Topic: SOLVED: WTH # 087 - 1964 Trespasser VW-powered ATV by Ray Brown Automotive

[sixtee5cuda]

For one point, give the name of this vehicle.

For another point, tell me about the smiling man, and what business he was in.

[sixtee5cuda]

Many people look at it, nobody guesses?  Don't we have any ATV experts?

[sixtee5cuda]

Up!

Do any professionals know about this vehicle?

[grobmotorix]

It reminds me of the Cat-A-Gator.

But is it really just an ordinary ATV or some research vehicle like a lunar rover test mule or something of that kind?

[sixtee5cuda]

It is an ordinary ATV, developed by a company not in the ATV business.

[RayTheRat]

Thiokol, now ATK Launch Systems Group?

[sixtee5cuda]

Not Thiokol or ATK.

Clue time!

This man has been to Bonneville many times.

[sixtee5cuda]

Not sure if this will give away the second part of the puzzle, but I doubt it will lead to the answer for the first.

The first name of the man pictured is "Ray".

[sixtee5cuda]

The rounded compartment behind Ray contains a VW engine.

[sixtee5cuda]

Last clue before heading to the BH:

Ray's last name is a color.  To earn this easy point, be sure to mention what business he was in, when guessing his name.

[Paul Jaray]

Ray Black, aviator?

[sixtee5cuda]

Not black

[RayTheRat]

Ray White, engineer?

[sixtee5cuda]

Not White.  Not sure about him having the label "engineer".  Mostly just a "car guy".

[RayTheRat]

I guess that kinda leads to "Ray Brown, car guy?"

[sixtee5cuda]

Sorry Ray, I didn't see your response until just now.

The smiling man is Ray Brown.  When this picture was taken, he owned a manufacturing company.  What did they make?

[RayTheRat]

Conveyor belts?

Seat belts.  After that he worked for Superior Industries which made conveyor belts.  He drove the Shadoff Special in 1953.

[sixtee5cuda]

RayTheRat gets a point for the simple part of the puzzle.

Will it be 20 questions, or 20 hints to name his vehicle?

[RayTheRat]

Simple?  Did you say simple?   

I should have mentioned that Ray Brown passed away in 2007.  There was mention of his passing on a site that I contribute photos to and work pretty closely with.  But there's a lotta stuff there, too.

Anyway, I learned that Ray was very much involved with getting seat belts into race and passenger cars.  I guess we owe him a debt of gratitude for his work in that area (even if I don't always wear one...shame on me.)

[sixtee5cuda]

Two more pictures, FWIW

[sixtee5cuda]

Ray and his ATV head off into darkness...

[pnegyesi]

I can tell you that this vehicle was built in 1964-1965 in Pacoima, Los Angeles, CA. It was powered by a Volkswagen engine and featured a four-speed transaxle.
It seems it was called the Tresspasser

[sixtee5cuda]

And the point goes to PNegyesi!  You included one extra S, but you have the correct answer.  When I saw the name, I wondered if "trespasser" hasn't always had a bad connotation.

If I may ask, where did you find this information?  All I had was an article from an old magazine in my collection.

[pnegyesi]

on the internet I started what I've seen here and googled "Ray Brown Automotive" - up came a newspaper clip from a 1965 magazine, mentioning the ATV, without the name, but mentioning the powertrain. So I googled Google Books with "Ray Brown" Volkswagen (and maybe I added the city but I am not sure) and up came two articles with the name

[sixtee5cuda]

Thank you for the information.  I don't have an extensive collection, but when I find something unusual in a magazine I like to confirm it online.  I never found anything about The Trespasser.