1952 Fageol Pataray

The 1952 Pataray was a one-off roadster built by Ray Fageol and displayed on the cover of Mechanix Illustrated. The two-seater was powered by a 300 horsepower Fageol bus engine and its exterior wore a two-tone color scheme.

Fageol Motors
Fageol Motors was founded by Rollie, William, Frank and Claude Fageol in 1916, in Oakland, California, as a manufacturer of farm tractors, trucks, and automobiles. In 1921, Fageol became the first company to build a bus from the ground up, which they called the 'Safety Bus.' It earned this name due to its wide track and low construction (low center of gravity), allowing for ease of entry and exit. In 1927, the Fageol brothers left the company to form the Twin Coach Company, manufacturing buses in Kent, Ohio.

When Fageol Motors entered receivership during the Great Depression, the bank assumed control and reorganized the company under the name Fageol Truck and Coach. T.A. Peterman acquired the factory and its contents in 1938, and a year later, Peterbilt was produced.

Early Fageol Automobile Production
During Fageol's existence, the company produced at least three luxury cars. These cars were built by Frank R. and William B. Fageol, and Louis H. Bill, and were intended to be the most expensive luxury car of its era. Equipped with Hall-Scott aircraft engines, at least three examples were built before the government took over the engine manufacturing plant to build war planes. These vehicles were marketed as the 'Fageol Four Passenger Touring Speedster.'

Other automobiles built by the company later in its existence were the Fageo 100, Fageol Supersonic, and the PataRay (Fageol Special).

The Fageol Supersonic
The Fageo Supersonic was a streamlined coupe with a wraparound windshield, flush headlamps, and a hydraulically operated roof that could retract into the fastback (necessary as it had no doors). It was brought to the Indianapolis 500 in 1949 but did race because it did not make the 33-car lineup. Instead, it was driven in exhibition laps, reaching 125 MPH on the straight stretches.

Later, the company used the Supersonic as a publicity vehicle, and when the company wanted to promote its new propane-powered buses in 1950, the Supersonic was converted to propane power and then set out on a nationwide tour promoting the technology.

Automobile manufacturer Hudson was impressed with the star-power of the Fageol Supersonic. When Lou Fageol was asked to build Hudson a Supersonic body its two-door Hornet, he was unable to do so in the allotted timeframe. Rather than create a new body, the Supersonic body was lifted off the chassis, modified, and installed on the Hudson. The rear quarter panels and doors were from the Hudson, as were the chassis and drivetrain.

The Fageol PataRay
Devoid of its streamliner body, the Supersonic chassis retained its aluminum engine. In this guise, it was retired to storage (a family farm), where it sat for several years before Ray Fageol got permission from his father (Lou) to build a body for the chassis.

Frankie Stooler and Dave Rankin assisted in the creation of the new coachwork. Frankie had expertiees in shaping aluminum and Rankin's skill was with steel. Both individuals' skills were tested with the bodywork as it was an assortment of various vehicles. Among them was the crashed rear section of a 1946 Indy Special, Oldsmobile 88 quarter panels, the grille and front fenders of a Chevrolet, and a wraparound windshield.

Ray called it the PataRay (a combination of Ray and his wife's (Pat) first names), and it was the cover car of the May 1953 issue of Mechanix Illustrated, described as the Fageol Special.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2023