1955 Kurtis 500D Monoposto

By 1955, Frank Kurtis's creations dominated the landscape at Indianapolis. A Kurtis automobile had won four of the last five years at Indianapolis.

Indianapolis racing cars have always represented the best of American automobile design and workmanship. Frank Kurtis, of Kurtis-Kraft, Inc of Los Angeles, California, was a renowned builder of some of the best Indianapolis race cars available. Kurtis' superbly built cars dominated the Speedway during the 1950s and 1960s. The 1955 Kurtis Roadster Ansted Rotary Special Model 500D displayed here was designed by Frank Kurtis.

The Meyer-Drake Offenhauser engine in the 1955 Kurtis racer displayed here is fuel injected, has dual overhead camshafts, four cylinders, and four valves per cylinder. The 270 cubic inch engine runs on alcohol fuel (methanol or ethanol) and develops 330 h.p. The guiding hands behind the manufacture of the famous Meyer-Drake Offenhauser engines were Harry Miller, Fred Offenhauser, Lou Meyer, Dale Drake, and Leo Goossen.

Pat O'Connor drove this car in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 124.644 mph, finishing 8th. In 1956, he qualified the car at 144.980 mph and finished 18th. Don Freeland qualified the car in 1957 at 139.649 mph but was flagged out of the race on the 192nd lap due to oil on the track and finished 17th.