The Car that Identifies Parnelli Jones
This is a post that probably will do nothing more than identify me as an old man. Earlier this week, I used that opportunity to catch up on last week’s Beyond the Bricks with Jake Query and Mike Thomsen, which ran every night last week before the Brickyard Weekend.
Their show is always an enjoyable conversation between the two, focusing on anything to do with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There is never any controversy, just dialogue between two friends on one of my favorite subjects – IMS.
But I have a bone to pick with both of them. No, they didn’t say anything controversial last week; but they both said something that I disagreed with. I wanted to throw it up here and find out what the readers here think.
Jake is about fifteen years younger than I am, and I’m guessing Mike is probably about five years older than Jake – that’s semi-close to my age group. I say that because I don’t know if what they said is a generational thing, or just a vast difference of opinion.
The topic of the evening was the upcoming birthday for Parnelli Jones, who turned ninety on Saturday. Mike Thomsen is known for having this massive audio collection for everything and anything that has to do with the Indianapolis 500. He spent the evening playing several fascinating clips of audio that I had never heard before.
They spent practically the full hour discussing the career of Parnelli Jones, and his equally successful business career after he retired. As they wrapped up the show, it was one of their final comments that ruffled my feathers. Of course in case anyone is wondering, my comments are very much tongue-in-cheek.
The comment that got me riled up was when one of them said that the 1967 turbine dubbed Silent Sam was the one car that everyone identifies with Parnelli Jones. I winced when I first heard that. Then felt doubly wounded when the other said something to the effect of “Oh, I agree wholeheartedly 100%. Absolutely!”
Seriously? No mention of Calhoun, the roadster he drove in 1961-64, broke the 150 mph barrier in winning the pole in 1962, then took to victory in 1963? We all have our personal favorites in the museum, and Calhoun is mine. I think from front to back, top to bottom, it is probably the most beautiful car to ever turn a wheel at Indianapolis. That royal blue nose, the pearl white, and the gold leaf numbers on that Watson roadster; all combine to create the perfect race car. (Photo by George Phillips)
I realize that is up for debate and is just one person’s opinion – mine. But whenever Parnelli Jones comes to mind, I don’t think about Silent Sam. I think about Calhoun. Some may think that odd, because I never saw Parnelli race Calhoun in person – other than watching him drive ceremonial laps at IMS decades later. The first time I saw Parnelli Jones race was in 1965, when he was driving a Lotus. Two years alter, I saw him qualify and race the turbine (which did not win, by the way).
Ironically, when someone mentions “the turbine at Indianapolis”, I don’t even think of Silent Sam. I think of the three Lotus 56 turbines that ran in the 1968 Indianapolis 500. This may be considered heresy, but I always thought Silent Sam was ugly. It was fat and bulbous. It was more like a ferocious beast than a graceful race car. The wedge-shaped Lotus turbines were sleek and beautiful. Again, this is my opinion.
But when someone mentions the name of Parnelli Jones, the first thing that pops into my head is that glorious blue and pearl-white Willard Battery Special that carried Parnelli to victory in 1963. What do you think, or does anyone really care?
George Phillips
Oilpressure 
August 18, 2023 at 4:51 am
I agree with you, George. The turbine was just another race car Parnelli Jones drove. I always think of him in Calhoun, not the turbine, which was as you say, not an attractive car.
August 18, 2023 at 5:41 am
This era was before my time and I’m not old enough to remember front engine cars. Silent Sam was a bit challenged in the horizontal department.
August 18, 2023 at 6:49 am
George, I agree with you completely. When I think of Parnelli Jones, I think of not just Calhoun, but Calhoun as it appeared in 1963. Perhaps that’s because that was the first Indy car I ever built a model of (back when just about every boy aged 8 to 15 built plastic models). AMT had a nice 1/25 scale model of Calhoun, as well as the 1963 Lotus Fords driven by Jimmy Clark and Dan Gurney. I saw Parnelli race Calhoun in the 1964 500, but it had a different shape to the inlet on the nose and I didn’t think it looked as good as it did in ’63.
To be honest, I don’t think of Jones when I remember the turbine cars – either ’67 or ’68. As soon as anyone mentions the turbines, I think of Andy Granatelli.
August 18, 2023 at 7:56 am
I agree that Old Calhoun is the most beautiful Parnelli Jones car, but not the most beautiful car in the museum. That distinction, in my opinion, belongs to the 1952 Troy Ruttman winning car.
August 18, 2023 at 9:06 am
Parnelli Jones’ grandson is racing Indy Lights/NXT this year. His car’s paint scheme mimics one of his grandfather’s cars, which one?
There’s your answer.
August 18, 2023 at 10:26 am
Beautiful paint job on a classic late-period roadster.
Is it still leaking oil?
August 18, 2023 at 1:16 pm
I agree with you , George. I spent years building 125th scale models of 500 cars. The only one I still have is my scratch built model of Mario’s 1969 winner, which happens to be stored in the box of Parnelli’s winning car.
I don’t remember which year, but it was before the old garage area was raised, I was walking through Gasoline Aller the evening before a 500. One other photographer was with me and we seemed to be the only people there. Then, we noticed an open garage door and approached it. Inside was the number 98, waiting to be driven during pre-race ceremonies the next morning, and one member of the Safety Patrol. He invited us in to take a look, and asked if we would like to sit in the car. Somewhere I still have the photo of me in the car. At the time, I was 5-9 and about 140 pounds. I was able to get in, but I could never have driven the car. My elbows were jammed between the cockpit sides and the steering wheel, and my knees were pressing hard against the bottom of the steering wheel.
Other than my Soap Box Derby cars, and a few go-karts, that is still the only race car I have ever been in.
August 19, 2023 at 12:03 am
OK CALHOUN is definitely the car old Rufus is identified with. Ol Calhoun is my favorite car in the museum. If you ever saw PARNELLI wheel that Roadster around the Speedway well it was a thing of beauty.
August 20, 2023 at 9:53 am
The car(s) I identify Parnelli with as an owner would be The Vel’s/Parnelli Viceroy team from 1972-1975. Dubbed the Super Team they probably didn’t achieve as much as expected but it seemed to be the start of the big tobacco money coming into racing.
November 26, 2025 at 1:39 pm
The “Calhoun” no question about that unless you’re too young to care.