History Barney Oldfield and the Green Dragon

A true rock star in his day, and his Peerless mount...

check out www.rumbledrome.com
for their Barney page

 

Tell ya what, you've posted some of the coolest stuff lately.....thanks.

 

yeah you can go away now.

 

wow!

 

http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/photo-gallery/category/96

The first galley is full of pictures from the Oldfield family.

http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/photo-gallery/category/92


Yes,I`m a Barneyholic,too-LOL

 

First heard of Barney Oldfield when there was a chimp driving a go-cart around in the Detroit Zoo's show and they were calling him "Barney Oatneal". My dad told me all about him--made my Pinewood Derby car a Green Dragon w/ soda straws for exhaust.

Pretty bad*** to race an aeroplane.

 

My next door neighbor(well he just moved) is named Barney Oldfield... the racer was his great great uncle.

Shane T.

 

Wow!

Just wanted to say you have posted some of the coolest threads on the HAMB since you joined, and they are very appreciated. Thanks, and thumbs up!

 

i did a report on barney oldfeild when i was in grade school

 

Wow. The cool stuff that you forget about. I remember reading all that I could about him when I was a kid.

 

Really cool shots. Barney was one hell of a pioneer of speed in his days.Thanks for the post and pictures.

 

It's hard to realize today how big he was. I don't think there is anyone quite like him today. The fact that the automobile was still relatively new must have helped.

 

If Henry Ford didn't give that bicycle racer 999 to drive there mignt not have been a Ford Motor Co.

 

Someone posted a question on www.landracing.com in Bonneville General Chat -about Barney Oldfield racing an Alfa on the salt in 1951.
He is seeking photos of the car.

 

Barney left us in 1946.

 

If there was a guy who could break a speed record from the dead it would be him!

 

You're right man.
The car was an Alfa6c2300 similar to the pic below. Possibly rebodied but came with a plaque with Oldfields signature and 135mph stamped on it.
Euro cars of this era have a history of being rebodied. Guess it's what the rich do.

 

Speed records... Here's a tidbit for ya. I grew up in Harvey Firestones
hometown,Columbiana,Ohio. When Harv came up with the "balloon"or
whatever he called the first inflatable tractor tire he hired Barney to drive
from the homestead to downtown(maybe 4-5 miles). Wallah, new speed
record 14 mph on a tractor. That had to beat the hell outta whatever
you could do on steel wheels!

 

Wow! Neat thread, thanks for posting.

 

Funny you should mention rebodied cars in this thread, The Green Dragon in the color photos of the original post is the THIRD one on that ch***is since the first restoration in the late 1970's.

 

some more Oldfield

 

Great photo and painting!

 

Looking at the Dragon again in that painting, I wonder what you could do now with the underslung concept? It certainly had it's day, but you could build a pretty neat concept aroung that idea. I particularly like the graceful upswept front frame horns, and by putting skids on the bottom you could swing pretty low I would think...hmmm

 

cigar cigar..

 

Saw the Golden Sub recreation at Goodwood '03. Wild. kurtis, that page from the Automobile with the Sub is awesome.

 

in his delage...

 

More of Barney and the Peerless