1919 Miller TNT Special Roadster

Harry A. Miller was involved in a number of automotive firsts between 1900 and 1910. He rode as a riding mechanic in 1908 in the Vanderbilt Cup races on Long Island but this was his first and last venture in the cockpit of a race car due to disappointing results. He turned to engine design in the mid-1910s. In 1917 he designed a complete race car for Barney Oldfield. Called the Golden Submarine, it was an enclosed aerodynamic single-seater with a high revving engine that went to 4,000 rpm - most unusual for a period when huge capacity, low revving engines were the norm.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Miller's cars dominated the Brickyard. Their Miller-powered cars won the American race eleven times between 1922 and 1938, with six of those cars utilizing Miller chassis as well.

In 1913, Miller hired Fred Offenhauser for a machining job. Over the years, the two individuals succeeded in bringing about some of early racing's greatest engines.

At the close of World War I, Miller received an inquiry from Edward Maier. Maier's racing concern, the TNT Auto Company, was in need of a new car. Miller tasked his newly hired draftsman, Leo Goosen, to draw the engine - the 289 cubic-inch T4. The T4 was Miller's first dual-overhead-cam engine and was an underpowered failure. Then came an Indy 500 rule change for 1920, requiring engines of 183 cubic inches or less. As the TNT's T4 engine was too large, Miller pulled his two TNT entries and moved on to a new 183 cubic-inch engine, which Goosen had already started drawing up.

It is believed that only one of the two TNT models remains in existence. Throughout the 1920s, the TNTs were put into storage. It is believed that the car's original four-cylinder engines were donated by the Maier brewery for scrap purposes during WWII-era metal shortages.

This example was acquired by the Harrah Collection in the mid-1970s. In 1979 it was purchased sans motor by David Hedrick of Oregon. Hedrick and Bob Sutherland returned the TNT to racing by installing a proper Miller 183 eight-cylinder racing engine that Mr. Sutherland had been rebuilding. The brakes were upgraded to hydraulic units.

In 1983, the TNT raced at the Monterey Historic Races. It raced at the Milwaukee Mile racetrack during the 1990s as well as a successful run of the Colorado Grand. In 2000, it was purchased by the current owner. At this point in history, the engine was in need of repair. The cost to do the work was great, so another correct Miller 183 was sourced. Since that time, the car has raced at the Monterey Historics and the Milwaukee Mile Miller event. It was shown at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours in the Open-Wheel Racecar Class.

The car is powered by a 183 cubic-inch dual overhead cam eight-cylinder Miller engine with four Miller Dual-Throat Updraft carburetors. The 125 horsepower produced by the motor is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual gearbox.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $750,000 - $900,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $1,210,000 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2012