1931 Rigling-Studebaker

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 17, 2019

WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker became the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1927. For 1930 he introduced a new set of rules that required a riding mechanic and also increased the allowable engine displacement. The result was an influx of off-the-shelf parts used on cars, many of which were just heavily modified versions of street cars.

This car was built by Studebaker’s head of testing, George Hunt, in collaboration with land speed racer Ab Jenkins. The chassis was purchased from fabricator Rigling and Henning, and a Studebaker President 336ci straight-eight was stuffed under the custom aluminum bodywork. It features four Winfield carburetors and produces 205 horsepower. It’s competition history includes:

• 1931 Indianapolis 500 – 18th, DNF (with Tony Gulotta)
• 1931 Pikes Peak Hill Climb – 1st (with Chuck Myers)
• 1932 Indianapolis 500 – 6th (with Zeke Meyer)
• 1933 Indianapolis 500 – 12th (with L.L. Corum)

After 1933, the car was run by Jenkins on the Bonneville Salt Flats and was later used by his son as a road car. The restoration was completed in the early 1980s, and it is now expected to bring between $500,000-$750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Sold $1,105,000.