The following interview was conducted in 2006 by the Pancho Barnes Trust Estate Archive with early hot rod Dry Lake racer Hyman “Blackie” Gold. Blackie became a friend of Pancho Barnes about 2 years after she relocated from Pasadena to Muroc on her Rancho Oro Verde. This interview features an excerpt from the coming book, VOICES FROM THE HAPPY BOTTOM RIDING CLUB. [Read More]
Born in Romania on April 23, 1904, Duncan Renaldo (birth name Vasile Dumitru Cughieaneas) was orphaned at an early age and never knew his birth parents. He was raised and educated in various European countries and arrived in the United States in 1917 as a stoker on a Brazilian coal ship. After his ship caught fire at the docks in Baltimore, Maryland, he was stranded and overstayed his 90-day seamen’s permit. He moved to New York, where he found a job as a janitor at a film studio. His attention to detail on movie sets earned him a promotion to set designer, and eventually, he began acting in [Read More]
Originally owned by the legendary aviatrix and entrepreneur, Pancho Barnes, this station wagon automobile originally was used to transport guests between Los Angeles and her Happy Bottom Riding Club dude ranch located in the Mojave Desert, where they were treated to laughter, camaraderie, live music, excellent meals, drinks and adventure. It was later gifted to one of Pancho’s hostesses as a wedding gift to ensure safe cross-country driving to Connecticut, where the automobile spent many years. It was well cared for by the hostess and her family, and eventually was sold to a car collector in Southern [Read More]