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Excerpt from:
Jerrel “Tyrone” Malone, Trucking Superstar
Story by Ken Harris, Bakersfield, California
Photos by Bandag
Unabashed showman, irrepressible impresario,
enthusiastic entrepreneur—take your pick, Tyrone Malone was all of them. He is,
perhaps, most famous for displaying a 38-ft, 20-ton sperm whale that he named
“Little Irvy” after his favorite uncle, despite the fact that the whale was
female.
Inspired by the “Save the Whales” movement that was
active in the early 1960s, Malone decided the best way to impress people with
the magnificence of these creatures was to give them a chance to see one up
close and personal. So he bought a dead whale, had it flash frozen, and hauled
it around for everyone to see in a specially built rig: 1967 Kenworth
conventional powered by a 6-cylinder diesel, 335 hp engine with a 4x4 Browning
transmission and Spicer drive line. First stop: Fisherman’s Wharf in San
Francisco, California.
As he traveled
around the country, visiting state fairs and shopping center parking lots with
his display, Malone observed that while the women and children were fascinated
by the whale exhibit, the men were more interested in the rig that was hauling
it...For the whole story, subscribe to Old Time Trucks® and read the
Aug04/Sep04 2004 issue.
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Tyronne Malone
