Panorama City Special (dragster)
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Mickey Thompson |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Top Fuel |
| Body style | Slingshot streamliner dragster |
| Related | None |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 97 in (2,500 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | None |
| Successor | None |
The Panorama City Special is a pioneering streamliner dragster.[1]
Believed to be the first "slingshot" dragster,[2] the Panorama City Special (designed by hot rodder Mickey Thompson) had a full body, including skirted rear wheels, and a cockpit windshield wrapping around and over the driver.[3] The steel front wheels were covered by lakester-style wheel discs (Moon discs).[4] The car debuted in 1955, at the first NHRA U.S. Nationals at Great Bend, Kansas.[5] The wheelbase was only 97 in (2,500 mm).[6]
In its initial outing, it proved much slower than the competition, hitting only 142 mph (229 km/h), when others were reaching almost 150 mph (240 km/h). Later in 1955, however, it became the first single-engined fueller to exceed 150 mph (240 km/h), recording a speed of 151.26 mph (243.43 km/h).[7]
Notes[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43.
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