1926 Miller Model 91 Racer

Peugeot, Duesenberg, and Ballot contributed breakthrough engine and chassis engineering to fuel the genius of Harry Miller, Leo Goossen, and Fred Offenhauser.

From Peugeot, the gear-driven dual-overhead camshafts, four-valve cylinder heads, and pentroof combustion chambers of Ernst Henry engines inspired Miller to adopt and then improve everything he could.

The straight-8 of the French Ballot - fastest at 104.78 of the first seven to break 100 mph in qualifying at the 1919 Indy - confirmed Henry's belief in that engine, one of his greatest.

When Duesenberg won the 1924 Indy using the first supercharger (developed with the military), Goossen and Offenhauser were on the case. For Miller, supercharging became a given.

When Indy lowered engine displacement for 1926 from 122 to 91 cubic inches to reduce speeds, Miller designed a lighter, mightier engine. Into the front-drive racing chassis went the magic he'd learned from Peugeot, Ballot, and Duesberg. The b

This Miller 91 FWD began life as the third of 11 or 12 prototypes. Miller, Offenhauser, and Goossen were the men who lead the development and success of the Miller racing machines. The Miller 122 Front Drive racer was first presented to the public in 1924. It was non-supercharged with eight carburetors and a straight-eight engine. The advantage was that with the front-drive transaxle they were able to lower the profile of the car significantly and thus the center of gravity making it stand a mere 36 inches at its highest point. It was learned early on the low height of the radiator and cowl created overheating issues thus the later version 91 front drives raised the height of the radiator surround to allow more airflow for cooling. Miller assigned this car to Dave Lewis (Miller's brother-in-law) who qualified fourth fastest at Indy at just over 107 mph and for 150 miles spent most of his time in the lead even lapping the eventual winner Frank Lockhart. He experienced a broken valve on the 91st lap and retired. He was credited with 15th place.

Next came Altoona, which Lewis won averaging 112.43 mph - a world record for 91 cubic-inch cars at 250 miles. He won again on the boards at Charlotte.

Lewis began the 1927 season in Atlantic City, breaking the 200-mile record at 130.58 mph, a record that stood for years. And that was it. Lewis wrecked the car. Miller sold it to stuntman Cliff Bergere. Two weeks before the 1928 Indy 500, at his ranch in California, Lewis committed suicide.

From one mile to 500, official speed records fell to the Miller 91
Frank Lockhart's one mile run at 164.0 mph on Muroc Dry Lake set the tone for a Miller 91 assault on the record books. He followed with a 147.7 mph for 1.5 miles on Atlantic City boards. Leon Duray took the 2.5-mile record on concrete in Utica, Michigan, at 148.1 mph, then headed to Montlhery, France, for a record-breaking five-mile dash at 139.2 mph. Of fifteen potential speed records, Duesenberg took two, and Miller broke thirteen.

The Miller 91 engine was small compared to the 122 cubic-inch engine it replaced, yet it propelled Miller drivers to all but two speed records.