-----Original Message-----
From: Shawn Stanford [mailto:Shawn.Stanford@alltel.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001
Subject: Dymaxion information...

Hi,

I think I can provide some details on Car #2.

My name is Shawn Stanford, my father is William Stanford, his mother is the former Lillian Mezes, of Bridgeport, Conn. Her father, my great-grandfather, founded Mezes and Sons truck body shop in Bridgeport. The #2 car was in the possession of the Mezes family for many years.

As it has been told to me, the story goes like this:

The car was in an accident while being shown in Bridgeport and ended up in the Mezes' shop for repairs. The damage - according to my dad's recollection - was due to a 'drag racing' incident in Fairfield. Once the repairs were made, Fuller was unable to pay for them so the car passed into the Mezes' possession.

It was driven for many years around the Bridgeport-Stratford area. My grandmother says she would take several friends and a picnic lunch and go down to Westport or Fairfield for a day at the beach. The car drove off road very well.

At some point it stopped running and remained parked in back of my great-grandfather's house in Stratford CT for many years.

Subsequently, my great-uncle Peter Mezes took the car when he moved to Tempe, Ariz. I'm not sure how the car passed from the Mezes to Harrah's. It was, I believe, Uncle Pete who converted the car into a chicken coop. I seem to recall that there were photographs of the Dymaxion at Mezes and Sons. That was, however, close to thirty years ago.

If you are interested in obtaining more information, I believe there are still some of Uncle Pete's children living in the Tempe area, Mezes and Sons is still in operation in Bridgeport and my grandmother is still alive (she's in her mid-80's).

I hope you find this helpful,

Shawn Stanford