Bobby Allison’s Car Collection

Bobby Allison crafted a NASCAR career composed of 85 wins and one Cup Series Championship. Take a look at some of his famous cars!
Bobby Allison 1972 - racersreunion.com
Bobby Allison 1972 - racersreunion.com

One of the Greatest in NASCAR History

When it comes to NASCAR’s greatest drivers, many are quick to point to Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson, or Jeff Gordon. Up among those NASCAR greats sits Bobby Allison. While Allison’s Winston Cup record only chalks up a single championship win in 1983, he also won three Daytona 500s and ended his career with 85 wins. Those wins place him fourth all-time for most wins in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Bobby Allison’s career was full of wins and tragedies, on and off the track. He started racing locally around his home of Florida before moving out to Alabama where he found success at the numerous dirt tracks around the state. He later brought his brother Donnie Allison and their friend Red Farmer out to set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama. The trio were a dominant force on the track and the group quickly grew and came to be known as the “Alabama Gang”.

Bobby Allison's 1960 Chevy at Daytona in 1961 - racersreunion.com
Bobby Allison's 1960 Chevy at Daytona in 1961 - racersreunion.com

Bobby Allison’s first taste of professional NASCAR racing came in 1961 with the help of a man named Ralph Stark. He provided Allison with his #40 stock car, a 1960 Chevrolet Biscayne, to race at Daytona. While his first race finish was 20th place, it was the first of 718 he’d race in over the course of his career. The Alabama Gang all made their way into the world of NASCAR where alliances would continue to be made, and new friends joined the tight-knit crew.

Sadly, Bobby Allison passed away in 2024, but his legacy and memory live on. He had an illustrious career that spanned 27 years with over 20 different teams and eight different manufacturers. He was one of the greatest to do it and is often some of today’s top drivers’ favorite from when they were just fans of the sport. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, and his iconic stock car liveries return to the track in his honor for every NASCAR throwback event.

We’re looking at some of his greatest race cars from NASCAR, plus a couple of cars you may not have known about that Bobby Allison drove.

Bobby Allison’s Best NASCAR Stock Cars

1964 #2 “Brackins & Brackins Inc.” Chevrolet Chevelle

1964 #2 Chevrolet Chevelle - Carlisle Events on Youtube
1964 #2 Chevrolet Chevelle - Carlisle Events on Youtube

It wasn’t until 1966 that Bobby Allison would get his first career win in NASCAR. It was a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle with a 327 CID small-block V8 that Allison had put together himself. Allison had trouble finding success with the car and needed a change. Before the race at Bowman Gray Stadium, Allison walked into a Chevy dealer and asked to pick up a new high-performance engine. All they had available was a used 427 CID V8 out of the Corvette, but Allison went with it and picked it up for $50. He worked through the night to get it under the hood of his Chevelle and went on to win the race.

1969 #22 “Coca-Cola” Dodge HEMI Daytona

1969 #22 “Coca-Cola” Dodge HEMI Daytona - nascarhall.com
1969 #22 “Coca-Cola” Dodge HEMI Daytona - nascarhall.com

The Aero-Car Era was quite the spectacle at the tail end of the ‘60s. Ford, Mercury, Dodge, and Plymouth all had long-nosed stock cars with big rear wings that dominated the big ovals of NASCAR. Under Mario Rossi’s ownership, Allison drove a ‘69 Dodge HEMI Daytona sponsored in the now iconic red and gold Coca-Cola paint scheme. This wasn’t Allison’s best season, but there’s no denying how cool this car looked.

1969 #49 Ford Mustang

1969 #49 Ford Mustang - tradingpaints.com
1969 #49 Ford Mustang - tradingpaints.com

Bobby Allison had to wait over 50 years to add his 85th win officially to his career record. Back in the late ‘60s, NASCAR Grand National racers merged with Grand American series racers to fill out the grid at short tracks. These unique races came with different rules than traditional NASCAR races, allowing Pony Cars into the events. Allison decided to drive a 1969 Ford Mustang for some of these short-track events and won the Bowman Gray Stadium race in 1971.

