Plymouth's original funny-car
Deep in the heart of Chrysler Engineering in late 1964, Jim Thornton was modifying a chassis in the Structures Lab. The just-completed drag-racing season had witnessed many things: the reintroduction of the Hemi engine, victory in FX and SS at NHRA’s Nationals, and record-setting performances. Thornton was now tasked with developing the 1965 race packages.
Thornton was designing something that could take on Ford’s Mustangs and Comets. The result has become commonly referred to as ‘altered-wheelbase’ (AWB) cars, but the track announcers quickly found a name that proved far more popular: ‘funny car.’
This is one of a handful of factory specials, campaigned by Lee Smith, an Illinois-based racer. His success in 1964 had gotten him one of just six Plymouths created by Chrysler for the AWB programme, and one of only two that exist today. Those survivors include this car and the Golden Commandos example; gone forever are the similar hardtops of Sox & Martin, Butch Leal, the Melrose Missile and the prototype built by Thornton, while a trio of Dodge AWBs survive as well.
The ‘funny car’ name came about when Thornton and the other engineers in Chrysler’s Race Group led by Tom Hoover decided to move the wheelbase as far forward as possible. The front wheels were brought up 10 inches and the rear axle moved forward by 15 inches; the result was wheelstands and more records, and, to Chrysler’s extreme pleasure, widely circulated publicity in the US car-enthusiast press even after NHRA refused to let them run. The bodies for the program were acid-dipped in California and shipped to a conversion company near Detroit for build-up into cars. Smith was given the responsibility of representing Plymouth in the Midwest with his, though he did travel with factory assistance to some larger events.
Mecum Auctions will be offering this 1965 Plymouth Belvedere A/FX Haulin Hemi II at their upcoming Indy auction held between the 12th-17th May. For more information on this and other vehicles at the sale, click on the link below.
Photos: © Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.