Dean Moon
| Dean Moon | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 1, 1927 United States |
| Died | June 4, 1987 (aged 60) United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Automobile designer, race car driver |
Dean Moon (May 1, 1927 - June 4, 1987), grew up in Norwalk, California. Moon was around cars and racing from his youth as his father owned "Moon Cafe" with a go-kart track he called "Moonza", a pun on Monza. He was involved in dry lake hot-rodding in that late 1940's. He founded MOON Speed Equipment business (c.1950) and worked to improve the quality and safety of speed and racing products his entire life.
Moon was one of the original founding members that created Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association in 1963.
Dean Moon was a “Hot Rodder” and innovator of speed parts. He built and raced cars from El Mirage Dry Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats to the Drag Strips and beyond, and established a company that became an icon in the Hot Rod industry. Starting his business from modest beginnings in a garage behind his father's Moon's Cafe in Norwalk, he grew it into an internationally recognized brand name. Early products were a multi-carb fuel block, spun aluminum wheel discs, aluminum gas tanks and a foot-shaped throttle pedal. Products carrying the Moon name included the Moon Disc wheel covers and Moon Tank auxiliary fuel containers were very popular, and Moon Equipment's bright-yellow show cars and drag-racers were cars were used as models for Hot Wheels toys.
Moon purchased the Potvin company of Chuck Potvin, good friend and manufacturer of ignitions, camshafts and blower drives, in 1960. In 1962, he moved the company to the Moon Equipment building in Santa Fe Springs, California, and continued producing Potvin products.
The very first A.C. Shelby Cobra to reach the United States, delivered to Carroll Shelby, was fitted with a Ford V8 engine and transmission at Dean Moon's shop in Santa Fe Springs, in February 1962. This historic location at 10820 S. Norwalk Blvd. is where MOONEYES still resides today.
Moon fitted a Ford 429 race engine to the Lincoln Futura concept car which became the Batmobile used in the Batman television series.
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