Period RACE CAR Images to Relieve some of the Stress

[rniez 30]

I took a drive around the old Briarcliff course a couple of years ago. I found it to be quite scary and narrow, and it was probably not as wide in the mid thirties. As they say "When men were men".

[Steve Moskowitz 2,688]

This picture was taken at the Lansing, Michigan assembly plant and home office.  I was not working there at the time contrary to belief.  Great pace car, a replica was made but the original is nowhere to be found.

[1937hd45 3,266]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Steve was the fender flare an option or a 500 only feature? Bob 

[MrEarl 10,036]

On 4/20/2020 at 3:48 PM, AHa said:

It kept their hair from blowing around in their face. That was their only concern. They lived as if they had one opportunity.

 

Steve, can I request more information about the pictures you post? I am not as well versed as some of you guys. I love these early car pictures but struggle to understand the makes of cars, locations, and significance.

 

On 4/20/2020 at 4:02 PM, Steve Moskowitz said:

I will try but I have struggle to have the time to add much detail!!  

 

 

 Well Steve there's a saying to the effect that A rich man buying you something means not so much, but a busy man giving you his time means everything.  Thanks for starting this great tread and also for your time in "raiding the Library files" and adding all the great and rare photos and comments.

 

Now with that said I feel I would certainly be remiss if I did not add some items of my greatest early racing interest, the early days of Buick racing. These from my computer files collected over the years and certainly no copyright infringement of any kind intended.

 

Hold onto your seats ladies and gentlemen. I'll begin with perhaps the most unmistakable Buick race car and driver ever known

 

The Buick Bug and Louis Chevrolet

 

 

 

Louis Chevrolet and Bob Burman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis Chevrolet at the wheel and a passenger precariously holding onto the seat of the 1910 Buick racer Louis  drove for Billy Durant's highly successful Buick factory-sponsored racing team

 

 

 

 

 

Arthur Chevrolet and riding mechanic in Buick racer Arthur drove in the first Indianapolis 500, 1911

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[MrEarl 10,036]

  Louis again

 

 

 

 

 

not a Buick but Louis with a very brave lady most familiar with speed and thrills,  who can tell who she is 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[AHa 654]

Which Buick was chain driven, if I may be so bold as to ask?

[MrEarl 10,036]

46 minutes ago, AHa said:

Which Buick was chain driven, if I may be so bold as to ask?

 

 

One humble answer might be "the Great Marquette-Buick"  "Roadster" 

 

edit) Marquette was building the chassis for Buick for awhile I believe

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[1937hd45 3,266]

Another clipping from the H.D. Carpenter scrapbook. Bob 

[1937hd45 3,266]

38 minutes ago, AHa said:

Which Buick was chain driven, if I may be so bold as to ask?

 The first one in 1905 and the following 2 cylinder models. 

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

a favorite

 

 

 

 

 

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[AHa 654]

Can anybody tell me why these race cars smoked so bad.

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

 

 

[AHa 654]

This car looks to be underslung. Can anybody confirm?

[1937hd45 3,266]

1909 Sport Hill Hillclimb 1909 Burman in a Buick. 

 

 

Bob 

[1937hd45 3,266]

Model N,R, or S Ford in the 1909 Sport Hill Hillclimb in Easton, Ct. 

[1937hd45 3,266]

Locomobile at the 1909 Sport Hill Hillclimb

[1937hd45 3,266]

Maxwell at the 1909 Sport Hill hillclimb

[Steve Moskowitz 2,688]

Bob, absolutely!  It originally was designed I believe to shoot out smoke.  I forgot the entire story as I rad it years ago and too many brain cells have been destroyed but this was the one and only car to have the large rocket on the side. 

[Larry Schramm 3,349]

11 hours ago, AHa said:

Which Buick was chain driven, if I may be so bold as to ask?

 

All of the 2 cylinder Buicks from 1903 - 1910.  This includes passenger cars and the 2A truck.

 

Bonus answer, they used #80 chain.

[Steven Meixner 6]

The Buick Model 14 was dual chain drive. These were made in 1910-11. It used #60 chain. 

[1937hd45 3,266]

The FWD MILLER, think this was at Pikes Peak, car is restored today. 

