VINTAGE: Unique V16 Miller In Monterey Auction

IndyCar

VINTAGE: Unique V16 Miller In Monterey Auction

Visionary engineer's Indy race car rebuilt to original 1930s competition form.

Wouter Melissen | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com | Posted August 11, 2009 Monterey, CA

A remarkable V16–powered Miller race car built for the 1931 Indianapolis 500 will be among the high-caliber collector cars offered by RM Auctions at its Monterey, Ca., sale Aug. 13-15.

The V16 racer will be one of two Millers from the Chuck Davis Collection that will be auctioned by RM during the world-renowned events of Monterey Motoring Week, which culminates with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 16. The value of the unique race car is estimated by RM at $600,000 to $1,000,000.

The visionary designer and builder, Harry Miller, was not only an extremely talented engineer, he was also versatile and, above all, productive. Toward the end of the 1920s, Miller found time between designing race cars and marine engines to help Errett Loban Cord refine the front-wheel-drive system for the revolutionary Cord L29 road car.

As compensation for his work, Miller received an annual licensing fee of $1,000 and his own Cord L29. Not impressed with the eight-cylinder Lycoming engine fitted as standard, Miller took up the bold plan to fit an engine of his own in the Cord chassis. His aim was to surpass his old racing rival Duesenberg and their 265-horsepower Model J. But since E.L. Cord also owned Duesenberg, it was doubtful Miller actually had mass production in mind.

Harry Miller's unique V16 race car, reassembled and restored, has competed in vintage racing events. (Photo: RM Auctions)

The exquisite Duesenberg sported a 6.9 liter straight-engine with twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Miller's answer was an even more complex V16 that was constructed from four sets of four cylinders. Simply put, the engine was constructed by placing two of Miller's straight 8s at a 45-degree angle on a common crankcase.

Each bank featured twin overhead camshafts and two valves per cylinder. Due to the narrow V-angle, the carburetors were mounted between the camshafts. Miller used no fewer than eight twin-choke carburetors, which were of course his own design. Considerably smaller than the Duesenberg's straight eight, the new Miller V16 displaced just under 5 liters, only marginally bigger than the original Lycoming straight-eight. Yet at 250 horsepower, it produced twice as much power.

There is photographic evidence of the V16 engine fitted in Miller's Cord, but it certainly was not in there for long. Exactly why it was removed remains a mystery to this day.

This was far from the end of the story, though, as Miller found another use for the engine: racing. He fitted the 5-liter V16 into one of his latest Indy-racing chassis, originally designed to house an eight cylinder. The latest regulations mandated a riding mechanic, so there was plenty of room to accommodate the V16.

For its new purpose, Miller retuned the engine and increased the compression. The revisions increased horsepower to an estimated 300 at 6,000 rpm. Bolted directly to the engine was a three-speed gearbox that drove the rear wheels.

The new chassis, like the engine, was a beautiful piece of engineering. Developed for the 1931 Indy 500 race, it was the first chassis Miller had designed from scratch in quite a few years. The ladder-frame itself was conventional although stronger and stiffer than Miller's earlier designs.

What set the new chassis apart was the DeDion rear-axle, used for the first time on an American racing car. It was located by two quarter-elliptic leaf springs on both sides. The front suspension used a more traditional tubular axle, also in combination with four quarter-elliptic springs. Braking was provided by four cable-operated drums.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wouter Melissen

UltimateCarPage.com

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