Second-place finisher, Richard Petty, along with other Grand National drivers disputed the win saying that a Grand American car shouldn’t be allowed to win a Grand National race. NASCAR ruled that Bobby Allison’s win would not be credited in the record book, but Petty’s result remained a second-place finish leaving the event without an official winner. This went down in infamy as the race that never counted for Allison, but NASCAR changed their minds 53 years later finally securing the driver his illusive 85th official win.

1972 #12 “Coca-Cola” Chevrolet Monte Carlo

1972 #12 “Coca-Cola” Chevrolet Monte Carlo - nascarhall.com
1972 #12 “Coca-Cola” Chevrolet Monte Carlo - nascarhall.com

This wasn’t the only stock car of Allison’s to wear the now iconic gold and red Coca-Cola livery, but it is often the one fans point back to. Bobby Allison drove the ‘72 Chevy Monte Carlo to 24 podiums that included ten first-place finishes. It was a career year for Allison, but he’d finish the season second overall behind Petty.

1975 #16 AMC Matador

1975 #16 AMC Matador - teampenske.com
1975 #16 AMC Matador - teampenske.com

Allison switched over to Penske in 1974 and drove their #16 AMC Matador. While this wasn’t the driver’s biggest year, it was an important milestone for him. Not only did Allison win four races with the AMC stock car during his time over at Penske, but one of those wins was the 1975 Southern 500. This race at Darlington Raceway along with the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and the former Winston 500 are considered the Crown Jewels of a proper NASCAR career. With Bobby Allison’s win in 1975, he’d gotten closer to his “Grand Slam” moment and would join a group of only nine other drivers to win at each of the Crown Jewel races.

1978 #15 “Norris Industries” Ford Thunderbird

1978 #15 “Norris Industries” Ford Thunderbird - NASCAR Legends on x.com
1978 #15 “Norris Industries” Ford Thunderbird - NASCAR Legends on x.com

Bobby Allison had been racing professionally in NASCAR for 18 years before he got his first win at the Daytona 500. He’d win NASCAR’s biggest race in 1978 behind the wheel of Bud Moore Engineering’s #15 Ford Thunderbird. This was a major career accomplishment for Allison that would be overshadowed by the events of the following year.

Yarborough and Allison brothers fight - NASCAR on YouTube
Yarborough and Allison brothers fight - NASCAR on YouTube

In the final moments of the 1979 Daytona 500, Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough led the pack by some 20 seconds. In the last lap, the two became overly competitive and collided sending their wrecked cars to the bottom of the track. As Richard Petty took the flag, they got in a heated argument outside their cars. Bobby Allision finished 11th in his Thunderbird and was circling around to pick up his brother for a ride to the pits. Instead, Yarborough started yelling at Bobby too leading to him and the Allison brothers getting into a fist fight.

NASCAR races weren’t always televised events, but the Daytona 500 was one of the few that received coverage. The entire race, dramatic end, and the resulting fight was sensationalized on live television. Ratings were sent sky-high, and viewers were looking for more racing action, leading to the live NASCAR coverage we experience today.

1982 #88 “Gatorade” Buick Regal & Chevy Monte Carlo

1982 #88 “Gatorade” Buick Regal & Chevy Monte Carlo - atlantamotorspeedway.com
1982 #88 “Gatorade” Buick Regal & Chevy Monte Carlo - atlantamotorspeedway.com

Bobby Allison’s second Daytona 500 win came in 1982 behind the wheel of the #88 Buick Regal while with DiGard Motorsports. The Regal helped Allison to the Daytona 500 winner’s circle and five more races at superspeedways, while his similarly painted Monte Carlo brough in two more wins that season too. Even with eight wins in total, he lost out to Darrell Waltrip for the Cup Series Championship.

