Raymond Besasie's X-1 Barracuda

A photo of Raymond with his "1954 Barracuda" sports car. Photo from eBay.

A photo of John "Mad Man" Michaels, a Milwaukee radio DJ and entertainer, in the passenger seat of the Besasie X-1 Barracuda. Given the license plate, the photo was taken in 1955, and we believe it was taken at the South Shore Yacht Club in Bay View, Wisconsin, where Michaels supposedly hosted the South Shore Water Frolics for several years. The South Shore Water Frolics was a popular boat, car, and air show. Photo courtesy of Steve Michaels.

A recent photo of what's left of the Besasie X-1.

The X-1 was an experimental sport custom owned and built by Raymond Besasie of Besasie Engineering in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to later owner Bill Hebal, the car was also known as the "Barracuda." Hebal owned the X-1 in 2012. He sold it to a good friend of his, and in 2023 he believed it was part of a collection in Michigan.