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Review by Pete Vack
Photos by Glen Glendenning courtesy Dave Rex
For years, the name Jim Jeffords was just that, a name on a car, a program, a result. Like many of the low key but successful SCCA race drivers, and unlike the international racing stars, Jeffords did not get much publicity on a personal level. After his death in 2014, however, there appeared much more information about this hard driving, multitalented Milwaukee resident whose brief career, according to the SCCA bio, may not have been the longest but almost certainly unmatched.
And now, thanks to the help of Jim’s four sons, Robert Birmingham has written a short (113 pages) but stellar biography of Jeffords, perhaps best known for his B production victories in the Purple People Eater Corvette. Birmingham has brought Jeffords exploits and successes to life in this informative book. Unlike what is posted on the internet, Birmingham is able to put Jeffords’ career in context, explaining even the most obscure events such as the Williams Bay Hillclimb on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Born in 1926, Jim Jeffords’ father was a great influence on him. His father, known as Jeff, ran a service garage in Milwaukee, where the young Jim learned to drive and no doubt learned a lot about cars. Jeff often took him to the Wisconsin State Fair Park, where they would watch the likes of Mauri Rose, Wilbur Shaw and other stars race in the AAA sponsored events.
But instead of taking over his father’s garage, Jim took a different path, becoming a car salesman, then establishing a successful ad agency, followed by a string of imported car dealerships. And like their father, Jim’s four sons, Patrick, Michael, Kerry and Jimmy, became involved in racing as well, and helped Birmingham put together Jeffords’ biography.
Birmingham tracks Jeffords’ competition successes year by year, event by event, as a Jag XK120 was replaced by a XK120 MC, replaced by a series of Corvettes with which he won two National Championships in the B Production class. He was fast, but tough on cars…either he won or broke down. Driving the one of three Corvette SR2s, Jeffords did well in the B Modified class but faster machinery dominated. He did a stint for Nickey Chevrolet, Camoradi and, as Willem Oosthoek related in VeloceToday, a run with Frank Harrison in the Maserati Birdcage.
Jeffords, the ad man, also figured out a way to attract the attention of the press, first by colorful paint combinations, driver’s suits and helmets, but might be most remembered as the guy who drove the Purple People Eater, an outrageously purple Corvette that took him to a National Championship in 1958. The name came from a popular song by Sheb Wooley: Purple People Eater…“It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater..” about a space alien who came to earth to play in a rock ‘n roll band.
In 1959 at Sebring, Jeffords tried to do his friend John Norwood a favor by signing on to drive one of the FDR Team Roosevelt Fiat Abarths. Lance Reventlow found Jeffords in the paddock and asked him “What in the hell are you doing in that little piece of crap?” Poor 6 foot 2 inch Jeffords had to have the seat modified to fit his frame, in essence, giving him only a metal platform to sit on. Jeffords, driving almost solo, still placed 30th overall and 3rd in class.
Jeffords was a man of many talents. After a very busy and successful seven years behind the wheel, Jeffords retired due to health issues but stayed active in the sport, managing a team of AMC Javelins, and was elected to the Road America Board of Directors.
According to his son Pat, Jeffords had a chance to meet famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, inspiring an interest in architecture, and he provided input to several homes designed by the Taliesin architects. Later, Jeffords moved to Palm Springs, California and had Taliesin West design a new home. The “Boat House” as it was called, is still a remarkable architectural site. Jeffords died there in 2014 at the age of 87.
Thanks to Birmingham for this well done, too short biography. Much like Jeffords himself.
Glendenning Gallery: These photos of Jim Jeffords were found in the Glendenning archives and do not appear in the book:
Jeffords in a borrowed 300SL.
Wisconsin GP, May 25 1957, another first in B Production
June 23 SCCA National Road America, Jeffords behind the wheel after another win in B Production.
September 6 1957, RA 1st in B Production, with the Purple People Eater.
September 7, 1958 with SR 2, RA. DNF
September 7, 1958 with SR 2, RA. DNF
Bob Birmingham began racing in the 1960s, knew Jim Jeffords but was not a close friend. Bob later served as the SCCA board member and Drift editor.
Bob has authored the following books:
Mis-Shifting: Fast Cars, Fond Memories, Fine Friendships 2014
Augie Pabst Behind the Wheel 2016
Brook Stevens and the Stevens Family Legacy 2019
Bill Wuesthoff: Smooth and Fast 2020
Fred Wacker-Gentleman Racer
Milwaukee Region SCCA, The First 20 Years
I don’t know if it is covered in the new Jim Jeffords book, but when I interviewed Jim in Milwaukee in 1996 for the Maserati Club magazine Il Tridente, the following interesting tidbit came up.
Not Jim Hall, but Jim Jeffords and Harry Heuer were the original clients for the new front-engined “Riverside Special'” built by Troutman-Barnes. It was essentially an updated Scarab sportsracer, and Jim put down $10,000 for the first one. When he became ill in early 1961, he knew he would never race again, and he asked his co-driver of the 1960 RA 500, Jim Hall, if he was interested in taking over the project. Within two weeks Jim agreed and in February 1961 Hall became the first owner of the new Troutman-Barnes design, which he would baptize Chaparral. Heuer had to wait until October 1961 to take delivery of the second car, which he eventually named Chaparral as well, although a Meister Brauser one.
The often-heard tale of Jim Hall meeting with Troutman-Barnes during the 1960 U.S. Grand Prix at Riverside to discuss the new sportsracing design is pure fiction. During my interview with Jeffords, he actually showed me the original T-B blueprints of the design, still in his possession.
Some additional details from my interview with Jim Jeffords, explaining the reason he quit racing:
” After Nassau in December 1960, I came home as I had my birthday on December 6. At that point I was 34 years old. My advertising business was growing and my time for racing was becoming less and less available. I was contemplating retiring from racing, and it put a lot of pressure on me. In the end the decision was made for me.
After a dinner party in Chicago, I became violently ill. I was rushed to the hospital in Milwaukee and was out of commission for nine months. At times I came close to dying during that period. I underwent some 600 tests to find out what I was allergic to, but they never found out what the problem was. I was put on cortisone, just like President Kennedy at the time, and gained much weight. Eventually I lost it again by getting myself slowly off the medicine. But I never raced again. I had the rides and I think I had the ability, but I decided this is it.
In 1968 I managed the Trans Am Javelins for American Motors. After that I built up my various car dealerships. I had Porsche, Audi, BMW and Saab, as well as Mazda and VW. I also had the neo classics like Excalibur, plus a booming business in RVs.”