THE PIERSON BROTHERS COUPE
BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS WORLD RECORDS!
This site is part of & made possible by the B.A.D. CHARIOTS - (Harleys, Racing, Trains, Planes & Automobiles) and Doc Hemp's DENTAL SITE Homepages! So, Please visit Dave & Becky's other 150 urls there too! After visiting this great page of course! Also visit our world class hi-tech Music Room!
The Pierson Bros Coupe is one of the most celebrated lake (Bonneville) & dragster cars
in the world! It was built in August of 1949. It holds many world, current and
past, records. Class D/CC, Gasoline & Fuel. "D" = engine size, 304 CU IN. Chevy.
"CC" = Body Class or Competition Coupe.
The previous owner, and my good friend, Tom Bryant ran this car from
1980 - 1991 and holds eight world records at Bonneville & El Mirage, the fastest
of which are 221.898 mph average speed for 2 miles, 224.679 mph for the fastest
mile, and 227.330 for terminal velocity! Check out his currently owned world
record holding coupe on another of these pages.Tom sold the Pierson Bros coupe
to the current owner, Bruce Meyer in January of
1992. It was restored to the original (1949) condition. The car is presently
featured in the Petersen Museum at - 6060 Wiltshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
(213) 930-2277. As of 6/15/96 the Coupe is now at the Behring Automotive museum at
Blackhawk! I walked into it today, 6/29/96 and not knowing it was there, it was the
1st car I saw, and got to explain it to a tour group.
THE WHO'S WHO WITH THE PIERSON BROS COUPE
From left to right
1) Lil’ John Burrera - Kneeling <> 2) Cary Agajanian <> 3) Harry Hibler <> 4) Boyd Coddington 5) Lou Senter <> 6) Bob Estes <> 7) Don Montgomery <> 8) Dick Pierson - designed the Coupe <> 9) Bud Meyer <> 10) Dan Gurney <> 11) Bob pierson - builder, driver of the Coupe <> 12) Tom Bryant - previous owner & world record holder! <> 13)
Bruce Meyer - current owner - Click his name to see his garage<> 14) Bob Petersen <> 15) Carroll Shelby - who? <> 16) Pete Chapouris <> 17) Vic Edelbrock, Jr. <> 18) Bobby Meeks <> 19) Skip Hudson <> 20) Ed "Iron Man" Kretz <> 21) Wally Parks <> 22) Tom Sparks - Tom is into Studebakers I think <> 23) Skip Van Leeuwen <> 24) Greg Sharp <> 25) Ray Brown <> 26) Alex Xydias <> 27) Billy Gibbons <> 28) Don Waite <> 29) Gray Baskerville <> 30) Jim "jake" Jacobs
This is an e-mail I just received today about the Coupe!
Subject:
Pierson coupe
Date:
Sun, 03 May 1998 23:21:48 -0800
From:
Rex Burnett rburnett@mcn.org
To:
dochemp@c-zone.net
Look for a cutaway of the coupe in the August issue of Street Rodder by
Michael Dobrin. I had the pleasure of doing the cutaway almost fifty
years ago. Some of the old cutaways are on display in the new NHRA
museum in Pomona
>>>>>>>>>>
Rex,
Thanks for the email - please send one of your cutaway & I'd like to put it up here!
It will have it's own page, with a click up from this page.
Again, it is a pleasure & an honor hearing from the legends like you that helped shape & build
this sport!
Doc Hemp
Subject:Pierson Bros. Coupe
Jim Evans wrote: 4/19/97
I was going thru the internet and came across this SCTA page about the
coupe. My partner and I bought this coupe from the Pierson Bros. back in
1951. We ran it painted red and yellow with a small flathead engine.
Turned 151.??? at El Mirage and 164.950 at Bonneville. I might add that
this was the best handling car I ever drove on the lakes.
Jim Evans (Oakhurst,Ca.)
....................
Jim Evans! It was drivers like you guys that MADE THIS COUPE FAMOUS!!!! It is really an honor to hear from you!
Doc Hemp.
Jim Evans wrote: 4/23/97
Hi Doc. Got your letter, many tks, Just a little more info re: the
coupe. I was partners with Dawson Hadley and we ran the coupe in 1950
and 51. I bought Dawson out and ran it by myself for about a year. I
ended up selling it to George Bentley. I don't know who he sold it to. I
may get to see you at the Muroc reunion on Apr.27/28 if you plan on
going.
