Goldenrod (land speed record car)
Encyclopedia
Goldenrod is an American streamliner
car which held the wheel-driven land speed record
from 1965 to 1991. It was owned by Bob and Bill Summers
, of Ontario, California
. Bob Summers drove the car to set the land speed record. The Goldenrod is powered by four fuel injected Chrysler Hemi engine
s, mounted inline and created a total output of 2,400 bhp. The car was originally built in Southern California and the team included James Crosby.
Before finding their final success, the two brothers contacted a fuel specialist and racing equipment pioneer and inventor named Tony Capanna, owner of Wilcap Co. (at that time in Torrance California). They were having trouble getting the speed they wanted with the 4 engines set in 2 rows side by side. Capanna suggested they put the engines in line and have it streamlined. In this configuration it was christened Goldenrod. Capanna advised them to get aerodynamic advice from a Northrop
engineer. The brothers did and found success on November 12, 1965, when Goldenrod set the wheel-driven
record (a class introduced due to the controversy over Spirit of America) at 409.277 mph (658.64 km/h) over the flying mile, an FIA
record which was held for 27 years. It was broken in 1991 by Al Teague with his supercharged Hemi-powered Spirit of '76, which went 409.986 mph (659.81 km/h) and later by the Burklands' 411 Streamliner at 415.896 mph (669.319 km/h) on 2008/09/26 (Class AI-I-11). Goldenrod was not supercharged, so it still held the class (AI-II-11) record until 21 September 2010, when Charles Nearburg in the Spirit of Rett increased this to 414.316 mph. The car went on tour for many years all across the U.S., then first ventured outside the country in 2000, when it was placed where the cricket
pitch is, in the Goodwood Festival of Speed
with the other land speed record cars. The surviving Summers brother, Bill, attended (Bob died in 1992).
The Henry Ford
museum bought the car in 2002, restored her via a US government grant (Save America's Treasures
), and had her on display as of September 2006. The restoration was performed by John Baechtel of Landspeed Restorations and Mike Cook of Cook Motorsports, with grateful acknowledgment to the many contributors who supported the project.
“It’s about time it went away,” Bill Summers told "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth during a interview on the new record, “It’s been a long time to have that record - 44 years, 10 months and 12 days. My brother Butch and I did everything we could with that car and then sold it to the Henry Ford Museum."
Speaking of Charles Nearburg finally breaking Bob Summers' record, Bill Summers said: "That he [Nearburg] achieved those speeds with only two-wheel drive and one naturally aspirated engine is a phenomenal achievement, but they had good course conditions and when conditions are good, cars go fast."
Bill Summers died on 12 May 2011.
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
car which held the wheel-driven land speed record
Wheel-driven land speed record
The wheel-driven land speed record differs from the absolute land speed record in requiring that the vehicle be wheel-driven; thus, vehicles that use thrust from a jet engine or rocket are ineligible .Until 1963, the absolute land speed record holder was always a wheel-driven car...
from 1965 to 1991. It was owned by Bob and Bill Summers
Bill Summers (car builder)
William Ray "Bill" Summers was an American car builder. He and his brother Bob designed and built the Goldenrod, a streamliner car which held the wheel-driven land speed record from 1965 to 1991.-References:...
, of Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
. Bob Summers drove the car to set the land speed record. The Goldenrod is powered by four fuel injected Chrysler Hemi engine
Chrysler Hemi engine
The Chrysler Hemi engine, known by the trademark Hemi, is a series of V8 engines built by Chrysler with a hemispherical combustion chamber. Three different types of Hemi engines have been built by Chrysler for automobiles: the first from 1951–1958, the second from 1964–1971, and the third...
s, mounted inline and created a total output of 2,400 bhp. The car was originally built in Southern California and the team included James Crosby.
Before finding their final success, the two brothers contacted a fuel specialist and racing equipment pioneer and inventor named Tony Capanna, owner of Wilcap Co. (at that time in Torrance California). They were having trouble getting the speed they wanted with the 4 engines set in 2 rows side by side. Capanna suggested they put the engines in line and have it streamlined. In this configuration it was christened Goldenrod. Capanna advised them to get aerodynamic advice from a Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
engineer. The brothers did and found success on November 12, 1965, when Goldenrod set the wheel-driven
Drive wheel
A drive wheel is a roadwheel in an automotive vehicle that receives torque from the powertrain, and provides the final driving force for a vehicle. A two-wheel drive vehicle has two driven wheels, and a four-wheel drive has four, and so-on....
record (a class introduced due to the controversy over Spirit of America) at 409.277 mph (658.64 km/h) over the flying mile, an FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
record which was held for 27 years. It was broken in 1991 by Al Teague with his supercharged Hemi-powered Spirit of '76, which went 409.986 mph (659.81 km/h) and later by the Burklands' 411 Streamliner at 415.896 mph (669.319 km/h) on 2008/09/26 (Class AI-I-11). Goldenrod was not supercharged, so it still held the class (AI-II-11) record until 21 September 2010, when Charles Nearburg in the Spirit of Rett increased this to 414.316 mph. The car went on tour for many years all across the U.S., then first ventured outside the country in 2000, when it was placed where the cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
pitch is, in the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
with the other land speed record cars. The surviving Summers brother, Bill, attended (Bob died in 1992).
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark, , in the Metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, USA, is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex...
museum bought the car in 2002, restored her via a US government grant (Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures is a United States Federal initiative to preserve and protect American historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public-private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation...
), and had her on display as of September 2006. The restoration was performed by John Baechtel of Landspeed Restorations and Mike Cook of Cook Motorsports, with grateful acknowledgment to the many contributors who supported the project.
“It’s about time it went away,” Bill Summers told "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth during a interview on the new record, “It’s been a long time to have that record - 44 years, 10 months and 12 days. My brother Butch and I did everything we could with that car and then sold it to the Henry Ford Museum."
Speaking of Charles Nearburg finally breaking Bob Summers' record, Bill Summers said: "That he [Nearburg] achieved those speeds with only two-wheel drive and one naturally aspirated engine is a phenomenal achievement, but they had good course conditions and when conditions are good, cars go fast."
Bill Summers died on 12 May 2011.