How the Logghe Family Changed the Face of the Funny Car Class in Drag Racing
Over the years, the Logghe Stamping Company Competition Products Division became such a familiar part of drag racing that it was simply called Logghe. Its products defined the term "Funny Car" in early 1966 with the first tube-chassis, flip-top Comet, initially built under contract for Lincoln-Mercury. The first ones were for Don Nicholson and Eddie Schartman and were powered by a normally aspirated Ford 427 SOHC engine. The third chassis was built to accommodate a supercharged SOHC in Jack Chrisman's topless Comet. Since his 1964–1965 Comets were mainly for exhibition and match racing, his new Logghe car would make "Jack the Bear" seriously competitive rather than just a tire-smoking noise-maker.
Those first three iterations managed near-total domination of the brave new Funny Car racing world in the 1966 and 1967. That phenomenon spawned a stampede to Logghe for cars powered by all manner of engines and with bodies specified by each customer. More than 200 chassis were built and included Funny Cars, Altereds, dragsters, and even a few Pro Stocks. Regardless, Logghe will always be known as the King of Funny Cars during a reign that lasted from early 1966 until the doors were finally shut in 1975.
All of it stemmed directly from the Logghe Stamping Company, founded in 1946 by Morris Logghe, a Belgian who was born around 1908. Morris immigrated to the U.S. to seek his fortune in the New World, and after working in the Detroit auto industry, he opened a small metal-stamping company in his home garage.
That space was soon overwhelmed, and he moved into a rented building on Gratiot Avenue in Roseville, Michigan. It was about this time that his sons, Ron and Gene, started in the business. Morris then bought that property and put up a building in Fraser, north of Roseville. That facility remains at 16711 East 13 Mile Road, west of Groesbeck Highway, hard by the Grand Trunk Railway tracks.
Logghe's metal-stamping firm supplied high-quality, die-formed products to the auto industry, and by the late 1950s, Ron and Gene were playing key roles in the company. They were also utilizing their hands-on skills to construct personal drag-racing machines. The brothers knew the importance of precision, and those skills went into their own projects.
By the early 1960s, the brothers had built several race cars—their first one for local hot rodder and friend Conrad Kalitta. It carried a 454-inch, blown Chrysler Hemi and ran out of neighboring Mt. Clemens. His "Bounty Hunter," an AA/Gas Dragster, was about a mile long, but the lengthy wheelbase gave it stable handling characteristics that contributed to its consistency. Kalitta quickly proved the worth of his Logghe rails and clocked speeds of more than 180 mph nationwide.
Innovators With Vision
The idea of controlling clutch slippage as a means of lowering elapsed times didn't occur until 1967. Before that, only the tires provided the slippage, and during a typical run, both participants billowed smoke off the line. Of course, there were two schools of thought: Plan A favored a heavy car with big horsepower and wire-to-wire tire smoke. Plan B was an ultralight car and a flyweight driver that relied on a small-block Chevy. You can visualize them: the light car left the line quickly and was usually out front with minimal tire spin.
Static weight was the key. Though most unblown cars scaled less than 1,000 pounds, a few of them were less than 900 pounds! Small-block cars with magnesium blowers, blower drives, manifolds, and the rare factory cast-aluminum heads usually weighed a scant 100 to 150 pounds more. By comparison, hefty 392 Hemi cars were a corpulent 1,150 to 1,250 pounds. Both types ran direct-drive, high-gear-only drivetrains. Chevys used 8.25–9.00 tires, while the Hemi cars spun 9.50–11.00 slicks.
The unblown engines featured a stroker crankshaft for a displacement of 377 or 389 ci. They typically ran fuel injection, 12–13.0:1 static compression, and a full load of nitro. Running 98 percent nitromethane presented challenges, especially push-starting during cold weather. Radical ignition advance was also required, often as much as 65 to 70 degrees in the favored Vertex magneto. Conversely, blown lightweights ran lower static compression, minimal nitro percentage, and much less spark. Superchargers placed an extreme load on the iron 327 blocks, and a little too much nitro or spark advance guaranteed detonation and disaster.
The heavier Chrysler cars would usually boil the tires right off the line, while their lighter competition most likely disappeared out front. A talented driver could deftly feather the throttle or touch the brake handle to get the tires to hook, and a few bold shoes perfected the hazardous left-pedal art of manually slipping the clutch to gain traction and minimize tire spin. On high-traction surfaces, the edge went to the high-horsepower cars and a blazing top-end charge. On marginal, slippery tarmac, however, the advantage went to the lighter ones.
