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As you read this Journal entry over a morning cup of java, I am down in Mexico City for a work project again. I flew in at night and looking out the aircraft window you can see the rugged, mountainous terrain littered with tiny homes and sprawling for miles. Exactly seventy years ago, from November 19th through 23rd of 1953, the fourth running of Carrera Panamericana took place, running a grueling 1,912 miles from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas at the very bottom of the country, up to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua near the USA border. It was a flat-out road race like no other, with death and dismemberment more than likely. Global manufacturers like Lancia, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz and Porsche were there with teams, but the Americans arrived in force too. Most dominate of the Yanks was the Bob Estes Lincoln team, which ran race-prepped Capris, finishing 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th in a row behind the much more expensive and fast cars from Europe. The Estes team had hot rod drivers like Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe. Ak Miller wasn’t far behind in in his Olds-powered racer, finishing 10th. Watch the film clips below to see just how many American cars participated, everything from Hemi-powered Chrysler New Yorkers and Hudson Jets down to privateers running Ford straight 6 cars.
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