Museum of Speed, 2008
Price Museum of Speed features a rare display of the greatest representations of early racing history. Many of these rare vintage race cars either won or placed well in numerous renowned events such as the Grand Prix, Le Mans, Morris Park, Briarcliff Cup, Daytona Beach, Gordon Bennett Cup, Empire Track at Yonkers, Sheepshead Bay, Indianapolis, Mille Miglia among others. Also in the collection are other marquee automobiles representing different periods of history.
The great representatives of racing history include a 1904 four-cylinder 60 hp Peerless Green Dragon, made famous by Barney Oldfield. The 1907 four-cylinder 35/45 hp Renault Vanderbilt Racer, was made famous by William Vanderbilt Jr., and referred to by some as the Ferrari Enzo of its day. The 1915 four-cylinder 100 hp Weightman Stutz was one of the fastest racers of the period, having a famous Harry Stutz designed engine modeled after the Indianapolis winning Delage Type Y power plant. The 1929 Bugatti 35B Racer, made famous by the French driver Louis Chiron adds to the rarity of the collection. Many of the early racers in the Price Museum of Speed collection were capable of speeds exceeding 100 mph, for extended endurance periods.
Parnelli Jones & John Price, 2008
The capstone of the Price Museum of Speed collection is the famous Ab Jenkins 1938 Mormon Meteor III, considered by sports writers and collectors to be the 4th most important racing machine in the world. The Meteor III was Augie Duesenberg’s automotive capstone, being the last car ever built by him.
In 1940 Ab Jenkins held 153 speed records, of which 26 were with the Meteor III set on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah. Today 13 records still stand including the grueling 48 hours, set at an average speed of 148 mph. Many trial laps in the Meteor III were done at a speeds up to 200 mph, a monumental accomplishment at the time.
Mission
The Mission of the Price Museum of Speed Foundation is to display unique vintage race cars and memorabilia, and provide an automobile research library for future generations of car enthusiasts to enjoy.
Speed: The Art of the Performance Automobile
Ten cars from the Price Museum of Speed are featured in this new exhibition at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition features a total of 19 extremely rare and special cars. Learn more about the show in my recent post or by visiting SpeedUMFA.com.
Note: Late in 2012, Price Museum of Speed will announce the location of its new home in Salt Lake City.