This
is the fabulous Ala Kart built by Richard Peters and his friend
Blackie GeJeian and the Barris brothers and winner of the title
of America's most beautiful roadster twice in 1958 and again in
1959.
The
design of the pickup has been credited to George Barris and was
a total departure from the normal hot rod roadster being built in
the day. One of the first hot show vehicles built to win car shows.
Radical
design in the chassis and running gear. Air suspension decked out
in chrome plating was just one of the outstanding features that
wowed showgoers in the day. There is a famous story of Blackie Gejeian
took the mirror from the ladies rest room and put under the roadster
to show off the chrome and started a trend that is still in use
today.
The
roadster pickup was all chrome underneath as the entire chassis
was chromed. This roadster had everything from the entire chrome
chassis, to the beautiful upholstery and padded top, to spectacular
pearlescent paint, beautiful scallops designed and painted by Dean
Jeffries, who also applied the pinstriped outlines around the two
tone scallops. An early hemi engine was also decked out and fully
chromed.
More...
Bob Nugent
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