Ron and Gene jumped into the battle with the "Giant Killer," a nimble B/Fuel Dragster with an injected 389-inch small-block that scaled below 1,000 pounds. It shocked the bleachers with 8.00-second elapsed times and, ultimately, an astonishing 7.92! For the second Giant Killer chassis, the brothers built a sleek, fully enclosed body. The new "Logghe Liner" was the talk of the 1964 Nationals. Unfortunately, the aero-friendly body was heavy and the bare-minimum Giant Killer was quicker. Imagine how the Liner would run with today's ultralight technology.
Later in Michigan that season, they added a blown 392 and strapped Maynard Rupp in the seat. At the lights, the Liner reacted sharply to undercar lift. The rear tires leaped up and daylight showed under both! The car went sideways, but the calm and cool Maynard shut it off and got the chute out, stopping the car without damage. That outing, however, marked the end the Logghe-Liner. Logghe continued to build several Giant Killer–style cars for customers and most performed well. The A&B Speed Shop car and the Ben Deiner, George Sparks, and Ed Careccia Florida-based cars were examples. The brothers also enjoyed success with the Logghe-Marsh-Steffey-Rupp Prussian Top Fuel dragster in 1965. They began the season with a win at the first NHRA Springnationals at Bristol and ended the year at Tulsa with a World Finals win.
LSC Competition Products Division
By the mid-1960s, LSC's business expanded to the point that Ron and Gene decided to separate the actual day-to-day, metal-forming business from the race-car operation, thus creating the Competition Products Division. As those cars left the shop, they were usually sent to local craftsman Al Bergler, who folded hand-formed sheet aluminum into precision-fitted bodies. Bergler also ran his own Logghe chassis with a Bantam Competition Coupe body. His "Aggravation" and "More Aggravation" cars were serious performers, holding AA/Comp Coupe records, often winning class and taking several national event eliminator wins.
Altereds, Too
Although the name Logghe is most commonly associated with Funny Cars, they were equally successful building chassis for other classes. Ron Ellis from Saginaw, Michigan, ran an AA/Altered roadster over a Logghe chassis. He scored numerous class wins in Super Eliminator and held AA/A records. His cars were beautifully finished with bright Candy Apple Green paint, loads of chrome, and polished magnesium. Ellis made frequent appearances at the Detroit Autorama and other shows in the Midwest, where his cars were an ISCA favorite.
Detroit racer Neil "Pappy" Ellis (no relation to Ron Ellis) gained fame wheeling a Logghe Altered in Division 3 and at selected NHRA major events. Neil's A/Altered used a big-block Chevy with a prototype fuel-injection system built by local wizard Jim Kinsler. Neil was a frequent winner in Competition Eliminator and an NHRA National Record holder.
On Monday mornings he reported to the GM Technical Center in Warren as a dynamometer test manager, thus becoming an inside man privy to many research projects undertaken by GM's engineering staff. Not far from Neil's dyno test cells, various exotic engine development was underway and he'd become intimate with such curiosities as DOHC-equipped small- and, big-block engines and other clandestinely developed engines and components for all types of racing.
Another Detroit racer, Dan Parker, acquired a used Logghe "square-cage" Funny Car chassis to run in B/Altered with a Bantam fiberglass roadster body. Parker's car was heavily laced with Pro Stock technology that included a 426 Hemi, twin Holley 4500 carburetors, a Lenco transmission, and slipper clutch, all of which made the hybrid Funny Car/Altered/Pro Stock chassis a success.
Easily the fastest, quickest, and most famous of all Logghe Altereds was the "Winged Express." Though Willie Borsch had gained a reputation for fearless driving in his homebuilt "Awful/Awful," that legendary car expired when he crashed it in Michigan in 1970. Willie contacted Logghe and "Winged Express II" was born. His new ride had the familiar (but much smaller) wing atop a modern three-point rollcage and was notably more stable from start to finish line, recording a best of 6.96 at 213 mph. The adaptation of Logghe's chassis technology to roadster or coupe-clad Altereds led to quicker elapsed times, greater top-end speeds, and safer high-speed handling.
