Offenhauser Catalog

[jhughes76]

Hello,

I have been searching for an Offenhauser catalog with no good luck. I was wondering if anyone has a PDF copy of one that they could send this way. If you do it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

jhughes76...Welcome to the AACA Forum.

There has been discussion on this forum over the years regarding Offy's and, hopefully, you should recieve replies shortly.

Two options in addition:

1. Click on "Search" within the header, key in a keyword...or,

2. "Try" our excellent "Library" on the main page to see what is available. The AACA retains an enormous amount of original research material.

AACA Library & Research Center

501 W. Governor Road

Hershey, PA 17033

Librarian: Kim Miller kmiller@aacalibrary.org

717-534-2082

Again, welcome aboard...

Regards,

Peter J... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[carbking]

Very difficult to send you an email when your email address is not listed in your profile.

Jon.

[jhughes76]

Email address added to profile.

Jason

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hello,

I have been searching for an Offenhauser catalog with no good luck. I was wondering if anyone has a PDF copy of one that they could send this way. If you do it would be much appreciated. Thanks. </div></div>

Are you speaking of Offenhauser Engineering & Sales, or Offenhauser Speed Equipment? The two were always distinctly different and separate companies, bearing the same name. Offenhauser Engineering was the small company started by Fred Offenhauser, as he picked up some of the remaining bits and pieces of the failed Harry Miller operations, primarily the Miller 22-cid DOHC 4-cylinder marine racing engine, which Offenhauser, with the aid of Leo Goosen, the legendary engine designer, evolved into a 255cid and 274cid racing engine for competition at Indianapolis and other AAA Championship races. Offenhauser also continued the 220cid engine as a sprint car engine, and in the late 30's, brought about a 91cid version, the famed Offenhauser Midget Engine. Those three series of engines were pretty much the only engines through the early 1960's that Offenhauser produced as their own (Offenhauser also built the Winfield Straight 8, the Winfield V8 [A/K/A Novi], and the Scarab F1 engine for the late Lance Reventlow--but all of these were simply custom projects, and were never sold by Offenhauser to any other comers). As such, Offenhauser Engineering, nor the successor company, Meyer-Drake (who never changed the name on the building, nor the "brand" of the engines) probably never felt any need for a catalog, as such--the reputation of their engines was all the advertising they needed.

The "other" Offenhauser is the speed equipment company. This company, started by a nephew of Fred Offenhauser, and actually trading on the family last name made famous by his Uncle Fred, produced high-compression aluminum heads, intake manifolds and such for Model A & B Ford 4-cylinder engines, branching out into classic finned aluminum cylinder heads, intakes, headers and such for flathead Ford V8's, and finally broadengin their line to include just about any and every American production passenger car engine of the 40s, 50's, and 60's. Offenhauser Speed Equipment has printed catalogs of their product for decades, the ones from the late 40's and 50's being perhaps the most fascinating, I am sure. Their products also appear in catalogs from Bell Auto Parts from at least 1950--I have, someplace around here, a Bell Auto Parts catalog for 1950, which shows virtually the entire Offenhauser Speed Equipment line available in that year.

Art Anderson

[jhughes76]

I was looking for a catalog for the speed equipment company which still makes performance parts for vintage engines. I actually found someone who had a PDF file version of a fairly recent catalog, so if anyone is in need of a catalog they can send a message my way.

[jhughes76]

'

[CarlLaFong]

Wouldn't it be simpler to just contact Offy and ask them these questions? You'd get a lot less speculation.

[jhughes76]

Good point. That would be easier...question withdrawn.

[1937hd45]

Art, That was a nice detailed answer, I hope everyone with an interest in vintage race car history read it. I've only got one Offenhauser catalog in my collection, it is from 1959 and has 42 pages. Just like the speed equipment catalogs of the 1920's it lists products made by other manufactures as well.