1934–2021
Author, photographer, racer and co-founder of the Fabulous Fifties organization, Art Evans has passed away at the age of 87.
Arthur Grant Evans, Jr. was born on January 8,1934, in Santa Barbara, California. In 1950 Art joined the California Army National Guard, and was educated first at the United States Military Academy West Point, and then California State University at Los Angeles, UCLA, and USC.
Art began racing in 1955 while going to college on the GI Bill and working part-time at a gas station. He drove an MG TF at the eighth annual Palm Springs Road Race alongside drivers like Phil Hill, Bruce Kessler, Jacques Bellesiles, Cy Yedor, Jay Chamberlain, Jack McAfee, and Ken Miles to name a few, as well as actor James Dean.
Click here to read Art’s first-hand account of his start in racing.
He teamed up with Dick Sherwin that same year to begin publishing the “West Coast Sports Car Journal.” In 1956, Art, his father and their company, Evans Industries, teamed up with Bill Devin to develop and distribute the now legendary Devin sports cars (Bob Bondurant served as Devin’s parts manager!).
In 1984, Art, Johnny Von Neumann, and Vasek Polak, came up with the idea of a vintage grand prix event in Palm Springs. Working with local officials, the 1985 event was a spectacular success that drew over fifty 50s era racing drivers to Palm Springs including Stirling Moss, Innes Ireland, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, John Fitch, Jim Hall, Sam Hanks, and Bob Bondurant.
Art wrote for numerous publications about 1950s racing including this one, where his column Fabulous Fifites appeared every month from 2005 to 2010. Art was also an award-winning photographer and professor, publishing several books on photography. In 2001, Art combined his passion for photography and automotive history and published “The Fabulous Fifties – A Decade of Sports Car Racing in Southern California.” This now rare and sought-after book featured stunning portraits of drivers (taken by Art) with summaries and stories of their racing years.
For the next twenty years, Art continued to write and publish books on racing and racing personalities; the last books being World War II Veterans in Motorsports (2019) and World War II Veterans in Hollywood (2020). Art’s biography of Ken Miles was a main source for the movie “Ford v Ferrari”.
The first Fabulous Fifties gathering was reportedly held in 1973 at the Blarney Castle restaurant, and organized by Art, restaurant owner Rudy Cleye, OCee Ritch, and Jack McAfee. The group would pride itself on being a low-key “non-organization” with “non-members”, but would eventually become a social club for all the great drivers from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, including such greats as Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, Jack Brabham, Rodger Ward, Dan Gurney and countless others.
Services for Art will be held at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, December 8th at the Holy Cross Church and Cemetery located at 5835 W. Slauson Ave., Culver City CA 90230.
