Hell’s Angel and its driver, L.W. “Knot” Farrington, were both legends around New Orleans in the 1950s and ’60s. Dozens of schoolchildren admired from the school bus the modified 1956 Ford Thunderbird that Knot built and drove himself. It achieved a record speed of 241.786 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the early 60’s, and the car was even featured in the pages of an early Hot Rod Magazine.
Now 94, Knot still attends local hot rod gatherings, while Hell’s Angel and its driver were inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches last year.
You can watch a Louisiana Public Broadcasting story about Knot at this link: https://beta.lpb.org/index.php?/swi/swi_episode/speed_racer
This gallery features images of both Knot and his car at the museum. All photos are by Anthony “Chopper” Leone.
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