|
John Ford - Ford Publishing 5/05/03 johnford@2fords.net |
1941
Chrysler Newport Prototype
Chrysler reacted to the Airflow
debacle of 1934-1937 with upright styling that was as conservative
as the streamlined Airflows were advanced. Still, imaginative
design found expression in one of the industry's First dream cars
built at the behest of Chrysler president K.T Keller. There were
two, the first called the Thunderbolt, and the second was the
more popular Chrysler Newport, a genuine dual-cowl phaeton styled
along more modern lines. Created principally by Ralph Roberts
of the LeBaron Coachworks, it was built on the 145.5-inch wheelbase
of the Chrysler Imperial. With no exposed joints or moldings between
the body and fenders, the car had the appearance of being stamped
from a single piece of metal. Like the Thunderbolt, the Newport
featured hidden headlights, but had open front wheel wells and
a grille divided into upper and lower segments. The twin cockpits
had three-across bench seats sumptuously trimmed in leather. The
four doors were cut away at the sides and had no windows because
the Newport was intended primarily as a parade car for sunny days.
Six copies of both the Newport and the Thunderbolt were built,
and they were the well-received centerpieces of Chrysler auto
show exhibits. When the Indanapolis Speedway chose the Newport
as the 1941 pace car, it became only the second non-production
"special" to be so honored (Carl Fisher's 1915 Packard
was the first). The Newport was among the heaviest cars ever to
pace the 500 and one of the most distinctive. For thc first time
since the practice was begun in 1936, a pace car or its equivalent
did not go to the race winner. No production models of the Newport
were built, but the original pacesetter survives and is frequently
displayed at the Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. The pace car, driven
for 1941 by Chrysler official A.B. Couture, usually is a focal
point of pre-race hoopla. But this year a devastating fire on
the morning of the race took center stage. The blaze delayed the
start by two hours, destroying several garages and three cars,
including George Barringer's four-wheel-drive Miller, which had
qualified l5th. Gunning for his third consecutive win and fourth
overall, the great Wilbur Shaw crashed while leading in lap 1151
when a wheel collapsed on his supercharged Maserati. Shaw claimed
the wheel never should have been on his car and that chalk markings
identifying it as faulty were washed away when firefighters fought
the garage blaze. Mauri Rose started on the pole but withdrew
on lap 60 when his Maserati developed spark plug trouble. He relieved
Floyd Davis in a Lou Moore-owned Offy that was running l4th and
battled on to victory Rose and Davis were declared co-winners
in the last Indy 500 until after World War II.
These
pages designed and maintained by johnford@2fords.net
Web pages as little as $25.00 - Hosting as
little as $7.50mo. Paying more somewhere
else? Why? Email me now!