Well gang...if this is the case, then I guess I've been had. I guess I
just assumed it was the original car, fully restored...If is IS a
recreation, then it's a damn nice one...still burned an awful lotta oil
though. Mea culpa.
tmk
>My understanding was the Golden Submarine is a recreation, not the
>original.
>
>I have my great uncle Gus's photo albums from the turn of the century
>including the glass negatives. I have a number of shots of Barney
>Oldfield in "Lightning Benz" circa 1911 which was a precursor to the
>"Blitzen Benz". I think both cars were world speed record holders. Also
>in the photos is Ralph DePalma in the Ford 999 car.
>
>I hope to add some oof these photos to the Team Thicko web site at
><http://www.thicko.com> in the near future if any one is interested.
>
>WST
>Team Thicko
>
>
>Thom Kuby wrote:
>
>> >
>> >My grampa Gene, as we called him, loved old cars and had two favorite
>>
>> >expressions about driving. This was used when you asked him if "we
>> were
>> >there yet?" or later "which way should I go?" to which he would
>> >invariably reply "Drive on Laddy-buck, until I tell you to stop!"
>> > Of course if you or anyone drove a little too fast he would
>> >exclaim "Faster than Barney Ol'field!" or "He was goin' like Barney
>> >Ol'field."
>> > Q: Are any of Barney Oldfield's cars still raced today?
>>
>> Yes...the "Golden Submarine", which is an early Miller project
>> (1916-1917)
>> with a 4 cyl.engine displacing about 289 c.i (bore of 3.625in and a
>> stroke
>> of 7.0 inches). Oldfield commissioned this car right at the beginning
>> of
>> Miller's race-car career. Upon final delivery of this $15,000 car,
>> Oldfield did about 102mph on wooden boards first time out in 1917, in
>> chicago. During the '17 race season, Oldfield spent lot of time
>> getting
>> into Ralph DePalma's face with this car...won four out of six matches
>> against DePalma's Packard. at the end of this '17 season, Oldfield
>> flipped
>> the car into a pond at Atlanta and nearly drowned...he cut the top off
>> and
>> raced it during the '18 season as a roadster. He later sold it. The
>> car
>> is fully restored with the top back on it. I saw it at Monterey on
>> the
>> "Miller Year" -- The old guy burns a lotta oil. I have no idea who
>> the
>> current owner is, or even if this car gets brought out on a regular
>> basis...I've only seen it once -- which is enough of a treat for me.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Thom Kuby
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