Mecum Auctions will be graced with a real piece of history at Monterey showing. The world’s first mid-engine Indy car will cross the block, and it features Corvette power.
The 1964 Eisert “Harrison Special” Indy car is not only the first to feature a mid-engine design layout, but also the longest surviving of its kind. In 1964, Frank Harrison commissioned Jerry Eisert to build a revolutionary Indy car based on the famed Lotus chassis design.
The results were spectacular. Eiser placed a de-stroked Corvette small-block V8 engine in the middle of the chassis, pumping out 485 hp at a screaming 7,500 RPM. Still in place today are its Colotti Type 37 4-speed gearbox and its original four-wheel disc brakes with Girling BR racing calipers and vented rotors.
The 1964 Eisert Harrison Special was also chosen to represent the 100 year anniversary of the Indy 500 by Road and Track Magazine, cementing this vehicle’s place in history as a true game changer, and ushering in the mid-engined Indy car era.
The vehicle will cross Mecum between August 18 and 20, where experts estimate up to $450,000 to take the historic Indy car home.
Comments
Come on guys, Jack Brabham drove a mid engine Cooper Climax in 1961 and a Lotus Ford finished second in 1963. The first Lotus win was ’65. I grew up in Indy and this was when I was starting to take an interest in Racing. Nifty car though. Mickey Thompson’s mid engine cars of that era were more unusual.
Yes this is far from the first mid engine Indy car.
The Cooper is considered the modern start and the Millers 3 cars in 39 were considered the first attempt and one came back as the Preston Tucker special 1946.
The one shown here was the first of it’s kind and the first small block Indy. It never even made the race if I recall correctly as several drivers tried to get it up to speed but it never made the race over several years.
It is the oldest surviving mid engine car left as all the others like the Coopers are no longer around.
Exactly right Scott. I was aware of the Millers but did not remember the specifics until you mentioned them. All those years looking at the back pages of the program waiting for the race to start.
Who drove it during qualifying?