IN NOVEMBER OF 1969 DRAG RACER BOB HAMILTON ORDERED A BRIGHT RED 1970 LS-6 CHEVELLE, AND LOADED IT UP WITH ALL THE OPTIONS. UPON ARRIVAL HE GAVE IT TO HIS WIFE DOROTHY AS A VALENTINE'S PRESENT. A SHORT YEAR LATER DOROTHY RELUCTANTLY TURNED THE CHEVELLE OVER TO BOB FOR WHAT WOULD TURN INTO ONE OF THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS CAREERS OF ANY CAR OF THE ERA. BECAUSE OF THE ON GOING COLD WAR WITH THE SOVIET UNION, IT WAS DECIDED TO NAME THE NEW RACER "RED ALERT.”
IN LATE 1971, WHILE COMPETING IN THE HIGHLY CONTESTED NHRA SS/DA CLASS, THE AMT TOY MODEL COMPANY TOOK NOTICE AND SOON “RED ALERT” WAS AN AMT MODEL. AMT QUICKLY HAD A SALES BONANZA AS “RED ALERT” WENT ON TO BECOME AMT'S ALL-TIME SALES LEADER. SALES WERE SO GOOD THAT AMT RE-RELEASED “RED ALERT” TWO MORE TIMES.
BOB MOVED TO FLORIDA IN 1974, WHERE HE CONTINUED TO RACE “RED ALERT” UNTIL 1976, WHERE IN IT’S LAST SEASON, BOB AND “RED ALERT” TOOK HOME TOP STOCK ELIMINATOR 14 OUT OF 16 TIMES.
DURING THE 1990s, CAMPAIGNED BY TERRY CARNEY AND BILL STEPHENSON AND TAKING PART IN VARIOUS NOSTALGIA DRAG RACING EVENTS, “RED ALERT” ONCE AGAIN TOOK ON THE HEAVY HITTERS OF OLD, SUCH AS RONNIE SOX AND HIS SOX/MARTIN 426 HEMICUDA. DURING THIS TIME, “RED ALERT” WAS STILL SO POPULAR THAT THE ERTL COMPANY TWICE RELEASED IT’S OWN DIECAST VERSION OF “RED ALERT”.
TODAY, UNRESTORED, STILL RETAINING AROUND 60% OF ITS ORIGINAL PAINT, ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL SHEETMETAL AND MOST OF ITS ORIGINAL INTERIOR. “RED ALERT” CAN BE SEEN PARTICIPATING AT MAJOR CAR SHOWS (Such as MCACN) AND RACING AT VARIOUS NOSTALGIA EVENTS.
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