This fall, University of Utah mascot Swoop will hit the streets in his shiny new ride: Red Betty, a classic 1953 Chevy pickup painted in the iconic Utah red.
Red Betty’s beginnings
With its classic charm and vintage touch, this truck was built by Resurgence Automotive in Fairfield, Utah.
Resurgence Automotive is a full-service facility that specializes in custom and classic automobiles. To co-owners Robert and Nathan Staker, quality is everything. The technicians at Resurgence Automotive — who have more than 75 years of experience in the automotive industry — specialize in show-quality refinishing and first-rate paint work.
Robert Staker recalls representatives from the U approaching him, asking the company to build a vehicle that Swoop could use at parades, ball games and other appearances.
Searching for inspiration, Staker explained that his team wanted to build a car that would immediately be associated with the university.
“[We had the idea to] build a really nice truck, run it for a year and brand it a University of Utah product so people know that it’s the U’s vehicle,” Staker said in a U statement.
Red Betty will drive Swoop around for about a year, then will then be auctioned off in the spring of 2027 to the highest bidder. The funds will go towards student scholarships and future Red Metal Motors university cars.
“It’s a process that could repeat annually,” the U’s statement said. “The idea took off from there, and after months of diligent restoration work, Red Betty was born.”
A bright future
Representing the U, the charming truck made its public debut in Salt Lake City’s annual Days of ‘47 Pioneer Day Celebration.
During the planning stage, Staker and his team had many factors to take into consideration, one being that in order for the car to take part in the Days of ‘47 Parade, it had to be older than 1955.
After finding the right truck, the work began. In order to give Red Betty a modern and user-friendly feel, technicians constructed the vehicle with brand-new metals and a fuel-injected modern V-8 engine with a 10-speed transmission.
Betty’s modern features include custom suspension, overdrive suspension, air conditioning, power steering and power brakes.
“Because the classic truck market is a solid market right now, [Red Betty] makes sense,” Brian Rasmussen, director of marketing at the U, said in the statement. “Trucks right now are people’s daily drivers. Before, a truck was just a piece of equipment, and now a truck is actually transportation and it’s a status symbol, if you will, and this one is an icon.”
Building on that appeal, the U is confident Red Betty will resonate with both vintage car lovers and Utah fans alike.
“This vehicle is, dare I say, a mascot of sorts that represents the university in a variety of settings and in a unique way,” said Brett Eden, director of Auxiliary Business Development, in the U’s statement. “We want to use it in any place we can.”
Kris | Aug 22, 2025 at 4:14 pm
Swoop rules!