1965 Joe Schubeck "Gentleman Joe" Dragster
Quick Specs
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Supercharged 392CI (6.4-liter) V-8
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Gentleman Joe’s Legacy
Having spent his formative years during the mid-1950s in Cleveland, Ohio, Joe Schubeck dreamed of the time he would be able to build a car to race against the hot rodders in California with who he had become familiar thanks to Robert E. Petersen’s car magazines. Despite advice from his father to get a mainstream job, he ultimately began to work for Jack Harris, who had built a capable and attractive dragster, but no longer had the time to race it. Joe Schubeck was more than ready to take over duties as the driver. Before long he was building winning cars on his own, accumulating not only first-place trophies, but also the knowledge and understanding of what made a car a winner.
By 1964, he had brought this experience to bear in the construction of a supercharged, nitro-fueled, 392 Hemi-powered dragster. High-tech for the time, it had swept-back headers and sleek fiberglass bodywork made from his own molds. The dragster dominated local racing so completely that he was prompted to move to California to campaign it against the world’s best. But fast cars during the 1960s were only as good as the stories behind them, which led Schubeck to adopt the nickname “Gentleman Joe,” a memorable moniker that he at first disliked, but which perfectly expressed his civilized bearing and demeanor.
Collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum, Gift of "Gentleman Joe" Schubeck
This vehicle featured in the ‘The Vault’.
1965 Joe Schubeck “Gentleman Joe” Dragster Gallery
Vehicle Imagery may be used for personal, media editorial, or educational purposes. Please credit Petersen Automotive Museum, petersen.org, if used. Photos may not be used for commercial purposes.
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