Jim Evans
...................
Jim,
Thanks again, will contact Tom Bryant & see who he bought it from = if not
George Bently I will find out the history & post it in the page.
Doc Hemp
Saltracer@aol.com wrote: 5/17/97
Hello Dr. Dave,
I got your message to call about my car. I don't know the best time to call
and I don't want to interfer with your work. E-mail me at saltrace@aol.com if
you want to give me a schedule.
While at Muroc the end of last month, I ran into Jim Evans and had a good
visit. I had not met him before. He was able to fill in a few holes in the
history of the ownership of the coupe. I knew that Dawson Hadley had
purchased it from Pierson, but I wasn't aware of Jim's involvement. (Jim said
to say Hi to you for him)
At Muroc, Jeff (my eldest son) drove (our new coupe) to a new record of 219.816 MPH
to gain entry into the Muroc 200 MPH Club (his fastest ride anywhere). Our
goal is to place him in the El Mirage and the Bonneville clubs this year as
well.
The succession of ownership of the Pierson Coupe according to my knowledge
is: Pierson, Evans & Hadley, George Bently, Tom Cobb (the last person to run
the car at Bonneville before I got it, {1958} 196+ one-way with a blown 331
cu in Chevy), Bob Joehnck (Bob ran the car at the Bakersfield 1st National
Drag meet in 1959, in preparation for an assualt at Bonnevile, powered by a
Chrysler. He had handling problems so he sold the car to one of his
employees. The next owner found the car parked at the curb in Santa Barbara,
inquired about it and bought it, bringing it to Redding where it remained in
a barn on old 44 Hwy for several years until it was purchased by Dick Schell
of Central Valley. Dick got a rule book from me and attempted to prepare the
car for Bonneville, but, becoming discouraged sold it to me in June, 1980. We
first ran the car at Bonneville in August 1980.
If there is other info you want, e-mail the best time to contact you and I
will call.
Tom
BRUCE MEYER - Current Owner of the Coupe! Bruce is one of the founding fathers of the Peterson Museum! A great guy ( according to his mother anyway! hee-hee)
Subject:
pierson bros. coupe
Date:
Fri, 18 Jul 1997 23:25:39 -0400 (EDT)
From:
Row518@aol.com
To:
dochemp@c-zone.net
Dear Dochemp,
Wrote recently asking anyone for info on a pierson bros. coupe cutaway
illustration.
Here's some corrected info:
Illustration is by Eddie Wimble (think I had it wrong the first time)
He's and artist from England, may now be in California.
Was featured in Street Rodder Magazine's Street & Custom Rodding Illustrated,
Winter 1996, Vol.2, No.1.
If you think this is suitable for your mailroom, maybe someone will know a
source for a poster or print of this cutaway.
Thanks again.
Row 518@aol.com
Anybody out there know about this? E-mail me. Would like to put the pic up here.
Doc Hemp
Subject:
Thanks
Date:
Sat, 24 Jan 1998 23:23:49 -0500
From:
Joe Moore
Organization:
Jomo, Inc.
To:
dochemp@c-zone.net
Thanks for the kind words about RACELINE. I visited your site and roamed
around for about an hour. You must have a lot of time on your hands!
It was all quite entertaining. I'm listening to one of your tunes now.
My wife and I are in Washington visiting my daughter who attends college
here. We head back to our home in Norfolk, Va. tomorrow and then go to
Daytona Beach next Wednesday for the Rolex 24 and the start of
Speedweeks.
Keep watching the show and keep up the good work with your pages.
Joe Moore,
RACELINE
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Joe & Mrs. Moore,
Nice of you to respond,
It does take a lot of time - but it has been spaced out over 3 years now. If it were not for the fact that
I am an addicted techno freak = 7 computers, 4 printers, etc. & we have friends now from all over the
world we have met thru the internet, = it's hard to stop.
I will put a link up to raceline from our Cool Links Room - I don't think you have personal site links
back - but that's okay. If you ever do - please think about us. Hemmings has us listed in 5 places &
in their top 20 Old but still Cool Sites in the world. I am the webmaster for the Official Antique
Studebaker Club Site (off BAD Chariots too) = may get 40,000 hits it's self this year.
I had gotten really involved with drag racing at Pamona - if you saw the IN - N - OUT site off our
page.
I got to hang around with Mark Oswald & crew for 4 years in the pits - cleaned parts, etc.or so at the
Winter Nationals & Winston Finals.
