Hubert Platt: Fast Fords of the "Georgia Shaker"

Webster’s Dictionary lists the term showman as “a notably spectacular, dramatic, or effective performer.” In the art of drag racing, Hubert Platt checked all boxes. Known as the “Georgia Shaker,” Platt cut his motoring teeth on the long straightaways and twisty back roads of South Carolina while bootlegging moonshine. After a run-in with the law in 1958, Platt transferred his driving skills from illegal activity to sanctioned drag racing and began one of the most dominant runs in drag racing history until his retirement in 1977. After stints in 1957, 1938, and 1962 Chevrolets, Platt’s next ride was a Z11 Impala, which carried his first “Georgia Shaker” moniker. Once Chevrolet pulled out of sanctioned racing, Platt found a new home with Ford for 1964 and remained there until he hung up his helmet. Some of the cars he campaigned became icons in their own right. His factory-backed and personal machines included a 1963 Z11 Impala, 1964 Thunderbolt, 1965 Falcon, 1966 Mustang Funny Car, 1967 Fairlane 427, 1968-1/2 Cobra Jet, 1969 CJ Mustang, 1970 427 SOHC Mustang, and 1970 Boss 429 Maverick. A 1986 NHRA Hall of Fame member, Platt’s lasting legacy on the sport can’t be denied. Whether he was launching his Falcon with the door open, conducting a Ford Drag Team seminar, or posting low E.T. at the 1967 US Nationals in his Fairlane, Platt’s imprint on drag racing was all-encompassing. His son and biggest fan, Allen Platt, shares his dad’s iconic career in, Hubert Platt: Fast Fords of the “Georgia Shaker”! About the Author Allen Platt is the son of drag racing legend Hubert Platt. Allen spent the first 14 years of his life traveling the country going to drag races coast to coast with his father. In the early nineties, some 15 years after Hubert’s retirement from racing, Hubert and Allen started their mission of keeping drag racing history alive, traveling to nostalgic drag races and car shows around the country. They continued this until Hubert’s passing in September 2015. Allen still has the same passion and carries on his father’s legacy, racing a tribute replica of Hubert’s most iconic ride, the “Georgia Shaker III” A/FX Ford Falcon, at nostalgic drag racing events today. • Hubert Platt campaigned the most iconic drag cars of the muscle car era including the 1963 Impala ZL1, 1964 Thunderbolt, and 1968-1/2 Mustang Cobra Jet • Hubert Platt set NHRA records in both his 1967 Fairlane and his 1968-1/2 Mustang Cobra Jet • The Ford Drag Team seminars Hubert Platt conducted from 1969 through 1971 were attended by hundreds of thousands of spectators