1930 Miller Indy Car Sampson Special

In 1929, the AAA announced the rules for the 1930 Indianapolis race, and they became known as the 'Junk Formula.' The rules were created to limit the success of the Miller race cars and create an advantage for American car manufacturers. A two-man car with a much larger engine displacement was the new norm. Riley Brett, Alden Sampson, Louis Meyer, Bud Winfield, and others took the challenge to heart and created the first Sampson Special. It would be a larger racer with twin Miller 91 front drive engines mounted side-by-side, 16 cylinders in a 2000-pound car.

At Indianapolis in May 1930, Louie Meyer qualified the car second and finished the race in fourth place. Meyer continued to drive the car in 1931 and 1932. Chet Gardner took his place in 1933, 1934. In 1935, the twin Miller engines were pulled in favor of the 220 cubic-inch four-cylinder Offenhauser engine, and Gardner finished sixth in that event. Harry Quinn drove the car in 1936, but DNF'd after running out of fuel.

When this car was found in southern California in 1985, it was powered by a push rod Cragar-Ford engine. This Miller Sampson Special completed a full restoration in early 2014.