Gar Wood’s masterpiece boasts 2,226 cubic inches, 3,600 horsepower, 32 cylinders and wall-to-wall Holley carburetors.
Starting with Gar Wood’s Miss America I in 1920, the Miss America series of racing boats were designed and built to do two things: win the British International Harmsworth Trophy for the United States, and capture the world unlimited water speed record. Gar Wood dominated the sport of motorboat racing in the 1920s and early-1930 and, between 1920 and 1933, won the Harmsworth Trophy race eight times as a driver and nine times as an owner. Miss America VIII won the Harmsworth twice!
Gar Wood had met with Harry Miller at the Indianapolis 500 in May 1931 and, at his the urging, Wood commissioned him to custom build two of the most awesome Miller engines ever, the 1,113-cubic-inch V-16s. Soon after the 1931 Harmsworth race, Gar Wood’s Team fitted the custom-built, supercharged V-16 engines from Miller. Weighing much less than the Packard V-12s, the radical Millers saw testing in Miss America VIII on the Harlem River, Fall 1931, where it was clocked at 104 mph!
Nothing short of revolutionary, the Millers were designed to rev to 6,000 rpm while racing Packards, like most high-performance engines of the day, had a maximum rpm of 2,500. The comparatively lightweight Millers were putting out an estimated 1,800 horsepower each. These Miller V-16 engines were the last to power Miss America VIII for competition with Gar Wood at the wheel.
Recently reunited after 70 years, the hull and its special V-16 Miller engines, now naturally aspirated and fitted with Holley carburetors, will be crossing the block at the Mecum Auction, January 24-29, Kissimmee, FL. While the hull is not quite completed, its engines are finished and sound incredible. In the early-1990s, prior to its recent restoration, Miss America VIII was a running boat powered by a pair of WW-II Packard PT boat engines. Today, only three of the original ten Miss America boats exist (VIII, IX, and X); the Eighth is the only one with correct power.
Miss America VIII will be sold with a collection of original parts including its vintage Schweitzer/Cummins superchargers. Over 1,000 items from Gar Wood’s chief mechanic, Orlin Johnson’s collection of 1905-1975 Miss America photos and technical materials, will be included with the sale. The next owner will need to complete the restoration.
For more information about Miss America VIII and auction details, please visit, http://www.mecum.com/auctions/top_picks.cfm?AUCTION_ID=FL0112