Autographs of Don Garlits
Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Born in Tampa, Florida, Garlits is considered the godfather of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. This design was notably safer since it put most of the fuel processing and rotating parts of the dragster behind the driver. The driver was placed in front of nearly all the mechanical components, thus protecting him and allowing him to activate a variety of safety equipment in the event of catastrophic mechanical failure or a fire. Garlits was an early promoter of the full-body, fire-resistant Nomex driving suit, complete with socks, gloves, and balaclava.
Garlits was the first drag racer to officially surpass the 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, and 270 mile-per-hour marks in the quarter mile; he was also the first to top 200 mph (320 km/h) in the 1⁄8 mi (0.20 km). He has been inducted into several Halls of Fame and has won many awards during his career.
Don Garlits's first drag race car was built under an oak tree at his home in North Tampa in 1954. He used an arc welder and a cutting torch to modify an old 1927 Ford Model T Roadster. To this roadster he added a 1948 Mercury engine block, a 1939 Ford floor shift transmission, and a 1948 Ford differential and axle. That early T-Bucket's quarter mile performance was 13.5 seconds, at a top speed of 93 mph. It was this successful, formative roadster that would become the basis for his first rail-job dragster. He cut off the body panels, moved the engine back, and installed the seat behind the drive axle. (A similar design was built that same year by Mickey Thompson.) This was the legendary slingshot dragster with which Big Daddy would win the first NHRA race he entered, the NHRA Safety Safari in Lake City, Florida (12.1 seconds, 108 mph). Three years later, he became a professional drag racer. After World War II, many air force bases and landing fields were decommissioned; these abandoned runways were perfect for drag racing, and the first national drag racing meet, sponsored by the National Hot Rod Association, was held on an airfield near Great Bend, KS in 1955. Don Garlits, being from Florida, was something of an outsider. He was sometimes referred to as the Floridian, before permanently adopting the nickname "Swamp Rat," which also became the name for each new generation of his innovative dragster designs.
More about Don Garlits Wikipedia
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Current items with a signature of Don Garlits
These are the most current items with a signature of Don Garlits that were listed on eBay and on other online stores - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | Race Driver Don Garlits Signed 8x10 Photo | £35.34 |  |
| Race Driver Don Garlits Signed 8x10 Photo | £35.34 | |
Traded items with a signature of Don Garlits
The most expensive item with a signature of Don Garlits (Don Garlits Autographed Photo Card NHRA Frank Pedregon Salutes No. 1 Drag Racer) was sold in September 2025 for £179.29 while the cheapest item (DON GARLITS PHOTOGRAPH HAND SIGNED AUTOGRAPH KNOW AS BIG DADDY CAR/DRAG RACER) found a new owner for £1.99 in August 2022. The month with the most items sold (5) was March 2025 with an average selling price of £72.90 for an autographed item of Don Garlits. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in September 2025 with £179.29 and the month that saw the lowest prices with £5.50 was April 2014. In average, an autographed item from Don Garlits is worth £29.99.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Don Garlits were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | "Don Garlits" BIG DADDY Second Enlarged Updated 187 Of 500 Signed Limited | £88.59 |  |
| "Don Garlits" BIG DADDY Second Enlarged Updated 187 Of 500 Signed Limited | £88.59 | |
| Big Daddy Don Garlits & Swamp Rat Autographed Racing Photo Card 8.5x10.25" | £32.12 | |
| Big Daddy Don Garlits & Swamp Rat Autographed Racing Photo Card 8.5x10.25" | £32.12 | |
| Don Garlits Autographed Photo Card NHRA Frank Pedregon Salutes No. 1 Drag Racer | £179.29 | |
| Don Garlits Autographed Photo Card NHRA Frank Pedregon Salutes No. 1 Drag Racer | £179.29 | |
 | DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £28.85 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £28.85 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £28.56 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £28.56 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £29.16 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £29.16 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £29.18 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £29.18 | |
| DON GARLITS Personally Autographed Signed NHRA Card RACING FreeShip | £28.98 | |
