. In 1957 through 1959, he won another three-in-a-row victory at Grandfather Mountain's annual hillclimb. By this point in history, the car was powered by a 283 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine and a Jaguar four-speed gearbox.

The car continued to compete into the 1960s, but by this point in history, the competition had become very stiff.

In the early 1990s, the car was re-discovered by Jimmy Dobbs in a junkyard in North Carolina. Since then, the car has been restored and is currently in use in vintage competition.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2013