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Itching to own a legendary pre-war racer? RM Auctions will auction a one-of-a-kind 1931 Miller V-16 race car this August, at its annual auction in Monterrey, California.
Harry Miller was a renowned engine builder, and this is the only V-16-powered car he ever built. Miller was so successful in his craft that in the 1920s, his cars were the majority of the Indy 500 field. His engine designs were so advanced, it wasn’t until 1981 that the starting grid at the Indy 500 didn’t feature a Miller-derived engine.
This V-16 car is arguably the most advanced Miller ever built. In its current form, the 303-ci engine makes around 300 hp. In the 1930s when this car was racing at Indy, however, it was rumored to make around 900 hp. According to one of the car’s mechanics, the car would burn benzene or other such hydrocarbons, as it could not run on the pump gas of the day.
Chuck Davis acquired the car in 1978, and restored it to the beautiful condition seen today at various car shows. When it rolls across the auction block, it’s expected to fetch between $600,000 and $1 million.