Gasser (car)

A gasser is a type of hot rod originating on the dragstrips of the United States in the late 1950s and continued until the early 1970s. In the days before , the A/Gas cars were the fastest stock-appearing racers around.

Gassers are based on closed body production models from the 1930s to mid-1960s, which have been stripped of extraneous weight and jacked up using a beam axle or tubular axle to provide better weight distribution on acceleration (beam axles are also lighter than an independent front suspension), though a raised stock front suspension is common as well. Common weight reduction techniques include fiberglass body panels, stripped interiors, and plexiglass windows (sometimes color tinted).

The 1933-36 Willys coupés and pickups were very popular gassers. The best-known would be the 1933 Willys 77. It was never built in large numbers, making it a puzzle why it became popular: it was neither cheap nor plentiful. Keith Ferrell's Dogcatcher, for instance, was a 1936 delivery with a fuel injected small-block Chevrolet, built for the class; in 1967, Ferrell deliberately left something off to run it in B/Altered (later, with a supercharger, in BB/A).

After the company revived, the 1937-42 coupés, sedans, and pickups were again popular with hot rodders and gasser teams, and again, comparatively low production leaves unexplained why they gained so much attention. Ollie Olsen's 1940 coupé Wil-A-Meaner (driven by Bob "Rapid" Dwyer) won the 1961 Nationals' A/G title. Between 1962 and 1964, the Hassel & Vogelsong 1940 coupé "was the scourge of B/Gas", winning the 1963 and 1964 Nationals and setting a 1964 national record at 11.34. In 1967, the Hrudka Brothers' 1933 panel delivery was a popular wheelstander.

Postwar Willyses were also used (such as the Bremerton, Washington-based Speed Sport Specialties 1954 Willys in B/Gas), but, despite being a better chassis than the 1955-7 Chevrolet, were never as popular as the prewar cars.

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