Chrysler Kit Car

Short track racing is a big deal in North America, and if you haven't already been to a dirt or a local oval, it's highly recommended. 

One 1/8th mile lap on a typical track has the potential for more passing than you'd see in an entire Formula 1 race, and as each facility has its own quirks, a lot of the fun is trying to figure out exactly what is happening, where. I know this intimately, because one of my first tasks given to me at my first internship was to help format short track results from around North America—a task I dreaded initially, but ultimately enjoyed.

Anyway, in the mid-'70s, Chrysler dropped a bomb on the short track racing world, one that (to my knowledge) other manufacturers haven't yet copied. 

Available in various stages of completion, from chassis to complete car, the idea was that amateur racers could, say, over a few weeks, build their very own stock car.

The idea was simple: Chrysler would sell you all of the parts needed to build a fully-engineered and ready-to-race car, sort of like a gigantic Lego set.