Solved - NEH 2520: "The Roadster" by Joe Henning & OCee Ritch first seen in 'Rod & Custom' May 1955

[Carnut]

What's this called, who was responsible for it, what did it claim specially, when and where did it first appear - for 1 point?:

ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS OBTAINED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[RayTheRat]

Concept drawing from an American rodding magazine?  I know I've seen it before, but it was a long time ago (if I'm remembering the right car.)

[Carnut]

Concept drawing from an American rodding magazine?  I know I've seen it before, but it was a long time ago (if I'm remembering the right car.)

It was to start with but it seems to have developed a bit beyond that (or they thought it would..?)

[RayTheRat]

It's from an ad for "Roadster Plans" by Henning and Rich that appeared in the March 1956 issue (and probably others) of Car Craft.  I probably saw it in that mag around that time.

[Carnut]

Right, you've found the car - well done!
But you haven't given me all the answers I'm looking for to earn that point though!

What did it claim specially when it first appeared?

When and where did it first appear (not Car Craft and not in March 1956 - earlier)?

Locked for RayThe Rate.

[RayTheRat]

Here's what I've come up with:

"The Roadster: OCee Ritch and Joe Henning wrote and drew many restyling features during the '50s, none more popular than Building The Roadster, a five-part series in 1955. The ever-evolving idea was to build a Cad-powered, aluminum-bodied, T-style roadster on an A frame, for a dollar a pound ($2,300). The Roadster never went beyond the concept stage, but rodders all over the USA were inspired to build cars based on the series. Jack Leynnwood painted his rendition for the October '55 cover."

This isn't the same thing as Tex Smith's "Dollar a pound" roadster nor the XR-6 roadster.

[Carnut]

Very good, yes they claimed the car could be built for a Dollar a Pound!
Nearly there..
So when and where did it first appear, which is part of the original question?
I'll give you a clue: you've found the magazine but it had already been announced there before it featured on the front cover in October 1955..
Still locked for RayThe Rat!

[RayTheRat]

Hmmm.  I thought that was the first appearance, but then ran across this:

"Joe [Henning] teamed up with journalist OCee Ritch in the early '50s, contributing to a number of magazines including an appearance in Hop Up in 1953. But it was their rendering of "The Roadster," a Model T-bodied hot rod they claimed could be built for a dollar a pound, that put them on the map when it appeared in the May, 1955 issue of Rod & Custom. Throughout the rest of the decade they continued to push the boundaries of automotive design (and in some cases, auto industry patience) with their interesting, sometimes space age, often-outlandish re-styling ideas."

[Carnut]

Yes, that's it!
May 1955 seems to have been when it first appeared in Rod & Custom magazine.
1 point to you.  Good sleuthing!

[RayTheRat]

Thank you.  I feel a little dizzy from going in circles on this one, but I'm sure the room will stop spinning as soon as I lie down for a bit.     (No, I'm not a drinker.  Just dizzy and goofy.)