by Michael Ferner

 

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ***

This page details the intermediate results of a research project in progress! If you have questions, corrections or additional information, please contact the author at fines@gmx.de. The main thrust of the research comes from detailed study of period photographs, newspaper or magazine articles, combined with an in-depth data base of contemporary race results. Full documentation for the various claims is always possible, at request, though it may come in connection with a fee if it is deemed necessary – regrettably, time and effort is not freely available beyond reasonable bounds! In many cases, original information is contradictory, and only photographic evidence as complete as possible can provide the answers to some of the relevant questions. Therefore, any and all help in completing the photographic record for these cars is always welcomed, and any donation will be treated strictly confidential, unless full authorisation by the rights holder is provided.

***

 

DOHC 8-cylinder engines of 59.5 mm (2″ 11/32) bore and 88.9 mm (3″ 1/2) stroke, totalling 1980 cc (120.8 ci) capacity, two valves per cylinder at 100° included angle, compression ratio upwards of 7 to 1, five main bearings (four plain babbit, ball-type at rear), circa 120 bhp at 5000 rpm. Three-speed transmission in unit with engine, torque tube, bevel gears on semi-floating rear axle, Rudge-Whitworth wire wheels with detachable covers, conventional drum brakes on each front wheel, and a contracting brake on the prop-shaft. Wheelbase 254 cm (100″), tread 132 cm (52″) with the body offset 2 cm to the left, height at top of radiator 91 cm (36″), total dry weight circa 613 kg (1350 lbs).

First batch of six cars built to the same specification, and completed in the spring of 1923, followed by a seventh car built from spare parts in late April to satisfy demand. Three more engines built after Indianapolis for Grand Prix cars (using chassis of the Miller ‘183′ type), then three complete cars built in late 1923/early 1924 with drum brakes on rear wheels in place of transmission brake, modified bodywork and radiator shell (”V-type” instead of “wire mesh”), and some of the older cars getting updated over time (see individual histories for details). One special “oversize” car (‘9′) built with numerous modifications, including a widened frame which would become a standard feature on subsequent cars. Engines modified to five plain main bearings at around the same time, superchargers were added to existing cars starting in late 1924, also becoming standard on new cars.

For the new 1.5-litre formula in 1926, many cars were modified with new crankshafts and pistons to make for a stroke of 66.7 mm (2″ 5/8) and a capacity of 1485 cc (90.6 ci), though few ran anywhere else than at Indy in that form. By contrast, the free formula of the many dirt track events encouraged 122 owners to experiment with new blocks, giving a bore of 66.7 mm (2″ 5/8) together with a capacity of 2483 cc (151.5 ci), and those conversions remained extremely popular during the early thirties, when a few chassis were modified for the construction of two-man Indy Cars. Drawings (dated April 1929) even exist of a 1.7-litre version of the engine, with a 76.2 mm (3″) crankshaft (similar to the one of the ‘91′ type) giving 1697 cc (103.5 ci) on the original block, but it is unclear whether any were actually ever produced, or where and when they would have been used. In fact, those engines could be changed back and forth with every rebuild, so that it’s nigh impossible to say which car ran with which capacity on any given occasion! Some cars were fitted with engines of the ‘183′ or ‘91′ type, and some with 4-cylinder dirt track engines, as detailed in the following histories:

Identification number, year, original owner/driver, colour and number (notes)

‘1′ the 1923 Milton/Milton green (& red?) #1 car (1923 Indy winner)

Press presentation at Los Angeles Speedway in Beverly Hills on March 6; new for Tommy Milton at Fresno Raisin Day event (Apr 26) but engine wrecked in time trial two days before the race, qualified the next day too slow to make the field, did not start; fitted with truss rods left and right under the frame rails, and repainted white at Indianapolis Memorial Day due to sponsorship by HCS car company, qualified fastest four days before the race with a new track record, led most of the race with the help of relief driver Howdy Wilcox to win handsomely from three other 122s; fitted with custom radiator shell (HCS style) and driven by Milton in six other events till the end of the year, retiring every time except for an 8th place finish at Altoona Labor Day and a win in the non-championship dirt track race in record time at the New York State Fair (Sep 15); engine pulled and used for car ‘16′, chassis damaged in last race of 1923 season and possibly scrapped, parts possibly used for first of Sig Haugdahl’s Millers (car ‘18′).

