Comments on: Jim Jeffords Biography Reviewed

By: Willem Oosthoek

Willem Oosthoek — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:40:10 +0000

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.”

By: Willem Oosthoek

Willem Oosthoek — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:57:35 +0000

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.