Recently, at a restaurant, two people mentioned to me that they liked my shirt and one man asked me what brand it was. I was happy to tell him it was a Nat Nast, which is perhaps my favorite, yet little known, brand. Their shirts are known as retro-style bowling shirts and they were regularly worn on the TV shows The Sopranos and Two and a Half Men.
This reminded me of the Nat Nast shirts I have with cars embroidered on the back. Like one with a ‘40 Ford image that says “Lone Wolf” makes car guys think that I own one. While I have always liked the ‘40 Ford I have never owned one.
Another has an Aston Martin DB5 with the statement “you only live once”. Yes, words to live by.
There is a Ferrari and Monterey Car Week themed Nat Nast shirt I bought at Concorso Italiano one year.
Another Nat Nast car shirt that I wear sometimes has a one-off hot rod called the “Jack Thompson ‘27 T” on the back, which I did not know about when I bought the shirt I just liked the image and the vibe of the shirt.
This shirt is the subject of today’s article from the My Car Quest Wayback Machine from December 2018. Note the Comments from people who do have first hand experience with this special roadster.
Let us know about your cool car clothes in the Comments.
Mike Gulett, Editor
Jack Thompson ’27 Ford Model T Roadster Sold (Shirt Not Included)
by Mike Gulett –
I have never seen this hot rod in person but I do have the shirt!
How many cars have their very own limited edition embroidered silk shirt? I don’t know the answer but I suspect that it is not many.
Jack Thompson 1927 Ford Model T Roadster Nat Nast Shirt on the Author – photo by Rebecca Fuller
This shirt is the Limited Edition Design No. 44 made by Nat Nast. I bought this shirt many years ago not expecting to see the real hot rod embroidered on the back.
You would recognize Nat Nast shirts if you ever watched the TV shows The Sopranos or Two and a Half Men. Nast Nast was the shirt of choice for the lead character in both shows.
Enough about fashion on to this hot rod…
1927 Ford Model T Track-Nose Roadster by Jack Thompson
Photo from RM Sotheby’s
This Hot Rod was sold by RM Sotheby’s for $145,600, including fees at the Petersen Automotive Museum Auction 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
RM Sotheby’s wrote,
* An authentic and period-correct early SoCal custom
* Originally built and then restored by the who’s-who of hot rodding
* Presented at the finest custom shows and concours d’elegance
* An exceptional award-winning Track T
Jack Thompson’s ’27 track-nose Model T roadster was featured in the August 1958 issue of Hot Rod Magazine, photographed by Eric Rickman.
Hailing from Woodland Hills, California, Thompson’s classic Track T roadster was one of the best of the early feature cars. Its sharp black body rested on boxed early Essex rails – a favorite with hot rodders half a century ago. It was built in 1954 by an all-star cast. Streamlining was thanks to a Claude Hampson (Kurtis-Kraft Racing) custom-built track nose.
Finishing touches included a chopped windshield, louvered side panels, and ’39 Ford teardrop taillights. Race car-inspired nerf bars, front and rear, echoed the car’s well-executed circle track theme. Authentic Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels, early Ford hydraulic brakes, and a tubular front axle provided the right running gear. A three-speed ’39 Ford gearbox, with a curved floor shifter, was fitted with a ’42 Lincoln-Zephyr close-ratio first and second gear cluster. The legendary Tony Nancy did the upholstery, and Art Summers was responsible for the pinstriping.
Jack Thompson 1927 Ford Model T Roadster Nat Nast Shirt Embroidery – photo by Mike Gulett
The engine, a modified Ford flathead, was stuffed with the best speed equipment of the period. A ’37 Lincoln radiator was cut four inches, mounted at a 45-degree angle, and topped with a high point header tank. Inside the cockpit, there was a banjo steering wheel from a 356 Porsche and a full set of Stewart-Warner gauges on an engine-turned dash panel.
Restored by Gary Schroeder (of Schroeder Steering fame) and Rick Cresse (Tri-C Engineering), the modified T won the coveted Bruce Meyer Preservation Perpetual Trophy, the “Von Dutch” Award for the best pinstriping (this time by Tom “Itchy” Otis), and the trophy for the Best Altered T at the Grand National Roadster Show in 1997. It also participated in the first Historic Hot Rod Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, later that same year.
George Gray (Van Nuys) did the repaint and Dan Miller (Westlake Village) re-did the interior in Carmine Red Naugahyde. In 2007, this car won the “Excellence in Design” Award at the Art Center School of Design show in Pasadena.
Photo from RM Sotheby’s
The auction company does not mention the shirt.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Hi Mike,
I was at the recent RM Sotheby’s auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum, covering it for CarGuyChronicles.com. The ’27 Track Nose T was one of three impressive auction cars strategically parked dangled-carrot style right at the parking structure entrance gate. It was flanked by an ‘06 Ford GT and a Kool recreation of Roth’s ’62 ‘Mysterion’ Kustom. The preview area for the auction was in the parking structure – the bidding room was inside the museum.
The ‘T’ really is a special car and I’d bet that the new owner would love to acquire your cool shirt.
Happy Holidays!
Jim
My late step father was Claude Hampson, I remember this car sitting in the front window of his body shop until about 1960 or 61, when bondo was introduced. Claude was a master metal shaper, and refused to use bondo on any cars, so he quit the business. His shop was on Canby ave. in Reseda Calif. I still remember the phone number, Dickens 29065. I was hoping to find one of those wonderful shirts showing that beautiful work of art on the back, if you know where I could find one I would be most appreciative. I was so happy I had y TV on this morning when Chasing Classic Cars aired, my jaw hit the floor when I saw the roadster!!! It was as beautiful as the first time I saw in 58, and the last time I saw it in 60 or 61.
Thanks for the opportunity to post here, I wish Claude were still alive to have seen the hammer drop for 130k.
Jo Anne
Jo Anne,
Thank you for sharing this story. I also saw that episode of Chasing Classic Cars.
These shirts were made in limited numbers and I do not believe Nat Nast makes them now. However, I have seen a used one for sale on eBay.
Hi Mike,
Jack Thompson was my father. He passed in 1987, and we lost track of his fabulous T roadster. I drove it to Canoga Park High School a few times in the mid-sixtys. All the photos for the Hot Rod magazine spread were shot on top of the hill on the Pierce College campus in Woodland Hills. It would be fun to drive the car around the block one more time, great memories.
Fran (Thompson) Carter
Hi Fran,
Thank you for sharing these memories.
Here are two more car related Nat Nast shirts. One commemorates Monterey Car Week. The other commemorates 1955-1957 Chevy tail lights.
Mike has a great collection of Nat Nast shirts.
1955-1957 chevy tail lights.