The Merrimack Street Garage of Manchester, New Hampshire, is steeped in tradition. The place has been an automotive landmark for nearly 90 years, and in all that time only one family has owned and operated it…the Saidels. Is it any wonder then that this garage gave birth to some of the most magnificent small-displacement sports racers of the 1950s?
Ray Saidel took over the dealership in 1950 when his father Morris passed away. Soon thereafter a friend took him to an SCCA track day and from then on Ray was hooked. His first racecar was an Allard J2X Le Mans, which he fitted with an Oldsmobile V-8. While he won the 1955 Northeastern region SCCA C-Modified Championship in the Allard, Saidel considered the car “ill handling” and was convinced he could build something better.
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