Race Engines in the 1930s

• The 1930s was a great decade for automobiles and automobile enthusiasts. Cars were just coming into their own, both as a maturing industry and as a technology. Automobile performance was growing by leaps and bounds during this time, and many engineers and garage mechanics were developing innovations and building their own engines, especially those who raced automobiles.

Chrysler Imperial Engines

• The Chrysler Imperial series was introduced in 1931 as a high-end luxury sedan. Part of the development was a high-performance 384.4-cubic-inch, 135-horsepower straight eight cylinder engine with nine main bearings. This workhorse of an engine propelled an Imperial to 14th place in the 1933 Indianapolis 500.

Dudda Engines

• Gus Dudda was a renowned Midwest race car mechanic in the 1920s and 30s, and he custom-built his own engines, usually using a Chrysler or Plymouth block. He is particularly well-known for his D.O. Dudda engine, a double-overhead-cam beauty that won quite a few races in its day.

Lawhon Special Engines

• The Lawhon Special engine was developed by George and Ernie Lawhon, two racing mechanic brothers who lived in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Lawhon Specials were custom-built single-overhead-cam, four-cylinder engines with separate crankcases and four exhausts. These engines were raced for more than 10 years from the mid-1930s to the '40s.

Ford V8-60 Engines

• In 1937, Ford introduced the V8-60 engine, and it was an instant success. A relatively small engine by the standards of the times, it could propel race cars in excess of 70 mph and became the standard engine for mini-race cars for nearly 30 years. The V8-60 was part of the famous Ford flathead V8 series, and was often referred to as the "60 horse flathead."