Giant Jackrabbit Sculpted in Gallup
Two days before the city of Gallup asked Robert Wilson to build a sculpture for Route 66, he was chasing jackrabbits on the West Mesa trails in Albuquerque, The Times of India reported. That run inspired Run, a 10-foot-tall, 1,280-pound rabbit made from a salvaged 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Wilson cut up the car with a plasma torch and welded the metal into a leaping animal shape. The finished piece stands at the west end of Babe Ruth Park, near Interstate 40 Exit 22, directly facing the historic El Rancho Hotel.
Building From a Bel Air
The retired physician used the car’s original curves to form the animal’s muscular body. “The ’53 Chevy Bel Air has curves and a kind of muscularity that I think fit with an animal like a jackrabbit,” Wilson told KOAT.
He left the vehicle’s original paint, wear, and rust intact rather than sanding the metal down. The rabbit’s left eye features the car’s original speedometer, permanently set at 66 miles per hour as a nod to the historic highway.
Common questions about the Gallup sculpture
Why was the sculpture commissioned?
The city of Gallup commissioned the artwork to mark the 100th anniversary of Route 66.
What are the dimensions of the sculpture?
The artwork stands just over 10 feet tall and weighs 1,280 pounds.
Where is the sculpture located?
It is installed at the west end of Babe Ruth Park in Gallup, near the westbound lanes of Interstate 40 at Exit 22.
What materials were used to create it?
Wilson constructed the entire piece from salvaged parts of a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air.
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