Don Garlits Autograph

Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. This design was notably safer since it put most of the fuel processing and rotating parts of the dragster behind the driver. The driver was placed in front of nearly all the mechanical components, thus protecting him and allowing him to activate a variety of safety equipment in the event of catastrophic mechanical failure or a fire. Garlits was an early promoter of the full-body, fire-resistant Nomex driving suit, complete with socks, gloves, and balaclava. More about Don Garlits

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Current items with a signature of Don Garlits

These are the most current items with a signature of Don Garlits that were listed on eBay and on other online stores - click here for more items.

Picture Item Title Price Store
thumbnail1970 Fleer Dragstrips Don Garlits Signed Rookie Card Autograph RC Auto BAS NHRA$199.00logo
thumbnail2017 Donruss Racing Significant Signatures Don Garlits Autograph $46.99logo
thumbnailBIG DADDY THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF DON GARLITS -- Paperback SIGNED$43.90logo
thumbnailDADDY DON GARLITS 2003 NHRA RACING LEGENDS Signed AUTOGRAPHED YEARBOOK JSA PSA$49.99logo
thumbnailDon GARLITS signed autographed 1994 Drag Racing Card $29.99logo
thumbnailDon GARLITS signed autographed 1994 Drag Racing Card $34.99logo
thumbnailSigned/Autographed/Inscribed Big Daddy The Autobiography of Don Garlits Updated$34.99logo
Garlits was the first drag racer to officially surpass the 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, and 270 mile-per-hour marks in the quarter mile; he was also the first to top 200 mph (320 km/h) in the 1⁄8 mi (0.20 km). He has been inducted into several Halls of Fame and has won many awards during his career.

After World War II, in the central and western United States, many air force bases and landing fields were decommissioned. These abandoned runways were perfect for drag racing. Don Garlits's first drag race car was built under an oak tree at his home in North Tampa in 1954. He used an arc welder and a cutting torch to modify an old 1927 Ford Model T Roadster. To this roadster he added a 1948 Mercury engine block, a 1939 Ford floor shift transmission, and a 1948 Ford differential and axle. That early T-Bucket's quarter mile performance was 13.5 seconds, at a top speed of 93 mph. It was this successful, formative roadster that would become the basis for his first rail-job dragster. He cut off the body panels, moved the engine back, and installed the seat behind the drive axle. (A similar design was built that same year by Mickey Thompson.) This was the legendary slingshot dragster with which Big Daddy would win the first NHRA race he entered, the NHRA Safety Safari in Lake City, Florida (12.1 seconds, 108 mph). Three years later, he became a professional drag racer. The first national drag racing meet, sponsored by the National Hot Rod Association was held on an airfield near Great Bend, KS in 1955. Don Garlits, being from Florida, was something of an outsider. He was sometimes referred to as the Floridian, before permanently adopting the nickname "Swamp Rat," which also became the name for each new generation of his innovative dragster designs. Read even more about Don Garlits at Wikipedia

Traded items with a signature of Don Garlits

In total, we tracked 697 items since 01/01/2008. The chart below shows the trade volume over time.

The most expensive item with a signature of Don Garlits (Autographed Big Daddy Don Garlits Racing Suit NHRA) was sold in December 2013 for $800.00 while the cheapest item (1992 Pro Set #182 Don Garlits Signed Card) found a new owner for $0.99 in October 2021. The month with the most items sold (15) was October 2023 with an average selling price of $19.95 for an autographed item of Don Garlits. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in September 2018 with $475.00 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $0.99 was August 2008. In average, an autographed item from Don Garlits is worth $19.95.

Most recently, these items with a signature of Don Garlits were sold on eBay - click here for more items.

Picture Item Title Price Store
thumbnail2017 Panini Donruss Don Garlits Significant Signatures Autograph Card # S-DG$20.00logo
thumbnailBig Daddy Don Garlits NHRA autographed photo Dodge Promo$15.00logo
thumbnailBig Daddy Don Garlits signed autographed photo Hot Rod Drag Racing Legend$19.95logo
thumbnailBIG DADDY The Autobiography of Don Garlits Book Paperback Signed Autographed VTG$30.00logo
thumbnailDon Garlits and His Cars Autographed Signed Hot Rods Drag Racing$25.00logo
thumbnailDon Garlits and His Cars Autographed Signed Mopar Hot Rods Drag Racing$49.99logo
thumbnailDon Garlits Big Daddy Signed May 1975 Winternationals Drag Racing USA Magazine$29.99logo
thumbnailDon GARLITS signed autographed 1994 Drag Racing Card $19.99logo
thumbnailDon Garlits Signed May 1963 Hot Rod Magazine Autographed$29.99logo
thumbnailSigned/Autographed/Inscribed Big Daddy The Autobiography of Don Garlits Updated$35.00logo

Latest News about Don Garlits

Don Garlits, racing legends, meet fans at Detroit Dragway reunion (05/21/14): Drag racing fans can reconnect today with racing legends Don Garlits and Roger Lindamood at the Milan Dragway for the 2014 Detroit Dragway reunion.

'Big Daddy' Don Garlits attempts speed record (05/01/14): At age 82, the longtime drag racer is trying to reach 200-mph in a battery-powered version of his famed "Swamp Rat" dragster

Florida on a Tankful: Inland pit stop at Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing (02/20/14): While Speedweeks captivates the shores of Daytona Beach each winter, inland off Interstate 75 is whe Go to news article

'Big Daddy' Don Garlits at Eddyville this weekend (07/02/13): Hello race fans and welcome to The Pit Stop. It's hard to believe that the Fourth of July holiday is just a couple days away. With it brings a couple big racing events to the area. Eddyville Raceway Park has been hosting the Musco Lighting "Night of

Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing (12/16/12): Few people realise that The Villages is just around the corner from one of the most comprehensive collections of specialized vehicles in the world at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing. Read about my day trip to this fabulous museum of dragsters and classic cars. Go to news article