Lucky Teter and His Hell Drivers 1936 Vintage Men’s Hoodie

Earl “Lucky” Teter was an American stunt driver, showman, and entrepreneur. He pioneered and popularized the touring stunt driving show, performing across the country until his death in a car jumping stunt. Born in Noblesville, Indiana, Teter was a gas station attendant who, by 1932, was performing automobile and motorcycle stunts. “Lucky Teter and His Hell Drivers” performed across the United States and Canada beginning in 1936, and had great success for six years. His show was so popular that, in some years, he performed at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in the afternoons, then flew to Syracuse, New York, to appear in the New York State Fair at night, which required two sets of equipment. He is credited with creating now-staple stunts as jumping a car from ramp to ramp and rolling a car, and was also the first to team up with an automobile company, in his case Plymouth, promoting its products in exchange for backing. On July 5, 1942, he was the last performer at an Army Relief benefit at the Indiana State Fair Grounds, where he planned to break his own world distance record by jumping 150 feet over a transport truck. He drove a 1938 Plymouth at 65 miles per hour and jumped off the first ramp, but came down several feet short and crashed into the supports of the landing ramp and later died in the ambulance taking him to the hospital.