FOUNDERS | BEGINNINGS | ALASKA | FIRE | REBORN | NEW BLOOD
Tragically, the TAS story isn’t one of uninterrupted success. Late the night of November 2, 1967, just as the firm was reaching maximum production capacity for the critical upcoming 1968 model year, a fire broke-out in the Crosby Arena, now serving as the TAS assembly building. Fueled by multiple explosions, the flames quickly engulfed the facility and area firefighting crews could do nothing more than keep the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings. To TAS and the community at large, the fire was an abject disaster. More than 1,000 engines were lost as well as priceless company records and documents. Only a handful of items were spared the horrific flames. Overnight, fully one third of the community’s workforce was without a job. In addition, the city-owned assembly building also contained Crosby’s city library and maintenance facility. Valuable city records and historical artifacts were also lost. It was truly a time of collective despair. Few believed that the firm, if not the community could survive the most catastrophic economic loss of its history. First the mines closed, now this … what more could go wrong?
But something strangely powerful, some would say even miraculous occurred on that desperate road to defeat – the founders, the employees, the community at large simply refused to be beaten. In a legendary exhibition of what can be accomplished by men and women united in common cause, the firm was slowly reestablished. Employees worked with no guarantee of future pay. Industry rivals graciously provided parts and material. Glen traveled abroad in search of engines to replace the hundreds destroyed by the fire while Dick and Stub set-up temporary production facilities in nearby city-donated buildings. Amazingly, only fifteen days past before the first Scorpion slowly rolled off the jury-rigged assembly line.
Seemingly cleansed by fire, these machines had a new look to them. Somehow the teardrop profile took on added meaning as the black and red rally stripes spoke in defiance to the many naysayers who claimed that the community could not survive such a crippling blow. TAS and the Cuyuna Range simply would not beaten.
Although significantly short of their earlier production goals, TAS was able to produce 6,000 units in 1967 (for model year 68) and in fact turned a modest profit.
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