The legendary “Golden submarine.”
This car was created in the beginning of the last century, but today it looks quite modern. And if you take into account the fact that the technical component of this project was for its time revolutionary just, we can say with full responsibility that the “Golden submarine” ahead of time.
Although some of the lines of the body of this racing car looks fairly modern, it’s actually a classic rare car. He had his name – “Golden submarine”, and it was built by Barney Oldfield with the help of legendary racer and autoengineering Harry Miller in 1917.
The revolutionary “Golden submarine”.
Streamlined racing car was built not only incredibly fast, but was much safer than most of the cars that were at the time on race tracks around the world. Oldfield decided to build a car after an accident involving one of his closest friends Bob Berman. Berman, who was the driver, were in cars with an open cockpit.
An example of an open racing cars of early XX century. Helmets riders modern.
Today everyone is used to the open racing car that was developed in accordance with strict safety rules. Also today, there are real helmets. However, in 1917, if the drivers and put something on the head, except the hat and glasses, it most likely was a headdress from the skin.
Barney Oldfield and the “Golden submarine.”
If you ask for to find a racing helmet, 1917, in the best case there except a few old army helmets. About seat belts and structural features of the car, made to protect the driver in the accident, then no one heard.
So, as you can guess, any accident in which a car overturned, in those days was usually fatal. Oldfield decided to try to fix the situation, so we asked Miller to help him build a race car that was completely enclosed and had a full metal cab.
“Golden submarine” was tested in the wind tunnel.
It was reported that this project has cost enthusiasts around 15 000 dollars, that was in 1917, a pretty impressive amount of money. Today, this would cost approximately $ 150,000.
The weight of the “Golden submarine” only 725 kg.
The streamlined car was even tested in a wind tunnel to make it more aerodynamically advanced (in fact, the “Golden submarine” was very ahead of its time). It was also important that the entire car body was made from aluminium, making it extremely light (725 kg), even by today’s standards of racing cars.
A 4.7-liter four-cylinder engine “Golden submarine”.
Under the hood of this beast stood a 4.7-liter four-cylinder engine, made of aluminum alloy, which produces 136 HP From the car expecting very much when the “Golden submarine” debuted in the race on 16 June 1917 at the Chicago race track in Maiwada, Illinois.
Average speed “Golden submarine” is 167 km/h.
Unfortunately, the car broke down just 16 km race. At the same time, innovative car for the first few laps he managed to maintain an average speed of 167 km/h. But in just a week the “Golden submarine” has already won three races in Milwaukee.
Miller poses with the “Golden submarine”.
A total of 54 races in which participated the car, he won 20 times, and several times finished second or third. He even qualified in 1919 the race “500 miles of Indianapolis”, but again suffered from engine problems and was forced to retire.
© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.
