Happy Holidays...To add to the Record Setting 56 Dodge accomplishment
discussed, the car was in fact a 1956 Dodge Custom Royal four-door sedan
which roared over the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to capture every
endurance and performance record in the AAA books up to 31,224 miles...This
was the speedometer reading at 10:09 P.M. Saturday, September 24, precisely
14 days to the second after the car started its remarkable test and it was
obviously able to go on and on...In addition to endurance marks, the Dodge
four door sedan also set a 114-mph record for the flying start mile...And in
doing so, the '56 Dodge returned 27 world records to the U.S., and set 306
marks in all...This was the most amazing demonstration of performance and
endurance in AAA contest board history...
Mike Squires
1956 Dodge
Custom Royal
D500-1
----- Original Message -----
From: <DupontTim@xxxxxxx>
To: <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2000 1:34 AM
Subject: [FWDLK] Record Setting 56 Dodge
> Greetings, I have noticed that a growing number of accounts of the 56
Dodges
> that ran at the Salt Flats. These accounts report that these cars were
D500
> or specially prepared D500 equipped cars. I had collected a lot of 56
> magazines and recalled one in particular which covered the event, Motor
Sport
> Jan-Feb '56. The article tells the date of the test-Sept. 10-24 '55,
records
> set, and how the cars were chosen. According to the article the cars were
> picked at random from the Dodge assembly line by AAA official J. E.
Schipper
> and no special equipment, fuel, tires, gears or parts were permitted to be
> used. "AAA officials impounded the car and every piece of equipment used
on
> it just as it came from the factory and the car was never free from close
> supervision by AAA until the record runs were completed." Dodge also has a
> full page ad on the inside cover which boast of these facts and states
that
> is "the same car you can buy yourself-powered by our new 230 H. P. V-8
> engine." The records set would also indicate a stock sedan-only 114.05 mph
> for the flying mile on the favorable surface of the Salt Flats which pales
in
> comparison to the 130 mph plus runs of the Dash One powered car at Daytona
> Speed Weeks, and both cars were driven by Danny Eames. Across the board
the
> records while impressive for the date were indicative of the cars standard
> engine. Further more the D500 had note been announced to the public until
> December and the Dash One engine was not seen until Daytona. Its apparent
to
> me that this was early in the model year and Dodge was building up the
image
> of its standard car. All this evidence points to a stock 230 HP sedan and
> nothing indicates to the contrary. The car was very impressive
nevertheless
> traveling 31, 224 miles in 14 Days and setting 306 records. Thanks Tim
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