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Mr. Horsepower

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The epic adventures of mr horsepower


Mr. Horsepower is the cartoon mascot and logo of Clay Smith Cams, an auto shop established in 1931. He is a sneering, cigar-smoking bird with red feathers and a yellow beak. The image is a caricature of legendary hot rod guru Clay Smith (1921-1954), well known for his red hair. Mr. Horsepower is rarely without a cigar, but when he is, he has a "cigar replacement" - such as a candy cane for the holidays.

Contents

Mr. Horsepower Clay Smith Cams Mr Horsepower Medium Decal

Mr horsepower


Origins

Mr. Horsepower Clay Smith Mr Horsepower Metal Sign

The origins of Clay Smith Cams can be traced back to the 1930s, when Kansas racing driver Pete Bertrand opened a car tuning shop at Long Beach. Clay Smith, just a boy at the time, was employed by Bertrand until the latter's death from pneumonia in 1942. Smith, himself a racing enthusiast, took over the company and continued producing precision engine parts, especially camshafts. In 1952, Smith teamed with Troy Ruttman to win the Indianopolis 500. Smith continued racing both cars and boats until 1954, when he was killed in an crash with Roger Ward at DuQuoin.

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Originally a mascot painted on Clay Smith's boats and race cars, Mr. Horsepower became the company logo as the reputation of Smith's fine-tuned auto parts spread. Today, the Mr. Horsepower logo is commonly seen as a car decal, tattoo, t-shirt logo, car mat, or garage clock.

Mr. Horsepower Mr Horsepower Checkered Flag Large Decal

There has been some confusion between Mr. Horsepower and the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker among observers. Key differences include Woody Woodpecker's beak, which is curved yet smooth on both the top and bottom, and his head feathers, which are arranged in a neat "V" shape in earlier versions or resemble a sprout in more recent depictions.

Mr. Horsepower Mr Horsepower White Sign 8 x 14

  • The logo has appeared in video games, most prominently perhaps in Sega GT 2002 for the Xbox video game console.
  • The logo decorates the guitar of Mike Ness of Social Distortion.
  • The guitar of Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel is decorated with Mr. Horsepower on the body and also on the headstock.
  • The logo has also appeared in the Coen brothers' Raising Arizona, where the main character, H.I., and his antithesis, Leonard Smalls, both had tattoos very similar though not identical to that of the Thrush Exhaust bird logo.
  • The logo has also appeared in a wide range of movies including Spider-Man, Gone in 60 Seconds
  • The logo can be seen on countless hot rods and customs.

    • References

    Mr. Horsepower Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA