Vasek Polak
| Vasek Polak | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 11, 1914 Prague, Czech Republic |
| Died | April 17, 1997 (aged 82) Great Falls, Montana |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Car dealer, Race car driver, Race team owner |
Vasek Polak (September 11, 1914 – April 17, 1997) was a prominent car dealer, race car driver, car collector, and racing team owner.
Polak was born in Prague, Czech Republic on September 11, 1914. He fought in WWII and was wounded in the Prague Uprising on May 5, 1945. Polak then left Prague and walked to then West Germany and found a job as a U.S. Army motor pool mechanic. Eventually moving to New York City, Polak opened a repair shop in 1951. In 1958 Polak moved to Hermosa Beach, California and through contact with Dr. Ferry Porsche, whom he had known in Europe through motorsport contacts, opened the first exclusive Porsche dealership in the United States in 1959. Polak would later on also become a franchised dealer for Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Saab, and Subaru in Hermosa Beach.
Polak married Anna Maria Littlejohn in 1983. She died from breast cancer in 1993. Polak in response donated $2 million to found a treatment center for breast cancer at Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
Vasek Polak died on April, 17 1997 from cardiac arrest resulting from complications due to an accident on the German Autobahn one month earlier. He was driving a Porsche 911 Turbo S when he crashed at speeds in excess of 110 mph, breaking both of his arms and legs. Polak was to return to California in an airplane fitted with an intensive care unit, however when refueling in Great Falls, Montana he went into cardiac arrest and died.
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