The story of the Broadmoor Special begins with an individual named Spencer Penrose. He was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist who amassed his wealth through real estate speculation in Colorado, mining, and ore processing. After setting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he partnered with Charles L. Tutt to construct a road to the top of Pikes Peak. An automobile race to the top of the hill in 1916 soon became an annual event. Today, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) is contested by a variety of vehicle classes and over a hundred competitors.

Rea Lentz was awarded the first Penrose Trophy in 1916 with a time of just under 21 minutes. The motorcycle class was won by Floyd Clymer with a time of nearly 22 minutes. The current record is held by Romain Dumas and the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak with a time of 7:57.148.

1918 Pierce Arrow Broadmoor Special

The Broadmoor Special, also known as the 'Yellow Devil,' was built from Mr. Penrose's 1918 Pierce Arrow Touring car. It contested the Pikes Peak Hillclimb eight times, with times that ranged from 19 minutes, 59 seconds to 23 minutes and 11 seconds.

It was sold to an individual from Iowa in 1944 and subsequently purchased by Bob Stolze in 1949 after discovering it resting under a tree. Stolze fixed the car up and used it as daily transporation to his place of work. By the early 1990s, the car had returned to poor, neglected condition. The Yellow Devil was purchased by the El Pomar Foundation (founded by Spencer Penrose) for display in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Museum.

For the 100th anniversary of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in 2016, the vehicle received a sympathetic restoration, returning it to running condition. With the work complete, the 'Yellow Devil' once again traveled up the famed Pikes Peak Highway in 2016.

by Dan Vaughan