The Golden Submarine was an early twentieth century streamlined race car designed and built in 1917 by Fred Offenhauser

Fred Offenhauser

Fred Offenhauser , was an automotive engineer and mechanic who designed the Offenhauser racing engine, nicknamed the "Offy", which dominated competition in the Indianapolis 500 race for decades....

 and Harry A. Miller for Barney Oldfield

Barney Oldfield

Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield was an automobile racer and pioneer. He was born on a farm on the outskirts of Wauseon, Ohio. He was the first man to drive a car at 60 miles per hour on an oval...

. AutoWeek

AutoWeek

AutoWeek is a fortnightly automotive enthusiast publication based in Detroit, Michigan. One of 32 titles published by Crain Communications Inc, its parent company, AutoWeek is unique as the only consumer title among its sister publications....

 said that the vehicle brought Miller "nationwide prominence as a race-car builder".

Background

Oldfield worked with Miller, who developed and built carburetor

Carburetor

A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....

s in Los Angeles, to create a racing machine that would not only be fast and durable, but that would also protect the driver in the event of an accident. Bob Burman

Bob Burman

Bob Burman was an American racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing.-Biography:He was born on April 23, 1884 in Imlay City, Michigan. He was the winner of the Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race in 1909. He competed at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911...

, one of Oldfield's top rivals and closest friends, was killed in a wreck during a race in Corona, California

Corona, California

Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...

. Burman died from severe injuries suffered while rolling over in his open-cockpit car. Oldfield and Miller joined forces to build a race car that incorporated an enclosed roll cage inside a streamlined driver's compartment to completely enclose the driver.

Construction

The Golden Submarine was built from aluminum with holes for the driver to look out. The gold color was achieved with a combination of bronze

Bronze

Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...

 dust and lacquer

Lacquer

In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...

. The car cost $US 15,000 to build.

Specifications

The car featured a four-cylinder aluminum alloy engine with 289 cubic inches (4.7 l), 3-5/8 bore × 7 inches (17.8 cm) stroke, 136 hp @ 2950 revolutions per minute (RPM), a single overhead cam, desmodromic valve

Desmodromic valve

A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine valve that is positively closed by a cam and leverage system, rather than by a more conventional spring...

s, dual intake ports

Inlet manifold

In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders...

 for each cylinder, dual spark plug

Spark plug

A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...

s and magneto

Magneto

A magneto is a type of electrical generator.Magneto may also refer to:* Magneto , permanent magnetic alternating current rotary generator* ignition magneto, magnetos on internal combustion engines...

s. Its body and chassis were wind tunnel

Wind tunnel

A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...

-tested aluminum body with rollover protection. It had a 104 inches (264.2 cm) wheelbase and it weighed 1600 pounds (725.7 kg).

Race history

The car made its first outing on 16 June 1917 at the Chicago Board Speedway in Maywood, Illinois

Maywood, Illinois

Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:...

. The engine failed after 10 miles (16.1 km), but it averaged 104 mph (167.4 km/h) up to that point. The engine problems were ironed out the following week and on 25 June he defeated arch-rival Ralph DePalma

Ralph DePalma

Ralph De Palma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races...

 three times on the Milwaukee

Milwaukee Mile

The Milwaukee Mile is a -long oval race track in West Allis, Wisconsin that seats about 40,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954....

 dirt track. The car competed in 54 races with 20 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds. The car qualified for the 1919 Indianapolis 500

1919 Indianapolis 500

Results of the 1919 Liberty Sweepstakes held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 31, 1919....

but it dropped out after its engine failed.