Monday, July 21, 2014

RIP CAR GUY JAMES GARNER

We lost James Garner this week, one of the ultimate car guys who was a very popular actor with an amazing career and life. A mans man he was awarded 2 Purple Hearts after serving and being wounded in Korea. He portrayed western gun slinger's and private eyes on the big screen and on TV was Maverick  and Jim Rockford in the Rockford Files. He passed at age 86 Sunday. James Scott Bumgarner born in Norman Oklahoma part Cherokee Indian on his mothers side who died when he was 4 years old did not have a charmed early life.   
 On a Harley Davidson Topper 
 At the Carroll Shelby driving school
 Who knew from that photo above when he leaned on the Pace car he would pilot no less than 3 Indianapolis Pace cars in the actual races!
 1975
 1977

 1985




 He formed the American International Racers team
 Garner's AIR Team signed with AMC to sponsor 10 1969 SC/Ramblers to compete in the Baja 500



 They campaigned an L88 Corvette
 His Oldsmobile Baja racer has actually been restored



 TV's Rockford drove a very plain Firebird, not a Trans Am
 Garner had a great relationship with General Motors 
 Became a spokesman for GMC truck 
 His dad on the Rockford Files drove a GMC (GMC and Pontiac at one time were joint dealerships)
 It is strongly understood the special edition Gentleman Jim trucks were in honor of Gentleman Jim Garner

 James Garner, Steve McQueen and James Coburn on the set of The Great Escape
An actor with no controversy or scandals who was successful on screen and on the track 
FULL THROTTLE AND WIDE OPEN ON YOUR FINAL JOURNEY 



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