1923 Miller 122

Harry A. Miller created some of the more advanced designs and engineering marvels of the early 1900s. He was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, in 1875. His father's German surname was Mueller; when Harry was old enough, he changed his last name to Miller to simplify the spelling. He left school at age thirteen to pursue a job in the local machine shop, where he repaired steam engines and other mechanical devices.

By the early 1900s, he and his wife lived in San Francisco. While there, he created a simplistic car without a clutch or gearbox. He later created and patented a type of spark plug. This patent was later sold to the Peerless Motor Car Company. With the profits, he left California and headed to Toledo, Ohio to pursue a career in the automotive industry.

By 1908 he was a riding mechanic in the Vanderbilt Cup Races on Long Island. The car had disappointing results, and he would never again get into the cockpit of a racer for competition purposes.

The early 1910s were blissful for the master engineer. He managed to secure investors to help with his endeavors. His Master carburetor, which he had first built in 1907, was very popular and would remain a widely used item until the early 1920s. This success in the carburetion business led to other automotive endeavors. When Bob Burman, a race car driver with some fame, requested Miller to build him a replacement engine for his damaged car, Miller accepted. The engine was originally created by Peugeot; Miller made many modifications, including using aluminum alloy pistons which dramatically reduced the overall weight while increasing its strength and durability. With the newly tuned engine, Burman won the 200-mile Southwest Sweepstakes Road Race at Oklahoma City and many other victories.

Happy with the success of the engine, Burman requested another engine. He would never take delivery of the unit, as he was tragically killed when he lost control of his car due to a blown tire. Both Burman and his riding mechanic were killed when the car hit two utility poles and a parked car. The race car was thrown over 45 feet.

By the mid-1910s, Miller was approached by an aviator named Lincoln Beachey, who requested an engine built for aviation purposes. Together, they created a six-cylinder unit though it never reached major production, as Beachey was killed in a plane crash.

The next major project for Miller came in 1917 when he created a new race car for Barney Oldfield. Oldfield had been using a Delage. The result was the 'Golden Submarine,' named due to its aerodynamic, teardrop, and enclosed body. The car was a very unusual design for the United States at the time. Under the hood was a truly unique engine. It had a peak RPM level of 4000, which was incredible for its day. Most engineers used larger displacement sizes to create more power, as more revolutions often meant that the durability of the engine was jeopardized. The mechanical components were not adequate to handle extreme RPM speeds. Millers' engine was an engineering marvel.

Located within the enclosed shell of the Golden Submarine was a roll cage intended to protect the driver in the case of a crash. The enclosed top was later removed, as the driver nearly drowned during a race when it went into the infield and into the water. The car had a brilliant racing career with many successful dirt track racing endeavors. At the Milwaukee Mile, it broke every international dirt track record.

De Lloy Thompson contacted Miller near the close of 1917, requesting a military aircraft engine. The two began designing a V-12 engine, but part-way through the project, Miller lost interest and began pursuing other endeavors, such as building engines for Duesenberg Motors, which had military contracts. This project never materialized, as the war ended and the engines were no longer needed.

At the close of World War I, Miller moved to Los Angeles. Another project presented itself; it was called TNT and was backed by a wealthy brewer. The goal of the project was to design and build a racing car that could also be produced as a sports model. The team consisted of Miller, Fred Offenhauser, and Leo Goosen. This dream team would be the most successful part of this venture, as financial difficulties had the project come to a halt.

In 1920, the Indianapolis 500 set a displacement limitation on engines, requiring them to be no larger than 183 cubic inches or three liters. The newly-formed Miller group created an engine for this race, which they called the Miller 183. They recruited the services of race-car driver Tommy Milton. Ira Vail provided the necessary financial backing.

The Miller Group-built engine had eight cylinders and consisted of technology from Peugeot, Duesenberg, and Ballot. By 1922, it was completed and ready for competition. The car was instantly successful. As a result, Cliff Durant, the son of GM founder William C. Durant, ordered six examples. The Miller-powered cars won ten races. In the hands of Jimmy Murphy, a Miller-powered car won the Indianapolis 500 with an average speed of 94.5 miles per hour.

In 1923, racing officials changed the rules for the Indianapolis 500 race. The displacement size was reduced, and the number of seats allowed per car was downgraded to just one. To accommodate the new rules, the Miller Group created the two-liter, Miller 122. It had a 122-cubic-inch formula engine and would become one of the most successful engines ever created. Durant again placed an order to replace his obsolete cars.

Tommy Milton piloted a Miller 122 to another victory at the Indy 500 in 1923, averaging 100 mph. With this success, Miller's popularity continued to escalate. He was supplying more cars to more teams than any other marque.

As time progressed, so did his engines, cars, and accomplishments. He would become one of the most successful race car builders of all time.

by Dan Vaughan

Race Car
Engine number: 20

In 1923, a new two-liter formula was introduced into American racing regulations. For this formula, Harry Miller produced the '122-inch' model, powered by a straight-eight, twin-cam, dry-sump engine. It was a truly magnificent machine, and no expense was spared in its preparation. For the next two years, the Millers dominated American racing, winning the 1924 Indianapolis 500 race and continuing to be competitive well into the 1950s. The 122 cubic-inch Miller supercharged engine developed over 200 horsepower, and Millers set numerous land speed records over the years. This car stands out as one of the most significant race car designs of its day.

This was one of five Miller 122's Cliff Durant (the millionaire son of GM founder William Crapo Durant) entered at Indianapolis in 1923. Durant, a keen racing fan, built an elite team of drivers, choosing Harry Miller in 1921 to deliver six new race cars, well aware that their 183 engines would be obsolete by the 1923 Indy 500.