I guess Guy Snyder isn't going to sponser their Over the Hill Gang funny car this year, just the top fuel
rail. They didn't do too well last year.
I hope your daughter got to see some of our site - the college kids really go for it too! We do have a
lot of good dental info & use the funny stuff to pull them in.
I will make it a point to watch your show, especially now.
Watched the Indy 200 today = a lot of stupid wrecks!
T.A. Rust & Myself tried to get Rollex to sponser us on the Great American Race as we spent a
fortune on their watchs for us & our wives, = they only sponser winners - hee-hee. When they wear
out we will go to timex.
hope you guys had a nice flight back as I'm sure this is too late to catch you.
You will have a great career! You are very good, very relaxed, interested in what you do! It shows!
Every thing flows!
Best wishes from us, Dave & Becky to You, your wife & daughter!
P.S. I went to high school in New Market VA for 4 years, ya'll!
Subject:
Pierson Coupe
Date:
Wed, 18 Aug 1999 20:47:49 +0100
From:
"Neil Power" neil.power@btinternet.com
To:
dochemp@c-zone.net
Sir, I have recently found my way to your site from the SCTA pages, as
always following Pierson Coupe information. I first met Bob Pierson at
Bonneville Speed Week in 1992. He had not been around for quite a while so I
was lucky having travelled from England to meet him and Sandra.
In the early 80's I saw my first picture of the coupe, in dark maroon
numbered 216 D/CC. I vowed to build one just like it! My pals were all
building 32 roadsters and we had a little club thing going called the Low
Flyers. There were no old time Hot Rods being built in the Uk at the time.
People hated us and our cars because they were built in the true tradition
of Hot Rods of the 40s and 50s.
Anyway I ended up buying a fibre glass 34 body and took 7 inches out of the
roof. I hand built the chassis and the hood and the nose etc. I ended up
with a pretty good replica, which Bob has lots of pictures of on his
travelling motor home display.
I sold the coupe after a few years and built some other stuff. I am now
trying to get it back and build it again but better.
I've been back to Bonneville for Speed Week 98. Met Bob and Dick again. I
think I left another photo for his display. I hope to get to see the
original coupe sometime. That would be great.
I've lots of stories and info about my coupe and other Low Flyers cars but I
have to rush now.
Regards,
Neil Power. England, UK.
Subject:
Pierson Bros. cutaway
Date:
Mon, 31 Jan 2000 12:05:15 -0800
From:
"Rik" rikw@home.com
To:
dochemp@c-zone.net
Hi Dave and Becky,
A few years ago I was given a large cutaway poster, number 10 of 94 by Ed Wimble, of the Pierson Bros. car from a friend of mine, Linda Vaughn. She was very excited
about this poster as she had it signed for me by both Dick and Bob Pierson. I was excited about the beautiful drawing and the signatures but I don't recall some of the
details. Linda said something about Dick and Bob not signing things...she treated this poster as if it were made of solid gold. My wife had it professionally framed (very
beautifully I might add) and my children, wife, and I are interested in the history of the car and, perhaps, the rarity of the poster. Do you have any information, or can you
guide me to some web sites?
Thanks. Rik Wahlrab (rikw@home.com)
Subject:
Hi from New Zealand
Date:
Fri, 14 Apr 2000 11:45:06 +1200
From:
"Chris R Harris" yesford@clear.net.nz
To:
dochemp@c-zone.net
Hi Dave & Beckey,
found your great site while searching for info
on the Pierson Bros coupe for an up and coming feature article in the New
Zealand Hot Rod Magazine. Your site gave its line of owners, dates, speeds
etc very well. Is there any possability you would know how I could contact
Bruce Meyer, an e-mail address would be best if you can help.
Actually got to see the coupe in the Peterson Museum in August 98 when we
were in the US racing at the 50th SCTA Speedweek at Bonneville where I also
talked with one of the brothers in person.
Hope you can help with contacting Bruce Meyer or anyone else who could
provide historical info. I am on a land speed discussion group that Tom
Bryant is on so am going to contact him naturally.
Love your Pantera, I owned and rebuilt a 72 'L' a bunch of years ago and
apart from a fairly cramped interior and slow shifting ZF was a great bit
of gear.
Have attached a couple of photos of my two 32's.
Kind regards,
Chris Harris.
Hawke's Bay,
New Zealand.
Bruce Meyer - Current Owner of the P.B. Coupe
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