Hot Rods are more than just auto-mobiles. They define a culture; a way of life. And at their best, they are an art form—muscular and powerful, yet at the same time stylish. Some rods were street cruisers, a way to have fun, grab attention and, of course, girls. Others were racing weapons, and those that have survived for decades serve as a window into the past. Such is the case with the Roth & Ronnow ’27 T-Roadster, a car that flashed across the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1952.
This ’27 T was constructed by West-Coasters Glen Roth and Johnny Ronnow, who raced with the Russetta Timing Association. The duo shared a dream of racing at Bonneville and purchased their roadster in 1948. After disassembling the car, the Model T frame was cast aside and a more robust Model A frame was sourced and lengthened 3.5 inches to give a wheelbase of 107 inches. The friends then double Z’ed the frame rails to put their hot rod closer to the salt to reduce drag. Custom fabricated front and center crossmembers were utilized, and the rear crossmember was an original Model A item. A 1939 Ford axle with a transverse leaf spring, split wishbones and ’39 Ford spindles and shocks provided front suspension. A ’39 Ford live axle with a transverse leaf spring and Monroe tube shocks did the work out back. Stopping power came from 1939 Ford hydraulic brakes with 12-inch drums. The steering box and master cylinder were also ’39 Ford items.
Roth and Ronnow built up a stout 1946 Mercury V8 to power their racing machine. The engine was stroked 1/8-inch and over-bored 3/16-inch, which resulted in a displacement of 300-cu.in. The camshaft was from Winfield, the connecting rods were enhanced Mercury units and the pistons were from Sterling. The cylinder heads were finned aluminum Edelbrock components. The intake manifold was also Edelbrock with three Stromberg 97 carburetors. The shifter was column-mounted and worked a 1941 Ford side shift box with Zephyr gears. The driveshaft was a shortened ’39 Ford unit, the aluminum flywheel was from Schiefer, the clutch from Auburn. In keeping with the overall high quality of construction, Roth and Ronnow equipped their ’27 T Roadster with a Halibrand V8 quick-change center section.
Although their primary mission was salt flats racing, Roth and Ronnow aimed for a first-class build. They channeled the ’27 T steel body four inches over the modified frame and painted it maroon with the doors leaded in. Aluminum side panels and a hood were fabricated and the windshield was cut down to decrease drag. A custom black Naugahyde rolled and pleated bench seat was installed along with tuck and roll door panels. A custom-made wood dash sports a Stewart Warner Script tach and speedo and four SW flat bezel crescent gauges.
The finished car was Hot Rod art; mechanically imposing and cosmetically neat and tidy. Its popularity earned it a feature photograph with caption in Californian Bill Fisher’s 1952 Ford Speed Manual (Floyd Clymer Publishing). In August of 1952, Roth and Ronnow together realized their shared lifelong dream. They made the journey to the great white salty expanse to race their T Roadster at the 4th Annual Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Bonneville Speed Week. Competing as a C-Modified Roadster and racing as car number 543, Ronnow handled the driving duties, realizing a fastest speed of 118.57 mph on Wednesday, August 27. The following day Ronnow pushed the car to 119.04 mph. On Friday August 29, car and driver recorded their fastest run of the meet with a speed of 121.95 mph.
After Bonneville, the car was driven on the street and it has been rumored that it appeared in a least one B-movie. It was eventually parked in Ronnow’s garage until 1966, at which point Roth transported it to his Southern California home. For the next 40 years the roadster remained in dry storage, covered by a tarp in Roth’s garage.
In early 2006, the car was discovered by SoCal hot rodders Mike Griffith and Jeff Halsch. After much back and forth Griffith and Halsch were able to make a deal with Mr. Roth to buy the car. A few months later the T was purchased by a Bonneville racer/ collector who had the car recommissioned by Chris Wickersham of Pasadena, California, and Hatfield Restorations of Canton, Texas. Wickersham said, “This roadster was a rare find. When I first walked up to the car and took the cover off I was looking into the past. Not only was this car undisturbed for nearly half a century, it still wore its 1957 California license plates and the owners had the matching ’57 California DMV registration card in Roth’s name. There was also a large box with period stereo Easymount slides, photographs and even the original tow bar that you can see in the 1952 photos of the car at Bonneville. All I could think was one word…incredible.”
The car remained with the Bonneville racer until 2014 when it was purchased by an avid collector in the Northeast who wishes to remain anonymous at this time but had this to say, “Historic Hot Rods with a genuine Bonneville racing pedigree like the Roth & Ronnow T are nearly impossible to find. I peppered my friend for years until he finally agreed to let me buy it. I’ve owned countless cars of all types, but this is one of my all-time favorites.”
The current owner uses the car for local weekend drives, but plans one-day-soon to debut it at “The Race of Gentlemen” for all to see. Like Roth and Ronnow, he dreams of one day flying across a silky smooth surface in the T-Roadster at triple-digit speeds—this time on sand.
