tbenvie

I have an 87 Allante that has a great body but everything else is bad-interior, drivetrain, etc. I hate to part it and junk it and was wondering about modifying it. I know the front core support of the Reatta-Riviera-Eldorado is the same. I believe the engine cradle is as well. I remember people would swap the Riviera brake system to a Reatta-could it also be done on the Eldorado-Allante? Have plenty of time to play around with it, so that is not a problem. I remember someone made a rear wheel drive Reatta-any info on what had to be done? Looking for ideas to save the car and be different

the passenger int he Pace Car that day was TE "Pops" Meyer of the Speedway. The uniformed people may be the Purdue marching band that perform each year prior to the race-Ill try to find out

The pace Car lettering on the side of the car is Gold Leaf, so often looks like different colors depending on light and refelctions

Yes, this is the real deal. I have been collecting and scanning Pace Car info for over 40 years so don't know where it came from. I have many others in the Facebook Group link I posted Ihave already completed many years of Pace car research and have a Facebook Group for each one. Now working on the 38 Hudson, 37 Lasalle, 36 Packard.

This one also shows blackwalls.

Here is the info for 1962: https://www.facebook.com/groups/507493020175121

Here is the info I have for the 1939 Pace car https://www.facebook.com/groups/2901414710078472

I am researching the various Indy 500 Pace Cars and when finished I create a facebook group for inoput, additions, corrections, etc. It can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2901414710078472

These two photos show the rear differences. The car on the right is lettered like the Pace car, and some internet articles even implies it is the actual car, but the actual car was a trunk-back, similar to the car on the left. Plus no sidemounts on the actual Pace Car. And it had a black interior.

I wonder where this car is today? There are many actual Pace Cars that are not known as of yet. The 73 Cadillac was used to test other products and supposedly scrapped by GM. the 72 Hurst Olds and back up are both missing. Others are known as destroyed-the 63 Chrysler was stolen and stripped from Parnelli Jones shop, then parted and scrapped for instance. People mistakenly think the winner got the Pace car, when in fact the first winner to get one was Louis Meyer in 1936 (Packard), then Wilbur Shaw in 1940 (Studebaker). 41 was a special Chrysler Newport Phaeton-all five still exist, but the winner did not get one. No race 42-45, but in 46 Lincoln hand built a car and it was turned over to Henry Ford II after the race, sold to a movie studio and now lives with a collector who has owned it since 1973. Nash gave the winner a car for 47, but not the Pace car. Cannonball Baker used it fr a number of promotional purposes, then it disappeared in 1949. the winner could have received the 48 Chevy Pace Car, but wanted a sedan instead. Unknown what happened to the real one. The 49 Olds went to the winner, driven until rusted and junked. The 50 Mercury caught fire and was destroyed six months after the race. So many stories!

Yes, the photo really is of the race and I have more I will publish when finished the research. The above car has been stated to be the "real" Pace Car but it has sidemounts, no "trunk back", and red interior and wheels. The above is one of only three made. Looks great though

I am researching the various Indy 500 Pace Cars and am now on 1939. The Pace Car was a Buick Roadmaster Phaeton trunk back without the sidemount tires. Model 81C painted Sequoia Cream with a Black leather interior. Only 311 Model 81C were produced, with another 53 Model 81CX for export. I found the Paint Code for Sequoia cream as 538, but have found two codes for Black Leather: 702 and 723. Does anyone know which one would be correct? A special rear tonneau cover was made to cover the rear seat, but surprisingly was not on the car for race day. Whitewalls were also added for the race. Attached are two pictures.

I have compiled my research on the 1956 Desoto Fireflite Pace Car. I welcome-and encourage-any help making corrections, additions, etc. The idea is to be factual. It is a Facebook Group-sorry if you don't have it but it is the best way to set up all the photos and info. Thanks https://www.facebook.com/groups/450716022690467

Perfect-Thanks

I am researching the various Indy 500 Pace Cars and am now on 1940. the Pace Car was a Studebaker Champion, but Buick supplied the cars for the AAA Track Officials. I am. not sure how many, but at least four. Could someone identify the model Buick sent? I could sue any specifics about the car. I colorized a few of them. thanks

After the race the cars were purchased by local sealers through the Zone office. It appears from this ad the decals were removed from the Riviera so most people may not even be aware of these cars. In 1992 Cadillac removed all the decals from the Festival Allantes and I have been able to find the VINs of these cars-not one of the current owners I was able to contact knew the past of their car. In 1997 Olds did the same thing with the Auroras. I have that VIN list and about 70% of the cars have already been junked-probably because nobody knew the history of the car.

