Tag Archives: miller

Miller-Ford

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1935 Miller-Ford

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 19-20, 2022

Photo – Gooding & Company

Few names are as synonymous with Indianapolis as Harry Miller. Maybe Andy Granatelli would be up there for people in the know. And Tony Hulman. Well, all three are in play here, but let’s start with this: legendary Indy car designed Harry Miller was approached by Preston Tucker to design an Indy car around a road car-based engine. This was the “junk formula” era.

Tucker then got his friend Edsel Ford to persuade his dad Henry to fund it. Henry ended up making his franchised dealers foot the bill, but the project went ahead. The result was a two-seater, front-wheel-drive chassis powered by a Ford flathead V8. The bodies were built by Emil Diedt, a famous Indy car name on its own.

Ten examples were produced, but just four qualified for the 1935 Indy 500. None finished due to a design flaw with the steering. Henry Ford scooped all of them up, apparently out of embarrassment/rage, and hid them away in Dearborn. They would slowly be sold off to private customers.

This car escaped not long after, and, just after WWII, was owned by a California-based race team owner who had a 4.4-liter Offenhauser inline-four put in it in place of the flathead. Output now is estimated to be 350 horsepower. In 1948, the car was purchased by team owner Andy Granatelli, who entered it in the 1948 race. So the known competition history for this car, chassis #5, consists of:

  • 1948 Indianapolis 500 – DNQ (with Granatelli)

He actually destroyed the car in practice and it was later rebuilt. In 1949, it was purchased by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman and remained with the IMS Museum until 1993. This is a hard car to come by, and it has an estimate of $750,000-$1,000,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $830,000.

De Tamble-Miller

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1905 De Tamble-Miller High-Wheel Runabout Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Edward De Tamble‘s earliest cars were highwheelers. Series production didn’t start until 1908 in Indianapolis (and later, Anderson, Indiana), and this car predates that time. It carries a stamp calling it a De Tamble & Miller, but not much is really known about it.

Mostly original, it is thought that this was the prototype De Tamble, and it uses parts from the era, including the gearbox from a Ford Model F. It’s a one-off piece of early automotive history, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $26,400.

Five Cars from Indiana

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1905 De Tamble-Miller High-Wheel Runabout Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Edward De Tamble‘s earliest cars were highwheelers. Series production didn’t start until 1908 in Indianapolis (and later, Anderson, Indiana), and this car predates that time. It carries a stamp calling it a De Tamble & Miller, but not much is really known about it.

Mostly original, it is thought that this was the prototype De Tamble, and it uses parts from the era, including the gearbox from a Ford Model F. It’s a one-off piece of early automotive history, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $26,400.

1907 Kiblinger Model D High-Wheel Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

If you’re noticing a trend, yes, Indiana liked their highwheelers before 1910. The Kiblinger was a product of Auburn, Indiana, where they were built between 1907 and 1909. There are a few of them on display at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum. And this car was once on display there too.

The Model D was one of six models produced by the company, and it’s powered by a 10 horsepower, two-cylinder engine that is shared with similar cars from Sears. Speaking of similar cars, company president W.H. McIntyre shut down and re-branded the company as the McIntyre after they were sued for patent infringement by Success. You can read more about this car here.

Update: Sold $28,600.

1908 Mier Model A Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The short-lived Mier was built by the Mier Carriage and Buggy Company of Ligonier, Indiana in 1908 and 1909. Solomon Mier, and his son A.B., built about 100 cars during that time before returning to the horse-drawn buggy industry, where they managed to stay in business into the 1920s.

This Model A Runabout was one of two models offered in 1908. Power is from a 10 horsepower inline-twin. Of the 100 built, only two remain, making this a great chance to get your hands on a truly rare car. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $55,000.

1917 Elcar Model E Cloverleaf Roadster

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Elcar actually traces its roots back to Pratt-Elkhart, which was one of Indiana’s highest-quality early cars. That company later became Pratt, which was quickly reformed as the Elkhart Carriage and Motor Car Company in 1915. They built the Elcar through 1931.

This was the only model available in 1917, and it is one of four body styles offered. The Cloverleaf Roadster retailed for $845 and is powered by a 34 horsepower, Lycoming inline-four. Prediction: this car sells for what would appear to be a great deal. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $37,400.

1931 Auburn Model 8-98A Sedan

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Somehow we’ve only featured one Auburn car prior to this. Indiana was a force in the early days of the automobile industry, and Auburn was one of its star products, which were offered between 1900 and 1937. They built some pretty fantastic cars in the mid-1930s, but everyone seems to forget that they built “normal”-looking cars like this alongside those wild boattail speedsters.

The 8-98 and the 8-98A were the only models offered in 1931. They were powered by a 98 horsepower straight-eight. Various body styles were available, and this sedan would’ve cost its new owner $1,195. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,800.

Miller Shooting Brake

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1954 Miller Shooting Brake

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | April 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Geoffrey Miller of Cornwall, England was a craftsman who had earlier built his own motorcycle when he decided to build himself a station wagon. This is the result, and it is the only such example. Most homebuilt cars look, well, home-built. However, this has all of the look of a series production car from 1950s England.

Somewhat Allard-like in its appearance, the four-door woodie wagon is powered by a 2.9-liter Austin-Healey straight-six. He used some production parts that were readily available but is said to have actually done the body and woodwork by hand.

With only three owners since new – including its creator – this is the time to get it if you want a car that is an original design. It’s quite interesting and should bring between $59,000-$72,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Bonhams Paris 2020.