‘2′ the 1923 Durant/Murphy yellow & red #5 car

Testing in April at Los Angeles Speedway; new for Jimmy Murphy at Indianapolis (May 30), second fastest in time trials and finishing third; retired at Kansas City Independence Day; for Fred Comer (#15) Altoona Labor Day and Fresno Fair (4th in both), and presumably for Ira Vail at New York State Fair (3rd); Murphy (#9) again at KCMO Columbus Day and Los Angeles Thanksgiving Day (3rd in both); chassis was found to have an inherent fault in the rear suspension department, engine pulled for car ‘12′, frame possibly reused for the first of Sig Haugdahl’s Millers (car ‘18′) or, less likely, for Leon Duray’s 3-litre single-seater (car ‘21′).

‘3′ the 1923 Durant/Hearne yellow & red #6 car

New for Eddie Hearne at Indianapolis (May 30), finished 4th driven by Earl Cooper; with Hearne 1st at KCMO Independence Day and Altoona Labor Day, 5th at New York State Fair and 2nd at Fresno Fair, KCMO Columbus Day and LA Thanksgiving; sold to Harry Hartz for Fred Comer to drive in 1924 (grey & blue #14, 7th at Indy, 2nd Altoona Flag Day & Labor Day events etc.); fitted with supercharger and ”V-type” radiator shell for 1925 and driven by Leon Duray (maroon & gold #28, 3rd Fresno Raisin Day, pole position & track record at Indianapolis Memorial Day, 2nd Salem Independence Day & Denver dirt tracks etc.) and Red Shafer (6th Baltimore-Washington etc.); likely to George G. Abell for Thane Houser and Ben Jones in 1926 (maroon & gold #33); to O. B. Dolfinger for George O. Abell and Fred Frame in early 1927 (blue #31); to Louis Schneider later that year and in early 1928 (red & silver #24) – this car still had the original bodywork and no rear wheel brakes by this date, it seems! - subsequent history unclear.

‘4′ the 1923 Durant/Hartz yellow & red #7 car

New for Harry Hartz at Indianapolis (May 30), qualified 3rd fastest & finished 2nd; mixed season with Hartz driving throughout (2nd NY State Fair, winner Fresno Fair as #3, fire damage & accidents including at LA Thanksgiving, resulting in death of car owner George Wade and photographer Russell Hughes); updated with 1924 bodywork and rear wheel brakes, but retaining “mesh” radiator shell, sold to Hartz for himself (grey & blue #4, 3rd LA Washington’s Birthday, 4th Indy etc.), fitted with supercharger & “V-type” radiator late 1924 (2nd LA Thanksgiving); still with Hartz at the wheel in 1925 (grey #6, 3rd LA Washington’s Birthday, 1st LA Easter, 2nd Charlotte Memorial Day, 4th Indy, 3rd Baltimore-Washington, 2nd Altoona Labor Day, Charlotte Armistice Day and LA Thanksgiving), possibly for Fred Comer at Fresno Fair (1st); for Hartz in 1926 (grey #3, 2nd Miami-Fulford, 3rd LA Spring, 1st Atlantic City Opening, 2nd Charlotte Memorial Day), rebuilt to 1.5-litre formula and driven by Tony Gulotta at Indy (grey #31, 11th) and Wade Morton at Salem Independence Day (7th), sold to Ernest Eldridge for himself at Atlantic City Summer (retired), then shipped to Europe and used for record attempts in 1.5- and 2-litre form, mainly at Montlhéry (France), until 1928 when the car was rebodied and run as the “Lea Francis-Miller”; engine reputedly discovered in England by Griff Borgeson, returned to the USofA by Mark Dees and sold to the IMS museum, rest of the car presumably scrapped.

