In 1963, Tom Wolfe approached Dobell at Esquire to propose an article on the hot rod and custom car culture of Southern California.
Wolfe procrastinated until, on the evening before the article was due, he worked all night typing a letter to Dobell explaining what he wanted to say on the subject, ignoring all journalistic conventions.
Dobell's response was to remove the salutation "Dear Byron" from the top of the letter and publish it intact as reportage.
The article was widely discussed — loved by some, hated by others — and helped Wolfe publish his first book, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby.
[7] Dobell's paintings of Ted Kennedy,[8] Betty Friedan,[9] and Clay Felker[10] are in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.