Shape-Shifting: From A/FX to Funny Car
The A/FX cars had the nation buzzing. Fans, spectators, and track operators were clamoring for heads-up matches between GM, Ford, and Chrysler, and established teams were touring the country running as often as five times per week. "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" was gospel. By 1965, the Ramchargers' altered-wheelbase Dodge was pounding the match-race Mustangs and Comets in A/FX, prompting an informal meeting between Fran Hernandez, a Ford employee and veteran Southern California hot rodder, and Al Turner, a young Detroit drag racer and L-M employee. Turner and Hernandez scribbled out an idea that would change drag racing forever. Their drawings depicted a chassis that was purpose-built and carrying a body that closely resembled cars in the parking lot. Instead of steel, it would be fiberglass. The center-seated driver would sit just ahead of the rear axle and enter and exit under the car's hinged, one-piece body. There would be no doors or windows, save for a Plexiglas windscreen. The headlights, grille, and all trim would be airbrushed onto the body. Using an injected 427 SOHC, nitromethane fuel, and a T&C Top-Loader four-speed, they conservatively estimated mid-8-second elapsed times and trap speeds beyond 160 mph.
From the start, the project had a take-no-prisoners approach that would please race fans, drivers, track owners, and the Mercury dealer network. Hernandez knew how to get projects approved inside the corporate world, and Turner had the fire of youth and knew how to "get it done—now." Both possessed the creative mindset and tenacity peculiar to real hot rodders. They set a target date for early 1966. In the meantime, premier factory driver Don Nicholson and his altered-wheelbase 1965 Comet were getting lumped up—and he wanted some payback.
Logghe Gets the Nod
Turner and Hernandez contemplated the candidates: Holman & Moody and a California race-car builder were among those considered. In the end, experience told them it would be best to keep the project close to home. Turner suggested Logghe, whom he knew would keep details away from Ford and Chrysler. Logghe was confident they could deliver the first example by late 1965 or early in January 1966. Nicholson's Comet was ready and made several successful runs in Palm Beach, but more work was needed.
Plans called for the familiar Top-Loader transmission, but the lightweight Comet and its adjustable suspension proved violent during upshifts, as each gear change loaded and unloaded the chassis excessively. To cut that knot, a modified C-6 with a manual-shift valvebody replaced the stick shift. Nicholson liked the handling improvement, but was disappointed with the stock shifter. Logghe noodled a clever, ratchet-type design (the first of its kind and still extant) that was simple and foolproof, even in an 8-second rocket ship.
When Nicholson's "Eliminator I" rolled to the starting line at the 1966 AHRA Winternationals, it stunned all with its radically different appearance. The excitement came not just from the car's amazing, near-170-mph performance but when it spectacularly launched its body in the lights. Ford's fabled designer Larry Shinoda, also a lifelong hot rodder, was intrigued by the problem. Shinoda discovered that the body latch had failed due to extreme undercar lift, and he came up with a simple, unobtrusive air dam that canceled the disturbance and solved the problem.
Turner, Hernandez, and the Logghes celebrated when Nicholson literally throttled the F/C field a couple weeks later at the 1966 NHRA Winternationals. The Comets dominated in 1966 and 1967. Eddie Schartman, a brash former street racer and Gasser-runner from Cleveland, got the second Comet and Jack Chrisman took the third car. They were followed by Denver-based Kenz & Leslie with a supercharged SOHC 427 Comet. John Petrie, a Canadian Super Stock racer, got one of the 1966 Comets to arouse the faithful in The Great White North.
Innovation, Bow to Stern
The Comets used a narrowed Ford 9-inch axle supported by adjustable coilover shock absorbers that planted the tires for maximum traction, then settled down for the 170-mph high-gear charge. The axle-locating links served as traction-adjusting control arms. Forged axleshafts and Detroit Locker differentials delivered torque to the 4.44:1 ring-and-pinion, taking advantage of the SOHC engine's huge intake and exhaust ports and its prodigious hunger for high rpm. The front suspension also carried adjustable coilovers and the geometry that allowed for a controlled rise.
The chassis was fashioned from 4130 chromemoly for the basic triangulated design. To maximize front/rear weight distribution, the engine was mounted just forward of amidships. The driver sat in the middle of the car on an aluminum seat located within a protective, cross-braced, four-point rollcage. With the body down, it appeared as if the driver was in the back seat.
