1969 AAR Eagle Mark 7 Monoposto

Named after AAR's hometown, the Santa Ana was the second Indianapolis car created by British designer Tony Southgate for Dan Gurney's (AAR) All American Racers. This new car was based on the original Eagle design but given an extended wheelbase by 3.5 inches, with an all-new chassis and extended offset bodywork. Complying with USAC rule changes, the Indy racer had wider wheels which measured 10 inches in the front and 14 inches in the back. Other new features included ventilated disc brakes, an improved roll bar design, and Gurney's helical-toothed steering box.

In 1969, AAR built four of these cars. This particular example was delivered to 'Smokey' Yunick. It was powered by a 159 cubic-inch DOHC turbocharged Ford V8 engine which offered upwards of 800 brakes horsepower. At the Indianapolis 500, the car qualified 11th. It ran as high as 2nd during the race before an errant hose clamp punctured a hole into his radiator. After just 14 minutes, repairs had been made and the car was back on the track. It would finish 6th overall. Though the car had finished rather well, Smokey was disgusted at the hose clamp failure and had the car brought back to the Eagle Santa Ana shop. There, it was partially dismantled and then left to sit for the next 3 decades.

Just prior to his death in 2001, Yunick agreed to sell #44. The Eagle was then fully restored by a team that included famed Indianapolis car builders A.J. Watson and Willie Davis, among others. The current owner acquired the car in 2007, who then ran the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2008. Since that time, it was sold to another collection for several years before being subsequently bought back.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2015