[kach22i]

Originally Posted by aerohead

A lineal antecedent to the So-Cal Belly Tank Lakester.
Bob Rufi, self-educated himself at the Los Angeles Public Library, and perhaps from 'looking' at Lockheed Aircraft Company, in Burbank, California.
His military surplus, WW-I Curtiss 'Jenny' wheel covers set the stage for MOON Equipment Company's spun aluminum convex disc wheel covers seen today at Bonneville.
Working-class hero.
Photographs 23 and 24 from top of page.
https://patganahl.com/2021/04/05/one-old-proof-sheet/

https://patganahl.com/2021/04/05/one-old-proof-sheet/

While Bill Burke didn’t introduce his belly tank lakesters until after WW II, Bob Rufi and his good buddy Ralph Schenk both worked in the aircraft industry in Burbank well before the War, and used their skills to build these sophisticated, teardrop-shaped, aluminum-bodied, enclosed cockpit, open wheel “Streamliners.” Both ran similar 186 c.i. Chevrolet 4-cylinders with 3-port Olds OHV heads. But Rufi’s was incredibly fast, running 143 mph one-way, and setting the first-ever 140 mph long-standing speed record in 1940. Note the contrast of quality of cars in the upper photo.