Re: post 2934 and the Renault racers. Here is a photo taken at Sebring in 1958, of what appears to be a Renault racer. Whether it is one that actually raced in its heyday, I have no idea. This is quite likely James Melton's 1908 90hp, engine no. 225 (model A-1), s/n 29057.
OT. A search of old newspaper articles always have an advertisment for questionable abortions or alternative practices for ridding the body of cancer. Characters like Dr. Hahn were prevalent at the turn of the century. In regards to this car, it has a very unique chassis. A closer inspection of the rearend, it looks like the front of another chassis was grafted on.
Kurtis; "Dr Hahn's" cars and his story is interesting as it includes many so many details. I spent a little time studying the photos closely. They are both built from Essex cars that were manufactured by Hudson which were popular here for a basis to build an inexpensive race car. I have rebuilt one of these engines in the past and they are a quite powerful fours with a long stoke and overhead valves and they really go. Hudson always had a reputation for building fast cars as we have seen with many of the Hudson racing cars. In the photo with Dempsey assuming it is a mile track he did it at 60 MPH. The original ad shows you what they looked like from the factory. Study the color photo of what looks like a modern build and you can see most all of the frame details which are the same. The rivet locations even match up with Hahns car. Quite a few cars were built from Essex parts and they raced against a lot of the Model T specials that we also see on these pages.
The Melton Renault was found here in town back in the late 1940's, I've always wondered about its history. Am I correct in thinking this car and the others posted by T Head are the Vanderbilt "Specials" not true GP cars, but sports racers? The light blue one was in a local shop years ago.
37 kid..... This is what Howard Kroplick has to say about them on his site below. They never did look as special to me as the GP cars either. The first Grand Prix was held on a 60-mile course near LeMans, France over a two-day period in June 1906. The winner was Ferenc Szicz in a new Renault Type AK powered by a large 13-liter, four-cylinder drive with a shaft drive. William K. Vanderbilt Jr. was so impressed with the performance of this racecar that he requested Renault to build smaller versions for him and his friends. A total of 10-15 Renault Vanderbilt Racers were produced with five known to exist today.
Lartique photo, 1905 Gordon Bennett of Caillois in his Brasier. This was at a pit stop which was used to keep a distance between competitors.
David Lewis greets well wishers in his #2 Essex Special. Glen Shultz in his Essex in either 1922 or 1923. In 1922 he placed 5th with a time of 20-41 and in 1923 he won the race with a time of 18-47. 1922 winner Noel Bullock showed up at Pike's Peak in his Ford Special with a 179ci, OHV, 50hp engine. Because the car looked so poor people called it the "Tin Lizzy." Noel surprised everyone by winning the race despite little practice and no time trial run... Here's a neat 1979 Fred Houston piece on Noel Bullock http://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Articles/1405PikesPeak1922.pdf
ehdubya, where did the caption for the Dave Lewis # 2 car come from? I was wondering because it is incorrect. They do look a little like a Essex though. Bullock is a hero of mine, thanks for his photo and the Renault photos. The first photo here is a Paige speedster on its way to Pikes Peak to compete and they are the same cars. The third photo shows Steve Nemesh (left) and Ralph Mulford in 1921 in their Paige cars. The factory built two special models for the annual Pike's Peak Climb in 1921. The chassis were shortened and stripped for Mulford and for driver Steve Nemesh. Ralph Mulford finished in second place, 35 seconds behind the winner, with a time of 19 minutes, 51.2 seconds. (For the 1923 Pike's Peak Climb driver J. C. Allen drove one of these cars to another second place win with a time of 22 minutes, 20.6 seconds.) Check the link below for Paige info. http://www.wcroberts.org/Paige_History/1921_Paige.html
I'm not sure where those captions are from. they're all Arthemis images but their site is down for maintenace so I can't check. 'A woman posing with the Penrose Trophy and the 2nd place Graham Paige Special driven by Joe Unser Sr in 1927. Spencer Penrose purchased the silver and gold cup in England especially for the Pike's Peak trophy'
This is hands down my favorite ongoing thread on the HAMB. Thanks to everyone who has posted here. I'm on the hunt for parts for an early racer now.
ehdubya Now that is a trophy to end all trophys. Lartique photo of Jenatzy at his pit stop in the Gordon Bennett, 1905.
Louis Renault with his mechanic Szisz Ferenc, former railway engineer, later becoming a test driver for the company and the first Grand Prix winner in 1906 at the Paris - Madrid race of 1903. Famously known as "The Race To Death" because of the high number of casualties including Marcel Renault. 3rd and 4th photos. The 5th photo is Maurice Bernin at Ormond Beach in 1904. 6th and 7th photos are Szisz with mechanic M. Marteau or Martaud and the 13 liter 90hp Renault AK of 1906. The last two photos are J. Edmond and mechanic Rassat at the 1906 GP de l'ACF @ Le Mans where he crashed out after five laps suffering injuries in the process.
Joe Tracys Locomobile taking its pit stop on the 1905 Gordon Bennett. His mechanic was Poole. Kurtis.... Thanks as always for the great photos.....Do you know if the Renault in the colored photos is the actual car?
Lartique photo of the 1906 French GP on the Sarthe circuit. This is a souvenir stand selling lithographs and photos. The top two right hand lithos are by Harry Elliot the right one being from 1903 showing Jenatzys win. I was lucky to be able to find one of these and the colors are still very bright. The third photo is Jenatzy in his Mercedes.
Yes, i believe it's the real deal, mind you that photo was taken some years ago. This is one car i would be proud to have in my collection, or lack of. Here's another photo of Joe Tracy on the Locomobile at the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup, American Elimination Trial. The next very foggy photo is Barney Oldfield on the Green Dragon and Maurice Bernin's Renault 60 at Yonkers. Empire City, NY, 24th October 1904 during the 10 mile 2nd Heat for the Track Championship which Oldfield won. He would face Paul Satori's Fiat in the final, this time he was not as successful. There were many European racers that competed in different events in the U.S. throughout 1904, Bernin entered his Renault at all three Yonkers events, two at the beginning of the year including this one and he was very successful too. Things came good for him after a somewhat forgettable showing at Ormond Beach. The last photo is Szisz at the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup where he placed 5th.
1906 French GP photos by Lartique the first being Mariaux's Mercedes being take from the paddock to the starting line. The second the famous Darracq V-8.
I found your thread yesterday and can't stop looking. This is supposedly a photo of Rickenbacker with his Maxwell. Borgeson said was a SOHC, but this sure looks like a DOHC Peugeot copy with exposed valve springs. Anybody have a photo of the Maxwell engine ?
ehdubya, Thanks for the additional Renault photo. Here are all three that I have from the 1907 event. Sisz had the wire wheeled car # 3-A, Richez #R-34, and Edmond # R-2. I'm fairly suer the last two photos are the same car with driver and mechanics swapped.
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