Durant raced the 183s through 1922. When - as expected - Indy reduced the engine formula to 122 cubic inches for the 1923 500-miler, he ordered five new one-seat Miller 122s, christening them Durant Specials. He added three updated 183s to give him eight Millers on the grid. Five finished in the top ten, including Durant in seventh.

After losing his job running General Motors for the second time, Billy Durant bought the moribund Locomobile Company of America for one million dollars in 1922. The new 'Durant Motors' had but one aging 1919 model. Durant just kept producing it (using 1919 parts) until his new Locomobile Junior Eight passenger cars arrived in 1925.

In a marketing move to help his dad sell the new Locomobiles, Cliff rebranded his racing fleet of Durant Specials as 'Junior Eight Specials.' The program for the 1925 Indianapolis 500 featured an ad for Durant Motors' Locomobile line of Junior Eight passenger cars. But it was too little, too late. Locomobile went forever dark in 1929.

This example was driven by Eddie Hearne, who started 14th and finished fourth. This car went on to win the 1923 championship for Hearne.

In 1924, Hearne started 14th and finished 19th after mechanical problems. In 1925, Earl Cooper drove the Durant entry and wrecked with four laps remaining in the race. This car raced from 1923 through 1930 and enjoyed success with many different drivers.

This is one of the finest Miller 122s known and remains a wonderful example of Harry Miller's, Leo Goosen's, and Fred Offenhauser's attention to design and detail. It is the most original single-seat, rear-drive Miller in existence.

HCS Special

For the 1923 Indianapolis 500, a 2-liter engine size was implemented. Harry A. Miller fitted a new engine into a new chassis developed from his successful Miller 183. The 4-cylinder engine used a double-overhead camshaft setup which was developed from the 1913 Peugeot Grand Prix car. The 122 was designed by Leo Goossen and Harry Miller and was built in aluminum, bronze, and steel from Miller's own foundry - run by Fred Offenhauser - making it quite expensive. In total, around 15 Miller 122s were built, including three that were sent to Europe to race in the Grand Prix season. A total of seven 122s were prepared for the 1923 Indianapolis 500, including this winning car that was driven by Tommy Milton, who was sponsored by the Harry C. Stutz Motor Company.

The Miller HCS Special was commissioned by Harry C. Stutz and built by Harry A. Miller in Los Angeles, CA, in 1922. Cars built by Miller won the Indianapolis 500 nine times; three more won with his engines running in other chassis. Miller cars accounted for more than 83 percent of the Indy 500 fields between 1923 and 1928.

This car raced at Indianapolis three times, most notably in 1923 when Tommy Milton piloted it to victory with a qualifying speed of 108.170 mph. Milton led the race for 128 of the 200 laps. It finished 5th in 1925 and 21st in 1924 when fuel tank problems forced Milton out after 110 laps.

This is the first Miller 122 ever built. It was one of two 122s belonging to Tommy Milton and was built to his specifications in 1922. There were seven low radiator narrow chassis built by Harry Miller, and this is the only one surviving in its original configuration.

Milton also broke the World Record for a one-mile dirt surface track at Syracuse, New York, with a time of 42.28 seconds.

This Miller 122 HCS Special is the only survivor of four similar Miller Specials built. It was restored in 2011 and was acquired by its current owner the following year.

Race Car
Engine number: HM8

'Count' Louis Zborowski's father, Elliott, had given himself that title. He then married an Astor, a Baroness by marriage who was divorced earlier that same day by her Baron. Elliott was a bold horseman who became a racing driver, winning his first contest for the Daimler team in 1902. He suffered a fatal collision one year later in a Mercedes.

Count Louis Zborowski's dream of a place on the Mercedes factory team came true for the 1924 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. So did his premonition of suffering his father's fate. Count Zborowski crashed so heavily on the 43rd lap that his car disintegrated and his skull fractured. His riding mechanic walked to the ambulance.

At Indianapolis, Count Louis Zborowski was introduced to the Miller race cars while he was competing as a member of the Bugatti Team, leading to a request that Miller build a Grand Prix racer for him to race in Europe. Miller Works set about converting and replacing the engines in three Miller Durant 183 racers with the Miller 122 (2 liters) engines. Grand Prix rules required 2-liter engines and a two-man configuration.

When the cars arrived in England at Count Z's 'home' track, Brooklands, the Count took delivery of chassis 15, formerly known as Durant Special number 4. Argentine playboy Martin de Alzaga took the remaining two, keeping the fastest for himself and handing the other to 1922 Indy champ Jimmy Murphy. All had problems, such as unwieldy steering and brakes too fragile for the road courses they faced.

With his 'new' Miller 122 GP car, Count Zborowski began the 1923 Grand Prix season entering - but not running - two events at Brooklands. He started the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 9 but retired from the race after breaking a rod. On the 29th, Count Z returned to England, scoring a win and second at Brooklands. He entered the October 28 Spanish Grand Prix, finishing 50 seconds behind Albert Divo, a flat tire at the finish dashing hopes of an end-of-season victory.

His last race with the Miller was the 1924 French Grand Prix on August 6th, where he had major mechanical issues and did not finish. He sold the car, and it raced in Southport, England, and later Brooklands. It was exported and raced in New Zealand, then Australia, and later to Germany and Switzerland. It was returned to Germany, where it raced in vintage events such as Nurburgring, as well as Goodwood England. The race was acquired by its present owner and returned to the United States in May of 2012.

This is the only Grand Prix Miller remaining and the first American racecar bought solely to race in Europe.