Golden Submarine

The Golden Submarine was an early twentieth century streamlined race car designed and built in 1917 by Fred Offenhauser and Harry A. Miller for Barney Oldfield. AutoWeek said that the vehicle brought Miller "nationwide prominence as a race-car builder".[1]

Golden Submarine
Constructor Harry A. Miller
Technical specifications
Engine289 cu in (4,740 cc)
Weight1,600 lb (730 kg)
Competition history
Notable drivers Barney Oldfield
Debut16 June 1917
RacesWins
5420

Background

Oldfield worked with Miller, who developed and built carburetors in Los Angeles, to create a racing machine that would not only be fast and durable, but that would also protect the driver in the event of an accident. Bob Burman, one of Oldfield's top rivals and closest friends, was killed in a wreck during a race in Corona, California. Burman died from severe injuries suffered while rolling over in his open-cockpit car. Oldfield and Miller joined forces to build a race car that incorporated an enclosed roll cage inside a streamlined driver's compartment to completely enclose the driver.[2][3]

Construction

The Golden Submarine was built from aluminum with holes for the driver to look out.[3] The gold color was achieved with a combination of bronze dust and lacquer.[2] The car cost $US 15,000 to build ($299,000 in 2021).[1]

Specifications

The car featured a four-cylinder aluminum alloy engine with 289 cubic inches (4.74 l), 3-5/8 bore × 7-inch (180 mm) stroke, 136 hp (101 kW) @ 2950 revolutions per minute (RPM), a single overhead cam, desmodromic valves, dual intake ports for each cylinder, dual spark plugs and magnetos.[1] Its body and chassis were wind tunnel-tested aluminum body with rollover protection. It had a 104-inch (260 cm) wheelbase and it weighed 1,600 pounds (730 kg).

Race history

The car made its first outing on 16 June 1917 at the Chicago Board Speedway in Maywood, Illinois.[4] The engine failed after 10 miles (16 km), but it averaged 104 mph (167 km/h) up to that point.[4] The engine problems were ironed out the following week and on 25 June he defeated arch-rival Ralph DePalma three times on the Milwaukee dirt track.[4] The car competed in 54 races with 20 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds.[3] The car qualified for the 1919 Indianapolis 500 but it dropped out after its engine failed.[1]

References
  1. Kash, Steve (August 16, 2007). "1917 Golden Submarine Replica". AutoWeek. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  2. "Vintage Race Cars". Vintage Race Cars.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 1999. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  3. "Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Golden Submarine". Bang Shift. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  4. Borgeson, Griffith (1998), The golden age of the American racing car (2 ed.), SAE, p. 132, ISBN 978-0-7680-0023-8
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