Knafel Pontiac Home of the "Tin Indians"

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Knafel Pontiac

The Cars

Running Bear

1966 Mystery Tornado II

1966 Tin Indian V

1966 Tin Indian Twin

1967 Acadian

1967 Firebird

1968 Firebird

1968 GTO

1970 GTO Judge

1970 Firebird

1970 Magnum 400

Drivers

Arlen Vanke

Personnel

Manufacturers

Races

Knafel magazine articles

Dragstrips

The "Tin Indian" Store

Knafel Pontiac Home of the "Tin Indians"
This website is dedicated to preserving the history of the most successful Pontiac dealer in drag racing. Knafel Pontiac sponsored more cars and won more races and championships than any other Pontiac dealer in the country. Beginning in 1959 and continuing through 1971 Knafel Pontiac and its predecessor Bill Knafel's Anderson Pontiac sponsored over 40 Pontiacs that won hundreds if not thousands of races including numerous regional and national championships. Many of their cars were also national record holders. Within the pages of this site you will learn about the cars, the drivers, the races, and the people behind the scenes. There are many stories to be told and more information to discover. Such success required a dedicated owner, talented drivers, experienced support personnel, top notch equipment, outstanding cars, and factory support. In the following pages our mission is to present the story as accurately as possible. The website will constantly evolve as more information becomes available.

This is a picture of the dealership that was probably taken sometime in 1968. The building sits on the corner at South Main St in Akron, OH. The building still stands to day although it has been substantially changed. The front of the building has been torn down due to a fire. The parking lot remains the same and the two large poles that supported the Knafel sign now support a new sign for the present business. The building can be seen from Interstate 76 which passes right over South Main St.
Knafel Pontiac Circa 1968
The idea of this website is to present as much information and pictures as possible concening Knafel Pontiac and the "Tin Indian" race team. Any information that is available about the cars, the events, and the people involved will be included. We are looking for information from as many sources as possible. If you own one of the cars (even a regular Pontiac sold by the dealership), know something about one of the cars, were employed by the dealership, raced against one of the Knafel cars, knew someone involved with the dealership, please contact us, and share your stories and pictures. In short we want to tell the story as accurately as possible and we need your help. You can send an email to merle@tinindian.com, or you can call 978-973-2148. We appreciate your support.

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