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Following the first-ever appearance by a rear-engine car at Indianapolis during practice in 1937, Harry Miller was commissioned by the Gulf Oil Company to build three such cars. Extremely futuristic for the time, they featured four-wheel drive and a six-cylinder supercharged Miller engine, tilted over at an angle. Only one arrived in 1938, too late to qualify. Of three in 1939, only George Bailey was able to qualify, although he did so in sixth place, the first rear-engine car ever in the Indy 500 race-day line-up. Of the handful of starts by these cars between 1939 and 1947, none traveled further than Bailey's 47 laps in 1939. Originally intended to run on pump gasoline, they featured side-mounted pontoon tanks, which proved to be very dangerous. After a pair of serious fires, the cars appeared in 1941, minus the pontoon tanks.
2015 Mecum : Monterey
High Bid (Lot was not sold)
USD $65,000
Recent Sales of the Miller Gulf Special
(Data based on Model Year 1938 sales)
Miller Gulf Specials That Failed To Sell At Auction
1938 Miller Gulf Special's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
| Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 Gulf Miller Tucker Special Race Car | 2017 Russo & Steele : Scottsdale Az | ||||
| 1938 Gulf-Miller Tribute | 4016 | 2016 Motostalgia : Amelia Island Auction | $75,000 | $95,000 | |
| 1938 Miller Gulf Special | 19-5715 | 2015 Mecum : Monterey | $65,000 |
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1938 Miller Gulf Special
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