RAY BROWN'S ’32 FORD HIGHBOY


Stripped of fenders and aggressively raked, thanks to small tires up front and bigger ones in the rear, the Ray Brown Roadster is an archetypal example of a ’32 Ford Highboy hot rod, which was driven daily and raced on the dry lakes. Brown began building his ’32 roadster while still in high school in the mid-1940s, and during this time he worked for Eddie Meyer’s respected shop in West Hollywood.


This roadster’s construction and finish were first class, and all the “right” equipment was carefully selected, including an Ed Stewart “Dago” dropped axle, split wishbones and tube shocks up front. The steering wheel, column shifter and emergency brake came from a 1940 Ford, and an arched Model A spring was used to clear the Halibrand quick change.


A two-gallon tank in the trunk, a Bell pressure pump and a parallel fuel system allowed Brown to convert to alcohol fuel. At the lakes, he’d switch fuel systems, install reworked twin Stromberg 97s, remove the windshield and headlights, and fit a snug canvas tonneau cover. With its bored and stroked 284-cid flathead, running an Ed Winfield SU-1A cam, Ray’s roadster wore the numbers “99C” and was a contender in Class C whenever it ran. Consistent speeds in the mid-120s, with a fastest time of 125.70 mph, were a notable achievement for a flathead- powered, street-driven highboy.


By 1948, Ray felt he’d reached the car’s potential, and he sold the roadster for $850 to Bob Hutchinson of Pennsyl- vania. Hutchinson moved to Nevada, where the roadster, full-fendered and repainted black from Ray Brown’s pre- ferred Sherwood Green, was stored from 1948 to 1991. Ray wondered what had happened to the car, but he was busy with his speed shop, seat belt business and increasing recognition for his accomplishments.


When Kirk F. White acquired the roadster in 1991, it still had the engine that Ray used when it raced in 1947, and Ray’s name was stamped on the front of the Meyer twin-carb intake manifold. “I called (the late) Dean Batchelor,” White said, “and asked him what he could tell me about Ray Brown.”


“Here’s his phone number,” Batchelor replied.


“So I had the pleasure of telling Ray that we had unearthed his great ’32 dry lakes car,” White said.


Ray Brown helped Kirk and restorers Jim Lowrey and his son Jim Jr. with the restoration via telephone and letters. His memory for details and his extensive personal files ensured the ’32’s restoration was correct. In one exchange, Ray described the squared-off porting technique that Manny Ayulo used. It became obvious to the restoration team that it was Ayulo’s handiwork when they removed the heads and intake manifold.


The car debuted at the Ty-Rods Old Timers’ Reunion in Hudson, Mas- sachusetts, in September 1992. The following month, Kirk and the Lowreys brought the car to Hershey. A few weeks after that, Kirk took the ’32 to the NHRA’s inaugural meet in Bakersfield, California, and reunited it with Ray Brown. “It was a pretty spe- cial moment,” Kirk recalled. Seeing his old roadster for the first time in 44 years was an emotional experience. Ray agreed: “I spent a wonderful day visiting with Kirk and Dean and people who had come to see it. It was great.”


In 1997, the Ray Brown Roadster became part of the Petersen Automotive Museum’s permanent collection. In June 2000, the mu- seum brought it to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England and I hammered it up the test hill. Uncork- ing the headers and popping the clutch at 3,000 rpm resulted in a screech from the 7.00x16s. The Ray Brown Roadster let British show- goers see what a true American hot rod was all about.


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In 2007, when the Petersen Museum presented “Speed: The World’s Fastest Cars,” Ray Brown’s roadster represented the Dry Lakes and early Bonneville era. This ’32 is remembered for Ray Brown’s racing record and for Kirk White’s efforts to help people recognize the significance of historic hot rods. Hot rod pioneer Ray Brown passed away in 2007 at the age of 79. But his ’32 Ford roadster lives on.


MILESTONES


A coveted Southern California Timing Association plaque on the dash notes that on Septem- ber 21, 1947, with Ray Brown at the wheel, this roadster turned an impressive 123.62 mph at El Mirage Dry Lake.


In 1993, at the AACA Fall


National Meet at Hershey, the judges confirmed this ’32 roadster as a bona fide race car, eligible for AACA class 24A, and awarded it a First Junior badge.


In 1994, the ex-Ray Brown ’32 Ford roadster received a Senior Award as well as the AACA Past President’s Award, the highest honor for an AACA-certified competition car.


In 1997, when the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance featured historic hot rods for the first time, Ray Brown’s roadster won second place behind the famous Doane Spencer ’32.


The HVA is looking for stories from historic vehicle lovers


around the country to help create an oral history of the automobile within American culture. It’s easy to get involved. Check out the HVA website — historicvehicle.org — and click on the "This Car Matters" tab to share your story today.


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