Barney Oldfield
“Who do you think you are? Barney Oldfield?” is an expression that isn’t used too often these days as many people really don’t know who Barney Oldfield is/was. He was one of America’s first truly awesome race cars drivers. He got his start in 1902 with Henry Ford and later set records on the beach in Daytona. He raced in the early days of the Indy 500, becoming the first person to run a 100+mph lap.
Sometime prior to 1930 he moved to Beverly Hills and lived at 1721 Chevy Chase Drive. Here’s what it looks like today courtesy of Google Earth:
Oldfield owned the $47,500 house (now valued at almost $2 million). He lived there with his wife and a 27-year-old Filipino “houseboy.” At this point in time his racing career had ended and he is listed as an “Owner/Manager” of a club. He died in 1946 at age 68.