Here is the day the cars were assigned to the directors, March 15, 1976

Any information on this white car with the bulge hood?

Two things to point out in the photos. The round gold decal on the door designates the car as a "500 festival Director" car. these only go on the cars assigned to these people, They do NOT go on the other cars used at the track. The second round decal on the rear quarter panel is the Bicentennial Log for our countries 200th birthday in 1976.

Still researching the various indy pace cars. Now looking at 1976. The Buick Century was the actual Pace Car and about 1290 Replicas were made for sale by dealers. Is there a Registry anywhere for these cars? Also, there is a group that began in 1957 called the "500 Festival Associates". they not only promoted the race, but in an effort to get the visitors downtown they began a Festival Parade, Festival Queen, and a number of other events. There were 33 Festival Directors in the group-to equal the amount of drivers in the race. In 1959 they were given the use of 25 Buicks by a local dealer to use to promote the events-though they were various models and colors, not the same as the Pace Car. In 1960 each of the 33 Festival Directors received an Oldsmobile for the month of May. Once again they were not just Ninety Eights, but other Olds models. This is the beginning of the tradition where the Festival Directors (and the Queen) would receive a car, now known as "Festival Cars". Over the years the 500 Festival Directors would receive a car but they were not always like the Pace car-for instance in 1978 the Corvette was the Pace car, but there were only four at the track: two actual Pace cars, a display car, and a car to be given the winner (The winner often did NOT receive the actual Pace Car as is commonly believed). The 500 Festival Directors each received a Camaro for the month. But there are other cars used as well, often called "Track Cars". These go to dignitaries, local officials, and track officials. In 1978 these "Track cars" were Monte Carlos. In 1976 the Pace Cars and Track Cars all looked alike, but the 500 Festival Directors each had a Riviera with the Pace Car decals. I can find no info on these cars. Does anyone have or know who may have the Car Assignment Sheets for 1976 with the kist if cars, VINs and names of who received the cars? I have been able to find the 70, 71, 73-75, 78-80 sheets so I am hoping these are still out there. Here are some pictures from the 500 festival Parade with the Riviera Festival Cars. At most, there would only be 41 of these based on other years.

Has anyone been able to figure out a way to filter results so you just get what you are looking for? If I type in Reatta I get all sorts of other cars and stuff, not enough time to go through everything.

I am still researching the various Pace cars and am now on 1959. This is the first year there were a number of cars in Indianapolis being used by the 500 Festival Committee. Two Indianapolis dealers -Ogle-Dellon and Monarch Buick-supplied 25 Buicks to the 500 Festival Directors and two Pace cars for the track. Though the actual Pace Cars were white with red interiors, the other 25 were various colors and interiors. The actual cars were Electra 225 convertibles, but the other cars may have been another model Buick convert. I have a number of photos of the festival cars in the 500 Festival Parade. What is a quick way to see from just the exterior view if the cars are Electra 225 or other models? It was not uncommon for the 5000 Festival to use various models and colors as they were resold by the local dealers and to have so many exact cars might make them harder to sell.

It took awhile, but I have completed my research on the 1946 Lincoln Pace Car. Here it is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2533559130192053

Would you know if this is the actual pace car Packard? thanks

A number of Beretta converts were made and 50 were earmarked for Indy. tests showed they were very unsafe, but the press releases were already out. Three berettas were retained as pace Cars with substantial mods, the rest were either donated to technical schools or scrapped. Beretta coupes were still used as part of the track program, in both teal or yellow, along with the mentioned yellow or teal Corvettes. Little known is the fact there were also white 1991 Camaro converts also used at the track, with the same pink graphics.