Born in San Francisco, Jeano Lacoste found himself immersed in the hot rodding culture from an early age. At the age of 24, he customized a 49 Mercury which would exhibit in the Oakland Roadster Show the following year.
Like most hot rod kids of the time, Jeano could oftentimes be found down on the great highway street racing and testing out his three-window coupe. Organized drag racing would soon spread from LA to San Francisco and Jeano was quick to get involved. Jim McLennan’s strip at Half Moon Bay was the new proving ground for hot rodders.
In 1955, Jeano purchased a 32 roadster from Pat Berardini. On his way back up to the Bay Area, he stopped at Saugus and broke the record, turning over 115 MPH, only to break the record again the next day. The car, named 404 because of the 404 Isky cam, was to become one of the best competitors in the field. At every strip from Fremont to Half Moon Bay, Jeano and the 404 would beat the record.
Jeano LaCoste is seen smokin’ it at Half Moon Bay Drag Strip in Nothern California. He had purchased the Deuce from the Berardini Brothers out of Southern California and started making changes to it. Almost a half a century later Roger Morrison purchased the car and had restorer Dave Crouse return it to the original Berardini form.
©AHRF/Jeano LaCoste Collection
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