‘5′ the 1923 Durant/Durant yellow & red #8 car (was originally #4)

New for Cliff Durant at Indianapolis (May 30), qualified 4th fastest & finished 7th with help by Eddie Heane; sold to Jerry Wonderlich for himself rest of the year (2nd Altoona Labor Day, 3rd Fresno Fair etc., also #18); updated with 1924 bodywork and “V-type” radiator (tan & red #7, 2nd LA Washington’s Birthday, 12th Indy), crashed heavily at Altoona Flag Day injuring car & driver, rebuilt with custom radiator shell and still campaigned by Wonderlich, with supercharger but little success until 1926 (at Indy in 1925 by Jules Ellingboe, brown #10), then Fred Comer (#14); rebuilt to 1.5 litres and sold to Ronald “Bon” McDougall (brown #34), also driven by Dan O’Brian and Fred Lecklider; bought by the latter for himself and Louis Schneider (Indy 1927, tan #43); subsequent history unclear.

‘6′ the 1923 Cooper/Wilcox white & red #25 car

Actually the seventh car built, originally a Miller works entry but sold to HCS car company for Earl Cooper a fortnight before Indianapolis race; fitted with truss rods left and right; new for Howdy Wilcox at Indy (May 30), then Cooper for rest of season (#2 with HCS-style radiator, 2nd KCMO Independence Day); for Cooper in 1924 (white & blue #2, then pale green following Studebaker sponsorship deal, but retaining radiator shell of rival car company!, 2nd Indianapolis, 1st Fresno Fair, 2nd Charlotte Columbus Day); renamed “Weaver Special” (new owner? sponsor?) during winter of 1924/5 (green & jade #2), 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes, V-type radiator and supercharger added for Ralph Hepburn (#17) rest of the year (3rd NY State Fair, 2nd Salem) and early 1926 (#9); sold to Cliff Woodbury/Mike Boyle (orange #9), rebuilt to 1.5 litres (red & silver #36, 3rd Indianapolis, 2nd Detroit June); for Hepburn (white & blue #19) and Jack Petticord (#22) in 1927, presumably retained by Woodbury/Boyle and campaigned on dirt tracks in 2-litre form (2nd Detroit June, 1st Detroit July, 1st Detroit October); subsequent history unclear.

‘7′ the 1923 Durant/Cooper yellow & red #29 car

Originally a Miller works entry, sold in April to Cliff Durant and tested by Jimmy Murphy; new for Earl Cooper at Indianapolis (May 30), but wrecked by Tom Alley driving relief; sold to George Wade of Kansas City and rebuilt in time for Ralph de Palma at KCMO Independence Day (cream & green #12), then Harlan Fengler for rest of season (1st KCMO Columbus Day), but owner killed in LA Thanksgiving Day accident (Nov 29); sold to Fengler for himself in 1924 (cream & green #6, 1st LA Washington’s Birthday), but wrecked May 15 at Indianapolis in practice; reportedly scrapped, but apparently rebuilt (possibly around replacement frame?) with custom radiator; for Wade Morton late 1924 (#18, but possible confusion with car ‘19′!); sold to Fred Lecklider of Toledo (OH), who raced the car in California during the winter of 1924/5 without success before taking it to the Midwest; sold to Herbert Jones of Indianapolis for himself at Indy (white #29), but wrecked by Alfred Moss driving relief; Jones was killed at Indy in 1926 driving a rebuilt ‘122′ (see car ‘25′) for Al Cotey of Chicago, who subsequently acquired the car and apparently mated it to the rebuilt engine of ‘25′ (meanwhile wrecked for a second time, and possibly scrapped), for himself at Indy in 1927 (blue? #35); stored away for a couple of years until bought by Carl Marchese of Milwaukee, for himself at Indy in 1929 (white #43), finishing fourth in the oldest car present, also used in various dirt track events over the next years (possibly with a different engine) by Marchese, Johnny Sawyer, Gus Schrader; Myron Fohr and presumably many others, the engine apparently ending up (in 3-litre form) in the 1938 Marchese Indy Car.