1983 #22 “Miller” Buick Regal

1983 Winston Cup Chamion Bobby Allison - NASCAR Legends on x.com
1983 Winston Cup Chamion Bobby Allison - NASCAR Legends on x.com

Allsion returned with the Buick Regal and Chevy Monte Carlo the following year with a new red and white paint job. He’d push the cars to six wins that year along with eleven podium finishes, enough to secure his first ever Cup Series championship.

1988 #12 “Miller High Life” Buick Regal

1988 #12 “Miller High Life” Buick Regal - NASCAR on YouTube
1988 #12 “Miller High Life” Buick Regal - NASCAR on YouTube

1988 was Bobby Allison’s final season of full-time NASCAR racing. He had the distinct honor of racing alongside his son, Davey Allison, over the course of this season. The father and son duo also achieved an accomplishment no other NASCAR drivers have. Bobby Allison won his third and final Daytona 500 this year with his son Davey Allison following close behind in second.

Bobby Allison’s Other Race Cars

Dirt Track UMP Late Model & Modified

Allison found time to return to his dirt tracking roots from time to time by participating in UMP Late Model and UMP Modified competition. These dirt track machines raced by Allison typically carried similar paint schemes to the ones he carried on his NASCAR stock cars.

1972 #85 “BRE” Datsun 510

1972 #85 “BRE” Datsun 510 - brelegacy.com
1972 #85 “BRE” Datsun 510 - brelegacy.com

Brock Racing Enterprises was always happy to provide one of their racing Datsun models to special guest drivers for local SCCA events. Bobby Allison took the #85 BRE Datsun 510 around the track at two different SCCA Two-Five challenge races.

1972 Can-Am #102 Shadow Mk 3

1972 Can-Am #102 Shadow Mk 3 - Jon Orr on Facebook
1972 Can-Am #102 Shadow Mk 3 - Jon Orr on Facebook

Bobby Allison qualified for 5th to participate at the Can-Am Riverside event in 1972, but the #102 Shadow Mk 3 was taken over by his teammate Jackie Oliver in competition. However, Allison’s showing around the track during practice runs helped get him a spot in the 1973 IndyCar season and a chance to race the famous Indianapolis 500.

1973 Indy 500 #16 McLaren M16C

1973 Indy 500 #16 McLaren M16C - indycar.com
1973 Indy 500 #16 McLaren M16C - indycar.com

After showing his capabilities with a Can-Am car, Allison was given a chance in one of Penske’s McLaren M16C IndyCars. Allison drove the car for the 1973 and 1975 USAC seasons. His best finish was 6th, and he was able to partake at the Indianapolis 500 in both years.

1974 #9 IROC Porsche 911 Carrera

1974 #9 IROC Porsche 911 Carrera - michaelpalmateerphotography on Instagram
1974 #9 IROC Porsche 911 Carrera - michaelpalmateerphotography on Instagram

The International Race of Champions (IROC) was a fun concept that brought drivers from all over the world and from different motorsport experiences together on the same track. Bobby Allison was invited to the inaugural season of the series in which he drove a Porsche 911 Carrera and finished 9th overall.

IROC Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

IROC Chevrolet Camaro Z_28 - NASCAR Legends on x.com
IROC Chevrolet Camaro Z_28 - NASCAR Legends on x.com

Allison returned for four more IROC seasons in which he raced the now iconic IROC Z/28 Camaro. He finished 4th overall for three consecutive years until he finally won the cup series for 1980.

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Jesse McGraw

Jesse McGraw brings his life-long car obsession into his writing. A fun childhood that involved growing up around race tracks, working on a rusty ‘99 Dodge Dakota held together by zip ties, and collecting Hot Wheels developed into a strong appreciation for automotive history. If there is an old, obscure, or rare car, he wants to know about it. With a bachelor's degree in Web Development & Design from Dakota State University, Jesse can talk shop about car or computer specs, focusing on classic cars, imports, and car culture.

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