1938 Sparks-Thorne Little 6 Racer

The first '500' to be held after World War II, in 1946, was won by a still-modernistic-appearing car that was actually eight years old. In 1938, designer/engineer Art Sparks commissioned from car builder Clyde Adams two of these cars for eccentric millionaire sportsman Joel Thorne. Although Chicago's Jimmy Snyder set several records with one of the cars and was runner-up in 1939, it was English-born George Robson in 1946 who recorded the team's only win. The unique design featured a cockpit far to the left and the upright six-cylinder supercharged Sparks engine mounted at an angle in such a way that the driveshaft would run past the driver's right hip on its way to the transmission, located at the right rear.