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History Marchese Special

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Jun 16, 2009.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,627

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

  2. NoSurf
    Joined: Jul 26, 2002
    Posts: 4,459

    NoSurf
    Member

    You say "loon" like it's a bad thing....
     
  3. Salt 2009
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 70

    Salt 2009
    Member

    Ryan:

    Look at all the great people that were "ahead of the curve"....ie - Frank Lloyd Wright, Einstein and Columbus were thought of as loony as well.

    Dallas
     
  4. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    I am not going to say that's its the best looking car I have seen in the history of Indy but there is definitely something there. I reminds me of Mad Max for some reason. There are a couple things that look like a engineer built the car and not a designer but I think thats probably why it must have been forward thinking. There probably were advancements in it's crude looking design that no one thought of before.

    Then on the same hand, the car looks like it was a precursor to what Indy cars would soon become. The overall style is there even though it's buried in a bunch of other things.

    Cool.
     

  5. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    There's a fine line between genius and loon,some people just live right on the line.
     
  6. sololobo
    Joined: Aug 23, 2006
    Posts: 8,378

    sololobo
    Member

    I couldn't believe the year of this photo. Ahead of the game is putting it mildly, thanks for sharing some very cool history with a brilliant builder!! ~Sololobo~
     
  7. It seems that most people who are ahead of their time are considered looney.... but probably are legitimately looney... :)
     
  8. DirtySanchez
    Joined: Aug 31, 2006
    Posts: 408

    DirtySanchez
    Member
    from So Cal

    Any chance of explaining this to my wife??
     
  9. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    Beats me where you come up with this stuff Ryan but cool nonetheless.
    A little history lesson,
    Carl Marchese is one half of the famous Marchese Bros. from Milwaukee,the other half being his brother Salvatore. Carl raced a T Ford at Indy in the 20s and shortly after built the first tube chassis midget,the first race being at Chicago's Soldier Field in 1936. The car above was also a tube frame and yes that is the radiator{both sides}. Carl thinking the aero nose was good for speed in and out of corners. This car finished the race 7th.
    They also invented centrpoint knockoff magnesium wheels and fielded other cars at Indyover the years aways with their own little touches.
    Another thing the brothers were good at was promoting races especially Sal.
    Loon? hmm....what does that make of us then?
     
  10. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    You have to look deep into the history, and it's not always easy to find, but there was more than a few "loons" building inovative cars in the early days. Unfortunatly many were DNFs or DNQs and didn't rate much of a second look and little was recorded about them.
    While the offset roadster configuration is generally considered to be a late 40s early 50s innovation, consider the Eldridge Spl. from 1926. While most of the rest of the field was stradling the drive line, high up in the air, teetering on springs under the rails, E.A. Eldridge had a different idea and brought 2 of his cars over from England, one for him and one for W. Douglas Hawkes. Both suffered mechanical problems, with Hawkes being credited with 14th place.
    Add a tube frame, torsion bars and swoopier body work and you would have, essentialy, a 1950s Watson, Kurtis et. al. roadster.
     

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  11. SinisterCustom
    Joined: Feb 18, 2004
    Posts: 8,277

    SinisterCustom
    Member

    Looney and genius are almost the same thing......one is when alive, the other comes with death....
     
  12. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    That car was pretty successful at Brooklands. Some of the British cars were just a little more spectacular looking to me,obviously more forwrd thinking too.
     
  13. I find it cool as hell to go back and look at the stuff car builders would try to go fast. And the best part was that there were no rules as to the crazy shit you could do !! >>>>.
     
  14. This is true..
     
  15. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

  16. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,120

    autobilly
    Member

    Life is often shorter than how advanced the ideas of such men are. After their death and with a perspective gained with the passage of time, the "Loon's" genius is revealed and their ideas vindicated.
    Weather Loon or Genius then, is often no more than a matter of perspective.
     
  17. slamed tudor
    Joined: May 31, 2009
    Posts: 67

    slamed tudor
    Member

    This year the brothers were inducted into the midget hall of fame. I had the pleasure of being at the event. Must I say that I learned alot about the brothers at this event. If you would like to know more about them I would love to email you a short bio written for the hall of fame. As far as racing goes I have seen alot wether its midget sprint or modified, But nothing sparks my attention more that to hear stories of the great legends that paved the way for many drivers!
     
  18. So what's going on here?

    That looks way more 'conventional' than the original pic. Was it modified later in its career?
     
  19. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Yes.
     
  20. slaagheap
    Joined: Jun 17, 2009
    Posts: 3

    slaagheap
    Member

    i saw this post and heres some more infomation on this car from a book i have "132 most unusual car that ran at indy"....
    RIGHT Harry McQuinn's 1938 Marchese Special was equipped with a frame made of aircraft tubing and was fitted with a radiator mounted outside the hood, to the lower left of the driver. This allowed an enclosed, streamlined nose. The car was suspended on special transverse springs. It was powered with an eight-cylinder Miller engine, and qualified at an average speed of 119.492 miles per hour for the '38 classic. Only five racers completed the full 500 miles in 1938, with this Marchese Special being withdrawn on lap 197. This was good enough to win seventh place for driver McQuinn.
     
  21. krooser
    Joined: Jul 25, 2004
    Posts: 4,584

    krooser
    Member

  22. Cris
    Joined: Jan 3, 2005
    Posts: 818

    Cris
    Member
    from Vermont

    A friend of my family's bought this car. He showed it just recently at the Newport Concours in RI. Last I spoke with him his plans were to run it in vintage races.

    Cris

     
  23. krooser
    Joined: Jul 25, 2004
    Posts: 4,584

    krooser
    Member

    The Harry Miller Club puts on a fabulous vintage race car show/timing event at The Milwaukee mile each July. This year's event is the 11th and 12th... usually around 40 to 50 old Indy, boardtrack and dirt cars in attendance... racing overload to be sure.
     

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