Vehicle Description
The early 1930s formed the foundation for American motorsports. The
Great Depression meant that few could afford the exotic machines
meant for the grand prix circuits of the world, and yet motorsport
still provided an opportunity for a few lucky drivers to earn some
decent pocket money from week to week. Dirt horse tracks on local
fairgrounds were used by racers in Ford Model T and Model A
specials, sliding around on the throttle and kicking up dirt into
the faces of a delighted crowd. It was cheap entertainment for the
spectators, and racers had boundless opportunities to race around
the country, particularly in places like Pennsylvania and the
Midwest. The cars, meanwhile, were built with great creativity.
Speed parts were few and far between so while a few key components
could be purchased, it was down to the skill of the car builder to
adapt them to whatever base machine they were using- and that was
usually a cheap and ubiquitous Ford. Companies like Frontenac and
Cragar offered overhead valve conversions to allow the somewhat
agricultural but robust Ford four cylinder engines to breathe more
deeply and rev freely. Rear axles were welded up to eliminate the
differential effect and promote big power slides, while the
gearboxes were even stripped of first and reverse gears to save
weight. Standard bodies were ditched in favor of single-seat
arrangements, sometimes purchased from a catalog, sometimes home
built, depending on how deep the builder's pockets were. These cars
were the origin of the great American Midget Racers, Sprint Cars
and Indy Roadsters that came to define American motorsport from the
1930s through the glory days of 1960s and through to today's World
of Outlaws and Silver Crown sprint cars. Our featured 1931 Ford
"Cragar Special" gets its name from the Cragar overhead valve
conversion it wears. Along with the "Fronty", the Cragar OHV was a
favored setup by many racers in the period, and as a result, a
number of cars from this era carry the same nickname. This
particular car has a wonderful history, passing through the hands
of the father of the collector car business, Milford H. "Tiny"
Gould. Tiny Gould had a successful tire recapping business, and he
always had an affinity for old cars... the whole idea of
"collector" cars hadn't really become fully developed yet. Hailing
from Pennsylvania, Gould raced at events such as the Giant's
Despair Hillclimb in Wilkes-Barre or on the quarter-mile asphalt
oval at Bone Stadium. He soon began collecting classic cars from
the 1920s and 1930s, constantly horse-trading with his friends and
fellow Antique Automobile Club of America members, eventually
opening "Tiny Gould Antique and Classic Cars". He, along with the
likes of Leo Gephart, formed the foundation of the collector car
hobby's transition into a legitimate business. Along with the big
classics such as Duesenberg, Packard and Stutz, Gould was a
champion for early American dirt race cars, so much so that he was
instrumental in creating the racing car class within the AACA
ranks. Along with very exotic machinery such as the 1935
Miller-Ford, he owned a number of dirt-track specials such as our
featured Cragar Special, recognizing their importance from early
on. During his time with this car, it earned its AACA Junior and
Senior awards. Today, the Cragar Special presents in wonderful
condition. The distinctive blue paint and hand-lettered graphics
give it a beautiful period look and the quality of the paint and
finishing is excellent. The silver frame, red wheels and red
leather seat upholstery contrast nicely, ensuring she is a stand
out on track. A few minor nicks and flaws are found, but overall it
is a great looking piece with an abundance of charm. The car is
loaded with wonderful details, from the louvered front apron,
leather hood belts, manual fuel pump, and Andre Hartford friction
shocks, to the exposed Model A transmission, knobby Wards Riverside
Power Grip rear tires, and military surplus seat belt. The red
leather seat cushion snaps into place for easy removal during
service and it remains in very good condition, showing only light
age. The Ford Model A engine is classically basic and tidy. The
period Cragar Overhead Valve conversion remains intact and looks
great with the polished alloy valve cover.� The engines breathes in
through a single carburetor, and out through a fabulous
four-into-one exhaust that exits through the hood side and runs
down the right of the car into a chrome exhaust pipe. An
engine-turned alloy firewall adds a bit of racy appeal to the
engine bay. The engine runs well, though the car may need some
minor fettling prior to any track duty. Brakes are rear only,
activated by an outside lever - a correct arrangement allowing
drivers to invoke a throttle-steer slide with a quick yank of the
lever. While this car's racing history is unknown, it is regardless
an important and very collectible car, thanks to its history and
success in AACA events during its time with Mr. Tiny Gould. The
vintage dirt car, Sprint Car and Indy Car community is an active
and enthusiastic group, and they would no doubt welcome this
delightful little machine into their ranks. We would love to see it
in action, kicking up a rooster tail of dirt as it slides around an
oval, with the distinct burble from that gutsy little Ford engine.
