Vintage Indy Cars
Written by Keith Fudge

In this episode of My Classic Car, it’s all about the race as Dennis Gage recently had the pportunity to travel to Encinitas, California to meet with good friend, Jim Lattin to have a look at his awesome collection of vintage Indy race cars!  Jim is a collector, racer, and restorer.  His passion just happens to be these special vehicles.  As he puts it, “I have gas running through my veins!”  He told Dennis that he has raced everywhere imaginable and he continues to pursue his hobby with an unparalleled enthusiasm.  When Dennis caught up with him, Jim had put together a display of some of his favorite cars from his collection to share with us. 

First on the list was a 1931 Indy car that held an interesting story.  Jim said that driver Ralph Stefano and his wife drove this #18 car from Los Angeles to Indianapolis to compete in the race, but running it competitively never happened due to an unusual occurrence.  After they arrived at Indy, Ralph washed the car to prepare for the race, and the water shorted out the magneto.  Consequently, the car never ran in the race that year.  Jim did note, however, that the car did run in subsequent races.  In fact, it was active on the track until 1955.  Powered by a Miller eight-cylinder engine that is fed through four updraft Winfield carburetors, this car has plenty of go power.  Jim adds, “I don’t know what the horsepower is, but it will probably run 100 [mph] on the straights!”  Next, Jim showed Dennis a car from 1951 designed by Frank Kurtis that featured a 270 cubic-inch Offenhauser engine.  The next vehicle was a car that ran from 1957 until 1963 and had two notable Indy 500 finishes garnering 5th and 17th place respectively.  Also designed by Frank Kurtis, this classic racecar shows how the style of these vehicles began to change in the late 1950s as this one features a lower and sleeker look.  The car was also “offset” with the driver positioned to the side, and it featured the oil tank located on the exterior of the vehicle as well.  Powered by a 255 cubic-inch Offenhauser engine, this car was driven by Mike McGill at Indy.  Moving ahead to the early 1960s, Jim took Dennis to a 1960 A.J. Watson roadster.  Jim told Dennis that this car is a total reproduction just like the one driven by Rodger Ward.  Featuring a 255 Offenhauser engine, Jim noted that this car “runs strong.”   The last car that Jim had pulled aside for our perusal was a real piece of history:  the 1969 Maxson Special, the last car built by legendary mechanic and designer, Quinn Epperly.  Jim said that he brought this car home disassembled in the back of a pickup truck.  He also said that he was fortunate enough to have contacted Mr. Epperly before his passing and he came and supervised the restoration of the car.  There is no doubt that this car carries significant historical and sentimental attachment to its owner.  Finally, as the conversation was winding down, Dennis mentioned that it was a beautiful day.  In fact, it would be a glorious day to take a spin in one of these vintage racers.  Jim then jumped at the opportunity to show Dennis a racecar “built for two” as he unveiled the original 1938 Indy car driven by Chet Gardner.  This car completed all 200 laps that year for a 5th place finish!  The car still features the original paint and in the design department featured an art deco look, much more streamlined than its predecessors.  Powered by a 270 Offenhauser engine and fed through dual Winfield carburetors, this baby still has plenty of the power that pushed it to a qualifying time of more that 120 miles per hour in 1938!  So, after a quick look around the car, Dennis and Jim were off to cruise the streets of Encinitas in this vintage racer.  After the trip was complete, Dennis asked Jim if we could schedule another visit to see even more of his collection.  Jim quickly responded that he would be delighted!

We had a great visit with Jim Lattin and look forward to returning soon.  That’s it from beautiful Encinitas, California, so until our next trip, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”