 

Bob 

Edited May 5, 2020 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[AHa 654]

Let me change my question. What model Buick is this? This is not a model C, or F, or G or model 14 or model 5. I had understood that Buick used model 16 chassis for racing but I'm not aware of any chain drive model 16s. I am told one guy raced a model 43 prolifically. Is this a model 43?

[1937hd45 3,266]

Is it a Buick?

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

51 minutes ago, AHa said:

Let me change my question. What model Buick is this? This is not a model C, or F, or G or model 14 or model 5. I had understood that Buick used model 16 chassis for racing but I'm not aware of any chain drive model 16s. I am told one guy raced a model 43 prolifically. Is this a model 43?

 

24 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Is it a Buick?

 

 

You can see the word Buick under the front axle and here is the caption displayed underneath the original referenced photo  Arthur Chevrolet and riding mechanic in Buick racer Arthur drove in the first Indianapolis 500, 1911

 

and the Indianapolis 500 race results show Arthur not finishing the race due to mechanical problems.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1911_Indianapolis_500

 

if not a Buick perhaps the wrong picture was used. The driver certainly looks like Arthur Chevrolet to me though

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[MrEarl 10,036]

The  questionable #3  "Buick" again.

 

 

Racers line up for the start of the first Indy 500, May 30, 1911.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[MrEarl 10,036]

I am finding conflicting info on the #3 Buick. Another blog I follow identifies the car as a Marquette-Buick and it having been ran in the Vanderbilt Cup race in Oct of 1910.

 

 

During the 8th lap of the 22-lap race, the chain broke on the Marquette-Buick. Out of the race, Arthur collapsed in despair, finishing 27th of the 30 entries.

[1937hd45 3,266]

If car #1 is a CASE and car #2 is a Simplex, and car #4 is a National chances are very good that this is the INDY 500 in 1911. Therefore car #3 is most likely an INTER- STATE, driven by Harry Endicott

[1937hd45 3,266]

Arthur Chevrolet drove this BUICK to 36th place in the 1911 INDY 500, listed as car # 16.

 

Bob 

[MrEarl 10,036]

2 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Is it a Buick?

 

Further searching finds this to be  "The Great Marquette-Buick" that I spoke of earlier and was driven by Arthur at Savannah as well as in the first Indianapolis 500. The Marquette-Buick 100's ran 594 ci engines with huge 6" pistons.

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[AHa 654]

If this is a Buick, and I'm not saying it ain't, then it is not a production model. To my knowledge, all of the larger size production cars used shaft drive. What are the advantages/disadvantages of shaft drive? I know most if not all earlier large displacement cars used chain drive but by 1910, most had switched to shaft drive. Why would Buick build a special chain drive racer in 1910/11?

 

 

[AHa 654]

Mr Earl,

Can you post any further information concerning the Great Marquette Buick? I've seen pictures of the car before but am unfamiliar with it. Am I correct in assuming it was made by Marquette, or was it made by Buick for Marquette, or under license?

[MrEarl 10,036]

19 minutes ago, AHa said:

Mr Earl,

Can you post any further information concerning the Great Marquette Buick? I've seen pictures of the car before but am unfamiliar with it. Am I correct in assuming it was made by Marquette, or was it made by Buick for Marquette, or under license?

This may help. 

 

 

Apparently one had to keep a close eye on ol Billy Durant.

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[MrEarl 10,036]

Some further explanation of these hot rod Marquette-Buicks can be found in an article by Terry Dunham "Something Wicked this Way Comes,  Buick Race Cars From Hell" in the   Antique Automobile September-October 2002

[MrEarl 10,036]

 

[MrEarl 10,036]

My wife is from Savannah and with her brother still living there we visit often. On one visit we visited the Savannah Race Track museum and drove over part of the course including some winding roadway along Laroache Avenue and Isle of Hope and a long straightaway down Ferguson Ave.

 

 

 

A couple of great books on the Savannah Races

 

 

 

Cruisin down the race way  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[MrEarl 10,036]

Buicks and the The Great Savannah Races

 

 

 

Note the two mofidied/underslungs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born 3,723]

3 hours ago, MrEarl said:

Some further explanation of these hot rod Marquette-Buicks can be found in an article by Terry Dunham "Something Wicked this Way Comes,  Buick Race Cars From Hell" in the   Antique Automobile September-October 2002

 

 WOW. What a read.  

 

  Ben