There is no better time than the holiday season to focus on family, traditions, and memories, both old and new. And that is exactly what you will find in the story of the restoration of a 1952 Buick Super Riviera nicknamed Bombshell Betty.
At first glance you may think it is just another article chronicling the restoration and reengineering of an old car. But read a little further and you’ll see that this tale is really about love, loss and one family’s vow to keep a dream alive.
Bombshell Betty is the name given to a 1952 Buick that is known for setting six land-speed records. When the car was put up for auction in 2016, Don Cash, Jr., a self-proclaimed “challenge seeker,” bought the car with the intent that he and his father Don Cash, Sr. would work on it together. The goal? Make a return showing at the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway and set a new land-speed record of 200 mph.
Sadly, in 2019 Cash, Jr. passed away unexpectedly. He was one of an elite group who have climbed the seven summits of the world (the tallest mountain on each continent). Cash, Jr. had just successfully conquered his seventh peak, making it to the top of Mount Everest, but on his descent, he collapsed and died.
“Go big or go home,” one of Cash, Jr.’s favorite mantras, has fueled family and friends to continue the work to revamp Bombshell Betty after his passing. On September 11, 2021, Bombshell Betty made a special appearance at the Salt Flats for a tribute lap in memory of Cash, Jr. The car was driven by his daughter Danielle Cash Cook. Work on the car continues with plans to attempt a new speed record set for 2022.
To learn more, read the news article by digital reporter Austin Facer of ABC4 Utah.
