Bill Stroppe, Motor Racing Pioneer, Is Dead at 76
Bill Stroppe, one of the most influential men in the development of Ford Motor Co.’s motor racing program, died Tuesday night in Long Beach after surgery resulting from a fall. Stroppe, 76, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
Although he built and drove hydroplanes, was a winning driver in the Mobil Economy Run, built and campaigned Indy cars, and managed the team of Lincolns that finished 1-2-3-4 in both the 1952 and 1953 Pan-American Road Races in Mexico, Stroppe was best known as the man who rode shotgun with Parnelli Jones in Baja California off-road races.
Stroppe’s big Broncos, built in his shop in the Signal Hill section of Long Beach, were legendary in off-road racing. More recently, he built and serviced Ford trucks for stadium and SuperTruck races.
Survivors include his wife, Helen, and son, William, both of Long Beach; a daughter, Luann Hallett of Huntington Harbor, and two grandchildren. Services will be 2:30 p.m. Monday at Forest Lawn in Cypress.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
