History Auto racing 1894-1942

They are rare but there are a few photos around of this car with its bodywork in place; obviously not these photos. Since the car was set up for the mandatory riding mechanic it reminded you somewhat of a modern street rod when it was all together and viewed from the side.

 

Without any numbering or lettering I figured it was 'naked'. I'd be interested to see it with it's bodywork on.

 

I had never heard of Joel Thorne possibly being involved in this project. If so, it doesn't surprise me that the money somehow stopped coming. I knew a mechanic (that just passed away in the last few years) that worked for Thorne at Indianapolis around 1939. He told me that Thorne wrote checks to everyone at the end of the month but the checks were all bad. It turned out that Thorne's trust money was tied up somehow so that he could only get his hands on part of it each year and when it was gone that was it until the next year. The mechanic told me that he happened to be in New York City later that summer and on a whim decided to go to the bank whose name was on his check. Lo and behold the account had just had new funds added to it and they cashed his check on the spot. Apparently, Thorne stiffed a lot of people in this manner each year.

BTW, in addition to the business listed in the "Old Motor" article Lee also founded the Laboratory Equipment Corporation (LABECO) in 1943 in Mooresville, Indiana and the company is still in business and apparently doing well today. Here is a link to their website which, if you read down the page, acknowledges Lee Oldfield as the original owner.

http://www.labeco.com/history.html

I believe there is even still a street in Mooresville named for Oldfield.

Also, the photo showing the Oldfield car on the track might have been for some kind of demonstration for the newspapers. AAA had strict rules about bodywork in those days and they probably would not have even let the car on the track to practice looking like that. Oldfield probably had to get some kind of special permission for this run. The car could not have even passed technical inspection without bodywork.

 

Thanks for all the above info guys, only thing I knew about the car is in the photo caption in the Jack Fox INDY 500 book. Bob

 

From July 3, 1937 New Yorker
"
Joel Thorne, who is only 22, drives his own car. He is a wealthy young man; his family was identified with the Central Union Trust and with the Hill railroad interests. When he found that he couldn't enter the Indianapolis Speedway race in 1936 because he was too young and inexperienced, he raced on the dirt tracks all summer and qualified for his racing driver's ticket. He has a house in New Rochelle, but he prefers to live on a ranch near Tuscon, Arizona, where he has 15 racing cars, 9 motorcycles, and 2 airplanes. He financed Lee Oldfield at the Indianapolis this year. Oldsfield said he needed $2100. Thorne misread the figure and sent a check for $21,000."

 

A bit of digging around in Newspaperarchive.com and Google News reveals that at the time he was on the technical committees of both the AAA and IMS, so that was probably not too much of an obstacle

There are also some press references to a small 3-cylinder aero engine he designed for National Motors Corp, which was called the Oldfield Dynamotor. Several papers reported its first flight in February 1940 - after that: nothing, zilch, nada!

 

Looks kinda crude at first glance, but is really rather sophisticated underneath by 1937 standards. Appears to have parallel T-bars on the rear, I suspect the square 4 hole plate held the fixed end. (?)

 

See Above.

 

That radius rod with the oval hole was taken from a Packard. I'll post a photo of the piece tonught. Bob

 

Cheater

 

More Renault ....

 

I don't think this has been posted. If it has, I don't apologize.

 

...and another.

 

Did anyone notice that the Sheepshead Bay footage at the beginning was reversed?

 

I did but couldn't tell if the numbers were backwards or not. Bob

 

The numbers are backwards. The film transfer has been flipped over. Fun stuff nevertheless.

 

Alfa Romeo type 308

 

Is that the Wharton/Dewart car?

 

Great looking car, I believe a twin to it runs in Vintage Races at Lime Rock every Fall. Bob

 

I believe it's Johnny Mauros #33 that's in the Indy museum. That's the Indy resto shop in the background.

 

The Alfa 308 is a great looking car, what year? More info on the alfa please.


Ago

 

...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Tipo_308

 

1907 - 1910 Fiat 55.1

I am trying to help a friend who has writen a book on William Rhodes-Moorhouse who raced a fiat at Brooklands between 1908 - 1910. The only reference we have is that the car was a Fiat 55.1 but I cannot find any references to, or meaning of, 55.1. He wasn't particularly successful but was a member of the Brooklands automobile racing club and came 4th in a heat for the August trophy in 1908 and 3rd in the Easter Private Competitors Senior handicap in 1909. His car was notable for having his girlfriends name 'Linda' painted on the bonnet (hood).

