BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS — It was a reunion of sort . . . Mormon Meteor III meet Pierce-Arrow I. Marv Jenkins did the introduction. He knew both cars well.
The reunion took place Thursday on the Bonneville Salt Flats where life actually began for the two historic vehicles. Both cars were built for early race driver Ab Jenkins to run on Bonneville. Marv Jenkins, Ab's son, helped build and drive both cars back in the 1930s and 1940s when world-speed racing held a strong grip on the country.
Thursday, both cars ran on the salt, the Mormon Meteor for the first time in 53 years and the Pierce-Arrow, this one, anyway, for the first time.
Actually, the 1934 Pierce-Arrow is not really Ab's car but an exact replica built by car enthusiast John Hollansworth, a retired Arkansas executive, who, it so happens, has an interest in old cars. Having heard about Ab's early runs, he did some research and found the car no longer existed . . . so he built an exact , right down to the knock-off hubs and V-12 Pierce-Arrow engine with six precisely tuned carburetors.
So perfect was the car, when Hollansworth started the engine to drive it from its trailer, a small bead of water could be seen in the corner of Marv Jenkins' eye.
"It looks exactly like the old car. It sounds exactly like the old Pierce-Arrow. Exactly. Looking at it, as it sits there now, it brings back a lot of memories. A lot of good memories," he said in a somewhat subdued tone.
Marv was 14 when his father put him on a train for a four-day ride back to Buffalo, N.Y., to the Pierce-Arrow plant to help build the car. Six weeks later, Ab climbed in the driver's seat and drove for three days back to Salt Lake City.
"We drove right out to the salt, changed the points and plugs, that's about all we did, and then Dad went out and set a 24-hour record with an average speed of 127.9 miles per hour," Marv recalled as he watched the car roll out Thursday.
"That was the last time Dad drove for Pierce-Arrow and the last time he drove the entire 24 hours by himself. The next year he was driving for Duesenberg. And, after that, he always had backup drivers."
Hollansworth built the car with hopes of matching or going over Ab's 127.9 record. He'll try to hit the speed on a single run. He has until the end of the World of Speed event, which ends Sunday. He was slow Thursday, maybe topping 100 mph.
"Tomorrow, I'll take the fan off and change the gears. And, I'll talk to Marv," he said after three test runs.
"The car really ran well. It just needs a couple of adjustments. It was exciting, though, being on the salt, driving the car and realizing just how incredible (Ab Jenkins') accomplishments really were."
After Hollansworth pulled off the track, Marv started up the Mormon Meteor III, the last car built by Augie Duesenberg, made a wide turn near the start line and drove down the track.
It was the first time in 53 years the Mormon Meteor III was able to ran on the salt under its own power. The low rumble of the Curtis Conqueror aircraft engine idled to the start, then broke into a steady pounding as it gained speed. The car rose to a speed of around 60 mph, then comfortably lumbered along.
Afterward, Marv Jenkins joked that he was just happy the car started, but it was obvious as he pulled into his pit area and sat in the car, holding the steering wheel firmly with both hands for those few extra seconds, he was drawn back in time.
"Oh yes, it brought back more memories. I was a little guy when Dad first brought me out to the salt 71 years ago. Those were some good times. Dad did some amazing things with those cars. I don't know if anyone can fully appreciate just what he did," he said.
For his record run in the Pierce-Arrow, Ab Jenkins fitted the car with a 150-gallon gas tank to minimize pit stops, then drove continuously for 24 hours, following heat waves during the day and oil lamps at night, with only a few breaks to refuel. He would communicate with his crew by writing notes and throwing them out of the car as he drove past the pits.
Ab Jenkins set more world land-speed records than any man in history. A dozen of those involved 24-hour endurance/speed records.
Ab's last run in the Mormon Meteor III was in 1950 when he pulled it from the Capitol rotunda and drove at a top speed of 199.19 mph. Marv Jenkins would actually top his father's run by going 209 mph in the car.
Ab Jenkins sold the car to the state for $1 with the condition the car would be properly cared for. Under the state's ownership the car was nearly destroyed. Marv Jenkins took the car back and has spent thousands of hours restoring the historic machine to running condition.
Hollansworth needed more than a year to re-create the 1934 Piece-Arrow.
Last year, heavy rains stopped an attempted reunion of the two cars on the salt. Thursday, they met, they raced, and they brought back many good memories.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com