Al Bergler wrapped in the interior with hand-formed aluminum. The engine compartment was enclosed, and the firewall and built-in "scoop" routed fresh air to the induction system. The headers exited at a swept-back angle, but didn't extend beyond the edge of the body. The exhaust was amplified by the aluminum to produce a crisp, ringing engine note the fans loved.
Funny Car Factory
Regardless of the engine or body, the heart of any Funny Car from 1966 forward was either Logghe-built or so inspired and copied. Not only desirable, Logghe's Competition Products Division gems were also affordable. A structure could be purchased as a roller, ready for body, aluminum, and powertrain for less than $2,500. A dragster chassis with bellhousing could be bought for less than $2,000.
Once the first orders for Mercury were delivered, Logghe was free to build and sell cars to anyone else. Very quickly, all makes of engines—and sometimes unique bodies—cloaked its basic rails. To wit: Bill Taylor's Memphis-based "Super-Cuda" ran a 1968 body with 426 Hemi power. A Torino shell covered Larry Coleman's chassis, the first with SOHC Ford power and, later, a 429 Boss. Arnie Beswick's Pontiac bodies carried Poncho power. Texas terrors Don and Roy Gay ran Pontiacs and later switched to 426 Hemi power.
As for components, Ed Donovan's 417 featured a lightweight, repairable aluminum block and cylinder heads that appeared in 1971. By the early 1970s, aftermarket aluminum blocks and heads were offered for the 426 from Keith Black and Milodon. On the other side of fence, the SOHC 427 and 429 Boss Hemi Fords eventually ran short of precious parts, and the Chevy big-blocks proved structurally unable to survive all-out nitro racing, leaving the pushrod, two-valve 426 Hemi, which is now rules-mandated by myopic sanctioning bodies.
Frisky Colts for Pro Stock
When it was introduced in 1970, Pro Stock became an instant favorite. Logghe's chassis design and manufacturing prowess led them to create a Dodge Colt interloper. Chrysler acquired several body-in-white coupes and a few station wagons for selected factory teams. Sox & Martin contracted Logghe to build a Colt, with funding from Chrysler. S&M also had a second Colt built by Don Hardy.
By the mid-1970s, the sanctioning bodies tried applying different minimum weight handicaps, resulting in some bizarre combinations. Since the Hemi had become dominant, it was rewarded with a series of weight increases, which prompted Chrysler to build several Colts and Arrows that could run as NHRA B/Altereds in Comp Eliminator, match raced, or run with a de-stroked 426 Hemi or LA-series engine. The S&M Logghe Colt was like all the others in that it was aerodynamically unstable and became a short-lived effort when factory funding ceased. It was sold to Milwaukee racer LeRoy Roeder for a reputed $39,000.
The End
The Logghe Stamping Company Competition Products Division was shuttered in 1975. Ironically, John Logghe says the last race car was an advanced-design midget with a monocoque chassis powered by a mid-engine Pontiac Iron Duke. It was built for Jim Woffield of Pontiac, Michigan.
Logghe Stamping Company continued production of stamped-steel components until 2013 when operations ceased and the company was liquidated. Ron Logghe is 79 years old and retired in Florida. Brother Gene Logghe is 81 and retired in both Michigan and Florida.
Accolades
For many years, Car Craft sponsored and hosted reader-based voting for its All-Star Drag Racing Team. Each year's winners were announced at the annual awards banquet during the NHRA Nationals, and being elected to the CC All-Star team was regarded by many as the high point of their careers.
Logghe Stamping Company's Competition Products Division enjoyed being Funny Car Chassis Builder of the Year many times. In 2006, the NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion chose Ron and Gene as Honorees for the annual event held at Kentucky's Beech Bend Raceway. The Logghe Brothers' home state of Michigan chose them in 2010 as members of the prestigious Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Although Logghe Stamping Company and its race-car building Competition Products Division are no more, the name remains active with Gene's son, John. He's the proud owner of a top-shelf, front-engine dragster that often appears at nostalgia events and was once driven by Chuck Kurzawa. It's fitting that the LSC logo remains on the sides.
The Bizarre Ford Super Mustang
A year before the appearance of the life-changing Comets, Ford contracted Logghe to create a futuristic concept-race car they called Super Mustang. The streamlined body, reportedly a Larry Shinoda design, was actually a dragster/Funny Car hybrid.