Moorhouse built aircraft and expensive car coachwork with James Radley who would later become famous for his exploits in a Rolls Royce. Moorhouse was the winner of the first air Victoria Cross during WW1.

If anyone tell me what a Fiat 55.1 is it would be most appreciated.

Kume

 

If you haven't seen it already, I did some research on both the Rhodes-Moorhouses which is on the Autosport site: http://forums.autosport.com/topic/1...-rhodes-moorhouse/?hl=+moorhouse#entry3732520 Also note the contributions from the historian Simon Taylor.

The FIAT is consistently described in British sources as a '90hp' but this may well be a confusion between the various ways of describing and calculating horsepower, which differed significantly between Britain, France, Germany and Italy (and that's before you even consider 'tax horsepower'!) Since it's also reputedly 'ex-Grand Prix' my money would be on it actually being an example of the 1904-09 model which FIAT themselves called the 60HP:

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z17662/Fiat-60-HP.aspx

 

Hello fella's! Looking good as always.

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I'm sure you guys have discussed the PACKARD INDY CARS of 1923.

I have mentioned at different times that there only remains parts to one of the 3 cars built, and that they were on shelves awaiting restoration in the PACKARD museum in Dayton Ohio.

Well, the time has finally come! and the ol' girl is getting restored!

We at Zakira's have been entrusted with restoring the Engine.

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My question to you all is:

Lets see hwat you know, what pictures you have, and stories to tell!

Of the 3 cars built Ralph DePalma drove chassis #3. THAT is the car that survives. We have found numerous #3's stamped in the parts!

BUT... I'd like to see pics of all Three as they were the same.

ANY ENGINE PICS would be GREAT!!!


Here are a few shots to get ya going.. as well as whats left of the engine.

Thanks guys, ANY HELP and details will be greatly accepted.

Joshua Shaw

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Good luck Josh with the engine restoration. I will look forward to seeing the car completed.

 

Josh, good to hear you are starting on the engine. Many thanks have to go to Brad Skinner from Oklahoma for tracking down all the parts you now have. He had sold these parts just days before I bought the engine and few parts from De Palma's 1919 V-12 Packard "299". He gave me a few pictures (copies) although the quality was so-so of the parts and a couple of engine shots which you probably have. When the Becks in Indy were considering building this car back in the 80s I believe I gave them some info including the cam specs. Packard did not let any build photos out that I am aware of. I have copies of the diary entries (Jesse Vincent) when they were building the car,which I can forward to you that go into some of the details of the build as it was occurring in early 1923 until May 28 when they knew the cars were not ready for the race but Macauley said go ahead.

Most of the parts are probably off of the DePalma car although I believe some of the extra parts (like the extra? diff) may be off of Boyer's car.

Business has me hopping right now so let me know what you need and it may take me a bit of time here and there. I have put some of my research away to take a break and work on cars when I have the time. I am not sure what you guys have in the way of pics and diary entries-Jim

 

GREAT!! I saw you had posted a couple notes from the track, and pics in another post on here.

YES!! We would very much like to talk to you and compare notes. The extra Rear Diff IS still floating with the car.

PLEASE CALL or Shop anytime 8-5 M-F.. ask for Me, or my Boss Jim Himelsbach. We are the Two that are on this project.

513-272-2229

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Joshua Shaw

 

Thanks for your response to my question. The links were fascinating - many of the questions can be answered from the research in Simon Best's recently published book - see Publisher link below. He examines the accident on New Brighton Beach in some detail. Simon doesn't covered the motor racing in too much detail hence my query. There is a sketch of the Fiat in his book but it is small and generic but looks very much like the 60hp model in your link.

http://www.steeleroberts.co.nz/books/isbn/978-1-927242-21-6

cheers
Kume

 

Good luck with the Packard project Joshua! I remember Brad Skinner stopping by my Hershey swap space every year with an update on his Packard race car search. Didn't Dick Merritt find this engine under a front porch in Detroit? For the record just what was Brad Skinner collecting parts for? As I recall he did find parts of a body at the end, just when did he pass on? One of the great Hershey people I miss but will always remember. Bob