From the archive
Pictures from the past
The Chaparral Files contains loads of fascinating pictures from many sources. Here you'll find a selection from the archive. It will be refreshed and supplemented regularly, so repeat visits will pay off for Chaparral enthusiasts. We trust the rightful claimants will support the idea. The Chaparral Files have no commercial goals to achieve! If the source is known, it'll be mentioned.
Here we go!
Flying High! A marvelous shot of the 2F at "The Ring". I'm sure the two spectators will have waited for another 8 minutes or so to see this monster flying by again. Is it the wing in downforce position that pushes the rear down? (source: Powerslide 1967)
Another fascinating picture of the same race. The gracious ballet of the Le Mans start. Porsche opposition outnumbers the lone Chaparral and Lola-Aston Martin. All the Porsche drivers enter via the left door, Phil Hill and the Aston pilot use the right side. (source: unknown)
Jackie Stewart climbing aboard the 2J.
In my archives it is the only picture of Stewart outside the car. It is said that Jackie, for safety reasons, was dissatisfied with the steering wheel having to be removed when going in and out of the car. But once in the car "he was a terrific driver" (Jim Hall).
(source: an unknown Italian magazine)
Recently somebody asked by mail if The Chaparral Files know about the existence of a picture of the 2F at the banking of Monza. The answer is yes there is one. It is taken from the book of Dave Friedman: Chaparral, CanAm and Prototype Race Cars. Unfortunately the reply didn't work. So this is the solution for the moment. Hopefully that 'somebody' will try again by mail.
Frans Weis and Jim Hall at Rattlesnake Raceway. To my knowledge the only picture of Jim Hall with a beard! (CAR and DRIVER, June 1977)
No, there was just one 2J! This is a pre Photoshop exercise. I suppose to demonstrate the phenomenal roadholding capacities of the 'Sucker'. (Motor Trend, January 1971)
Bridgehampton CanAm 1969. John Surtees reading at ease while mechanics try to fix the wing of the McLaren M12 that replaced the Chaparral 2H during some races that year. He didn't need his goggles to read the news! (Autosport January 11, 2001)
Motor Racing, December 1962. What a peculiar transporter car!
The caption reads: "A new line in transporters! Rodger Ward carried his new Chaparral sports car on the back of this impressive Mercedes 'tug' until the car was wrecked at Riverside and Ward was transported to hospital."
One of the Chaparral made discs broke and chopped through the steering arm, wrecking the car and putting Ward in hospital for a three-month stay with compression fractures of three vertebrae. Roger Ward had already won the Indy 500 that year and in 1959. This is Chaparral 1 chassis #004. Initially it was written off. Some mechanical parts survived. Later Troutman made a brand new body and chassis for the car. In May 1992 this recreation car appeared for sale for 350.000 Dollars (source: Falconer & Nye). I wonder what happened to the tug..
Well, some time ago I got a mail from a Chaparral Files visitor (thanks Doug) and he wrote about this tug being ended up in a workshop of Hot Rodder Dean Moon. I googled this name and found this website: www.nitrogeezers.com (sadly not online anymore, Sept 2016) The website shows a picture and says this tug was made from El Camino parts, powered by a Chevy V8. So it wasn't a Mercedes at all. Doug also mentioned the car was mangled in a Southern Californian earthquake but I didn't find more information so far about this fact.
Another visitor (thanks Joe) recalls he remembered a magazine in the early Sixties, featuring this car. He thought the car to be a mixture of a Corvair pick-up truck cab and powered by a Chevy located under the bed. But maybe the Dean Moon website is more accurate. Anyhow, a little Chaparral related secret solved again!
Here are two other, more recent links with stories about this transporter: www.barnfinds.com/cheetah-transporter-chase and Automotiveviews.wordpress.com/tag/holtkamp-transporter.