1959 Old Yeller Mk II

As with so many of the great racecars and specials of the ’50s, the success and genesis of the famed Old Yellers rests with a single talented individual, Max Bal­chowsky—or more properly, Max and his wife Ina.

Max Balchowsky was born on January 15, 1924 in Fairmont, West Virginia. Born into a multi-talented and eclectic family, Balchowsky’s father worked a variety of jobs including interior decorator, advertising designer and department store manager, while his school teacher mother invented a salve for burned skin called Cutigiene, which is still commercially available today.