Miller 91

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1927 Miller 91

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 14, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Harry Miller was a racing genius. He was inventive and his cars dominated at Indy for a couple of decades in the early years of racing there. He was one of a handful of major, early names whose sole business purpose was to build race cars. He had no intentions of building road cars. When his company went bankrupt in 1933, everything was bought up by Fred Offenhauser, whose name would appear on cars at the Brickyard into the 1980s.

The Miller 91 was designed to meet AAA’s new rule for 1926 that limited engine capacity to 91 cubic inches (1.5-liters). This car does have an original Miller 91 engine – a 1.5-liter supercharged straight-four making between 155-250 horsepower (read more at RM’s site to found out about this huge range).

Only 12 or 13 rear-wheel drive Miller 91s were built. The current owner of this car acquired an original Miller 91 chassis and went about sourcing an actual Miller 91 engine, and gearbox – two extremely rare pieces as everything was made in-house in limited numbers – perhaps only about 15.

This car was never raced in period (at least not in this form… the original chassis may have a history, but it is unknown what it was used for). These old Indy cars almost never come up for sale so this is an awesome opportunity regardless of this car’s history. It should sell for between $600,000-$750,000. Click here to see more from this sale.

Update: Sold $770,000.

Gooding & Company Monterey 2012 Highlights

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Gooding & Company held their very successful Monterey sale last weekend. They had the top two cars in terms of selling price. The top car was this 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster. It sold for $11,770,000 including buyer’s premium. It is an astounding car at a price that was more or less expected.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster

Not far behind was, not surprisingly, this 1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder Competizione. This was the 1960 Chicago Motor Show Car and one of a few high-dollar Ferraris sold from the Sherman Wolf Collection. It sold for $11,275,000.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione

Other Ferraris from this collection included our featured Ferrari 340 MM Spider that brought $4,730,000. Also from this collection was the 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC that sold for $4,510,000.

1957 Ferrari 500 TRC

The final car from the Sherman Wolf collection also went for over a million dollars (unfortunately, do to the insanely high number of million dollar cars, those are the only ones we’re recapping in this rundown. Fortunately, these are also the most interesting cars). It was this 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO. If $1,045,000 isn’t a world record price for this model, it’s pretty close.

1985 Ferrari 288 GTO

Our other featured Ferrari, the ex-Andy Warhol 1955 857 Sport, sold for $6,270,000. And another really high-dollar Ferrari was another California Spider, this one a 1957 LWB Prototype for $6,600,000.

1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototype

For something other than a Ferrari, check out this 1928 Bentley 4.25-Litre Le Mans Sports Bobtail that brought $6,050,000.

1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Le Mans Sports "Bobtail"

A couple of Maseratis up next, first the ex-Jay Kay 1955 A6G/2000 Berlinetta by Frua (below). It sold for $1,650,000. And the 1959 Tipo 61 Birdcage (second below) sold for $3,520,000.

1955 Maserati A6G/2000 Berlinetta

Mercedes-Benz 300SLs were, as always, well represented. Two of them cracked the million dollar mark at this sale. Strangely, a Roadster was the highest-selling of them all. A white 1963 300SL Roadster sold for $1,595,000 and a blue 1955 300SL Gullwing sold for $1,127,500.

1963 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

There were three million dollar Bugattis at this sale, the cheapest of which being a 2008 Veyron at $1,182,500. Our featured 1920 Type 13 sold for $379,500. Our other featured Bugatti, the 1932 Type 55, failed to sell. A 1938 Type 57C Stelvio brought $1,292,500.

2008 Bugatti Veyron

1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio

The other Bugatti was a beautiful yellow and black 1936 Type 57 Atalante. It sold for $1,485,000.

This 1964 Ford GT40 Prototype is the second-oldest GT40 in existence. It sold for a hefty $4,950,000.

1964 Ford GT40 Prototype

Our featured – and unbelievably awesome – 1932 Daimler Double Six sold for $2,970,000. Another English car was this 1953 Jaguar C-Type which went unsold on the block but found a buyer a few minutes later with a little behind-the-scenes work from the folks at Gooding & Co. The final price was $3,725,000.

1953 Jaguar C-Type

This 1919 Miller TNT is sort of the pre-Miller Indy Car Miller Indy Car. It’s an ex-Harrah Collection car and it sold for $1,210,000.

1919 Miller TNT

One feature car that didn’t sell was the 1911 S.P.O. Raceabout. The 1960 Porsche RS60 did, however, bringing $3,465,000. Two more million-dollar Ferraris included a 2003 Enzo for $1,430,000 and a 1962 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico for $2,365,000.

2003 Ferrari Enzo

1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico

This 1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV sold for $1,375,000.

1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

Duesenberg recap time! Only the ex-Clark Gable Model JN went unsold. The Model J known as “Blue J” went for $1,980,000. The Willoughby Limousine was the bargain of the bunch at $330,000 and the Murphy Convertible Sedan sold for $522,500. And okay, I lied when I said we would only highlight million dollar cars. Here are some of the more interesting lots sold, starting with a 1970 Monteverdi HAI 450 SS Prototype for $577,500.

1970 Monteverdi HAI 450 SS Prototype

And some pre-WWI cars, beginning with this 1913 Pope-Hartford Model 33 Four-Passenger Touring Phaeton. It sold for $319,000.

1913 Pope-Hartford Model 33 Four-Passenger Touring Phaeton

This 1904 Knox Tudor Touring was the earliest car at the sale. It brought $198,000.

And this really cool 1907 Panhard et Levassor Model U2 Transformable Seven-Passenger Town Car with body by Audineau & Cie is, I guess, an early version of the “retractable hardtop.” Instead of retracting, in this case, the entire top half of the town car body comes off to turn it into a large touring car. See the “before and after” photos below. How cool. It sold for $264,000.

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