The car had a tube chassis like that of a slingshot dragster, but the wheelbase measured just 150 inches with a dragster-style front suspension and spindle-mount cycle wheels. The driver sat semi-recumbent. The rear axle was drastically narrowed and situated the tires well inside the body envelope. Coilover shocks and adjustable links were employed and were similar to those on the Comet that was taking shape simultaneously.
Initial testing was done with a naturally aspirated SOHC engine running on nitro, but without the body, which was still being finished. Driver Connie Kalitta's first full pass nearly proved to be his last. Paving crews were still at work on the unopened track. On the run, a large roller backed onto the track, its operator unaware that the dragstrip was live. It took all of Kalitta's skill to keep the car upright, and he immediately hopped out to "have a word" with the driver. Fortunately, the Ford crew intercepted the "Bounty Hunter" before he could put a hand on the unsuspecting roller operator.
Back in Detroit, the car was fitted with the body and transported to Pomona for its debut at the NHRA Winternationals. Ford had hired Tom McEwen to drive. He found the cockpit tight and uncomfortable—he could barely move or see beyond the bodywork. Yes, the debut was much less than spectacular, and after the race, the project was shelved and the car was shipped back to a warehouse in Detroit.
The "Tin Man" warms the Goodyears prior to another 6-second pass. Among Al Bergler's roster of Motown Shakers was this C3 Corvette Mako that he ran at various major events and as a match-race car on the East Coast. As part of the famed racing family, Jack Chrisman drove, tuned, and built everything from front-engine dragsters to Funny Cars. He received the third Logghe Comet chassis for his blown 427 SOHC Ford. Here, he's fresh off the scales at the 1967 NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Veteran Detroit nitro racer Bob Farmer made drag chutes, harnesses, and other safety equipment, and his dragster was a consistent Midwestern Top Fuel runner. Driver Chuck Kurzawa wheels the "Bob's Drag Chutes" entry at Tri-City Dragway near Flint, Michigan. Don Gay and younger brother Roy came from a family that owned a Pontiac dealership in Dickinson, Texas. He started racing at 15 in a 421 Catalina Stocker, then moved right into Funny Cars. Though they cherished the Poncho engine and had done well with it, at the 1970 NHRA Springnationals in Dallas, this Firebird was powered by a 426 Hemi. Though Tommy Grove was an early Funny Car hero in the "Melrose Missile" Mopar, he experienced his greatest fame in a series of SOHC-powered Mustangs. Grove based his operations east of the Mississippi and was a frequent major-event and match-race regular at tracks in the East, South, and Midwest. Gary Henderson drove this 1971 Duster at events and matches across the Southeast. The Super Duster plants the tires and leaves hard at the NHRA Nationals. In 1963, Connie Kalitta built this full-body "Bounty Hunter" Top Fueler and ran it for two seasons, first with this 392 Chrysler and later with a SOHC Ford. Detroit's famed Alexander Brothers did the paint. The most talked about car at the 1964 NHRA Nationals was the Logghes' own sleek streamliner. It carried an injected 389-inch small-block Chevy like that used in the 7-second "Giant Killer." However, the slick body added weight and made the car slower. It was soon shelved for a conventional front-engine car with 392 Chrysler power. Independent Top Fuel racers such as Warren, Michigan's "Farmer" John McNew were once common before T/F racing required seven-figure sponsors. Here he takes on Dale Welch in the KC Bomber at the Popular Hot Rodding Championships in Martin, Michigan. Chicago's Norm Kraus owned Grand-Spaulding Dodge and gained a national reputation for selling hundreds of performance cars. He also fielded a top-flight nitro Funny Car. Here, veteran California driver Kenny Safford wheels the 1969 Dodge Charger. The typically short and narrow Southern dragstrips hosted many match races between big-name drivers. Here, Huston Platt puts a holeshot on "Dyno" Don. Both racers relied on a Logghe chassis for their protection and racing prowess. Think the crowd is close enough to the action? Westland, Michigan's Dan Parker used a second-hand Logghe Funny Car chassis, updated its safety standards, and repurposed it into a record-holding B/Altered. A Pro Stock–inspired 426 Hemi propelled