‘8′ the 1923 de Palma/de Palma white (?) #7 car

Originally built for HCS/Earl Cooper, but team folded before car was completed; new for Ralph de Palma at LA Thanksgiving (Nov 29) with 1924 body, rear wheel brakes and V-type radiator;

‘9′ the 1923 Durant/Comer silver & blue #8 “oversize” car (”Durant Special” Miller ‘D122′)

Many special features such as 4-speed transmission, longer wheelbase, wider frame and spring base, truss rods, rear wheel brakes, V-type radiator, modified body with head rest and roomy cockpit with “jet fighter”-style steering wheel; new for Cliff Durant at Los Angeles Thanksgiving (Nov 29), but driven by Fred Comer with relief by Durant;

‘10′ the 1923 Miller/Hill red & buff #10 car

New works entry with 1924 body, V-type radiator and rear wheel brakes, no driver nominated for Los Angeles Thanksgiving (Nov 29), practiced by Ernie Ansterberg, Fred Comer and Earl Devore, but driven in a last-minute arrangement by Bennie Hill, who won and subsequently purchased the car;

‘11′ the 1924 Durant/Hearne silver & blue #1 car

New for Eddie Hearne at LA Washington’s Birthday (Feb 24) with wide frame and truss rods, 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes but wire mesh (?) radiator;

‘12′ the 1924 Miller/Murphy gold & blue #2 car

New for Jimmy Murphy at LA Washington’s Birthday (Feb 24) with narrow frame, 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes and V-type radiator, engine originally from car ‘2′;

‘13′ the 1924 Milton/Milton red & blue #5 car

New for Tommy Milton at LA Washington’s Birthday (Feb 24) with wide frame, 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes but wire mesh radiator; used for Class E record attempts at Muroc Dry Lake (from late March to Apr 4 – 25.4″/141 mph for the flying mile);

‘14′ the 1924 Vail/Vail ivory #31 car

New for Ira Vail at LA Washington’s Birthday (Feb 24), but possibly new at Indy (May 30), with wide frame, 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes but wire mesh radiator;

‘15′ the 1924 Mourre/Mourre blue & red #32 car

New for Antoine Mourre at LA Washington’s Birthday (Feb 24) with wide frame, 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes and custom radiator;

‘16′ the 1924 Milton/Hepburn red & blue #33 car

New for Ralph Hepburn at LA Washington’s Birthday (Feb 24) with wide frame, 1924 bodywork, rear wheel brakes but wire mesh radiator, engine originally from car ‘1′;

‘17′ the 1924 Milton/Milton red & blue #5 “convertible” car (’183′ engine)

New for Tommy Milton for Class D record attempts at Muroc Dry Lake (from late March to Apr 4 - 23.8″/151 mph for the flying mile) with wide frame, slightly oversize 1924 bodywork but wire mesh radiator, neither front nor rear wheel brakes but with transmission brake, ‘183′ type engine with left-hand exhaust (presumably from the 1922 “Leach Special” Milton/Miller) and right-hand steering gear; termed the “183 Convertible” by Mark Dees and others, this moniker may, in fact, be erroneous because there was never reason for the car to be fitted with a ‘122′ engine, and there’s no evidence whatsoever that such an engine with a left-hand exhaust ever existed, maybe it was actually marked “conv.” for the conversion job of the steering gear (hypothesis!);

‘18′ the 1924 Haugdahl/Haugdahl “bobtail” car (’183′ engine)

Special body without rear section, but with modified engine cover and steering slot on 1923-style narrow frame, with rear wheel brakes, wire mesh radiator and ‘183′ type engine (apparently from the 1922 “Durant Special” #7 car); chassis thought to be ex-Milton (car ‘1′) but questionable per photographic evidence, maybe ex-Durant/Murphy (car ‘2′) or unused spare frame; new for Sig Haugdahl at an alleged price of $12,500 for testing at Ascot Speedway on Apr 1, raced there a few times and then shipped East on Apr 30; subsequent history unclear.

‘19′ the 1924 Miller/Ellingboe unpainted #18 car

‘20′ the 1924 Miller/Elliott unpainted #21 car

‘21′ the 1924 Duray/Duray #2 car (’183′ engine)

‘22′ the 1924 Hearne/Hearne white (?) #1 car

‘23′ the 1925 Lockhart/Lockhart #27 car (’183′ engine)

‘24′ the 1925 Durant/Cooper green #2 car

‘25′ the 1925 Miller/Duray #11 car

 

Mystery Cars

so far:

- the 1924 Hearne/Hearne #1 car (’183′ engine)

Presumably a ‘183′, rebuilt to single seater, probably ended up as the second Haugdahl/Haugdahl car (’183′ engine).