WDRCOBG.COM: Little Dee (3/23/23)

Little Dee the Dune Buggy

WDRC morning personality Al Gates takes Little Dee for a spin at Connecticut Dragway in August 1969
WDRC morning personality Al Gates takes Little Dee for a spin at Connecticut Dragway in August 1969.

Dune buggies made their debut on the West Coast in the late 1950s. You can find out much more about their development by clicking here but suffice it to say that WDRC capitalized on the 1969 craze, commissioning its own modified car made of fiberglass. The station started promoting the sporty vehicle during the first week of June, 1969. The first printed mention of the sporty vehicle appeared on the Big D Big Sound Survey on June 14, 1969. Naturally, the dune buggy had a prominent sign for the sponsor, Dad's Root Beer.

Big D Big Sound Survey - June 14, 1969

Estimate the Speed of Little D the Big D Dune Buggy/June 2, 1969 - Al Gates qualifies a listener to win a nine-foot surfboard.

Al Gates behind the wheel of the WDRC dune buggy

Al Gates behind the wheel of the WDRC dune buggy.

WDRC's Dick Robinson behind the wheel of Little Dee.
Dick Robinson behind the wheel of Little Dee in 1969 fairly soon after WDRC
acquired the novelty vehicle; note it still has State of Connecticut dealer plates.

Joe "Highgear" Hager prepares to pilot Little Dee, the WDRC dune buggy

Joe "Highgear" Hager prepares to pilot Little Dee.

Big D Big Sound Survey - December 5, 1969

The last mention of Little Dee appeared in the weekly music survey on December 5, 1969. Presumably the open vehicle was put away for the winter and never came back in 1970! But for the real story, click here.

There are no known color photos of Little Dee; it was candy apple metallic red with gold lettering.

For more photos of WDRC's motorpool, click here.