the fiberglass Bantam to Competition Eliminator wins in NHRA Division 3. Canada's John Petrie carried the Mercury banner in The Great White North with this 1967 Logghe car. The front-bumper air dam effectively reduced undercar lift and kept the Comet grounded. Petrie makes a run in the NASCAR Drag Race Division event at Niagara Raceway in Ontario, Canada. Tom Prock and Jay Howell ran a shortened chassis with a flip-top fiberglass 1933 Willys body. Built for A/GS match racing, the car touted a blown big-block nitro Chevy from Diamond Racing Engines. Later, it had a 426 Hemi with Logghe F/C technology cloaked in a classic Gasser shell. This was not a burnout but a full, tire-incinerating run by Don Westerdale in the Ramchargers car at the 1964 Nationals. The new 426 Hemi was the first one in a blown nitro dragster. The second 1966 Comet went to Eddie Schartman. He and Nicholson proved to be a one-two knockout and blew away all challengers in 1966. They faced each other for the first NHRA Funny Car World Championship race at Tulsa, where "Fast Eddie" upset Dyno in the final. Don Schumacher was an early power in the Funny Car ranks with his Stardust and Wonder Wagon Funnies. He was a regular winner in the 1960s and 1970s before focusing on his family business, Schumacher Electric. When he returned, it was with son Tony, arguably Top Fuel's most prolific driver. After running a much-modified A/FX 1967 Chevelle, Pete Seaton had Logghe build a nitro Funny Car chassis for driver Terry Hedrick. The 427 Chevy–powered 'Shaker carried a bizarre Corvair body and was one of the fastest (190-plus) and quickest pure-Chevy F/Cs of all time. In 1965, Miami racers Ben Diener, George Sparks, and Ed Careccia built a clone of the 7-second Logghe Giant Killer for A/Fuel Dragster. They ordered a basic, rolling chassis and fiberglass shorty body boosted by a 389-inch Chevy. It ran 8.0s at 180 mph. Port of New Orleans tugboat magnate Paul Candies and driver Leonard Hughes were winners with their 1969 and 1970 Barracudas. At the 1970 Gatornationals, Hughes won and one-race team driver Larry Reyes runner-upped in the '69. A new sponsor was on hand, and The Fix was in! An image of early F/C match racing at Phenix Dragway (Phenix City, Alabama), just across the river from Ft. Benning, Georgia. Dyno's 1965 Comet had an injected 427 SOHC, a load of nitro, and the caustic, altered-wheelbase look that promoted so much heartburn in Dearborn boardrooms. Among Dyno Don's 1966 conquests was the Super Stock Nationals, where the injected 427 SOHC Mercury blasted through the field with ease. Ladder bars and proprietary Autolite-built adjustable coilover shocks planted the tires and allowed crowd-pleasing, wheels-up launches with perfect handling. Underneath the new 1968 Cougar flip-top body, the Kenz & Leslie High Country Cougar remained pure Logghe. Driver Ron Leslie was a solid force behind the wheel, and the special tuning required for their Denver-based Kenz & Leslie racing team made the Cat's claws sharp and long. Ford moved away from the SOHC in favor of the new 1969 429 Boss Hemi, and Kalitta was chosen to develop the engine for supercharged nitro racing. By 1970, he was running this Boss-powered Funny Car. Connie Kalitta, Ron and Gene Logghe's first customer, purchased the rails that became his infamous Bounty Hunter. With it, he made the early part of the 1965 season his personal playground, taking the AHRA, NHRA, and NASCAR winter events with his SOHC dragster. Larry Coleman's Memphis-based Super Ford Torino Funny Car was unique. The bulbous body likely held back the car's performance, despite plenty of nitro-swilling SOHC Ford power. A collaboration between the Mercury's Fran Hernandez and Al Turner resulted in the famous 1965 Logghe Funny Car chassis. Hernandez was a talented California hot rodder and Turner a Detroit drag racer. Turner knew Ron and Gene and convinced Hernandez to give the Comet Funny Car project to them. Logghe built Chrisman's Comet slightly different from those of Nicholson and Schartman. This see-through rendering shows the blown SOHC and the three-point rollcage designed to accommodate the "topless roadster" style. Simple, sturdy, and lightweight, the Logghe design featured a tube axle with coil springs surrounding specially built, adjustable Autolite shocks. The Autolite dampers were claimed to be the secret to the traction and handling of the cars, and each set was confiscated before the cars were sold.Source: www.bing.com
