Voodoo Magic: Jerry Gardner's Voodoo Special

1 Part I — Overview The Emergence of the American Postwar Sports Car In 2015, the Amelia Island Concours d ’ Elegance published the seminal article recounting the history of the emergence of the American Postwar Sports car. This article was the result of over 10 years of research and nine author contributions. You can read the full article starting on this page and continuing in the Appendix of this book. Automotive historians and journalists generally acknowledge the Kurtis Sports Car (1949), Crosley Hot Shot (1949), Cunningham (1951), and Nash - Healey (1951) were among the first well - known early American postwar sports cars. However, the complete history of American sports car marques produced from 1947 to 1960 has yet to be fully told. Our goal at Undiscovered Classics is to accurately portray the lineage, document the practices, and reveal the hidden history behind the largely unknown innovators who created the first American sports cars. Through interviews, archives, and expert historians, we hope to tell the story of America ’ s Sports Car legacy. Long before the 1953 Corvette first appeared in showrooms, 50 American sports cars were already on the road, both as one - off designs and in limited production. By the end of the decade, this number of American sports cars would double, offering great variety and build - range for the eager customer. Through period magazines and literature, interviews with builders and their families, and discussions with historians across America, the story behind these early American sports cars unfolds as a complex and detailed undertaking, revealing multiple twists and turns. Among the many “ firsts: ” • These were Pioneers of the first Automotive “ Start Ups ” building “ something out of nothing ” – time and time again • They were American Innovators – advancing from novice to expertise using their resourcefulness and “ can - do ” attitude • They were Fueled not by large corporate investment but shoe - string budgets and trial and error prototyping as small builders and independent shops • America ’ s “ Greatest Generation ” achieved this amazing and compelling story of success against all odds – a story that we now believe is: ” The Greatest American Car Story NEVER Told .” Continue to Appendix on Page 57 to Read the Rest of This Story