Topic: Whaddyacallit #79 - Harris Front Drive Special

[Ray B.]

Ever seen this ?

Please, respond below and let us know the make and model designation of the car posted here.
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Also, please be sure to check out our other puzzles, and, please post a puzzle of your own if you'd like - the more, the merrier.

Thanks!

[Ray B.]

Birdie num num.

[Otto Puzzell]

Huh?

[Ray B.]

Birdie num num.

Quoting Peter Sellers in "The Party" when he feeds a parrot. So "Food for the experts" (but it looses the pun if I have to explain it).

[Otto Puzzell]

Sorry - never saw that one...

[neilshouse]

The Party is one of the funniest films I've ever seen, well worth a watch in my opinion. Howdy Partner!

[grobmotorix]

I just knew the german sychronization so far, of course, but - brave new world- you can find almost everything somewhere in the internet:


http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=sellers+the+party+parrot&sitesearch=

[Ray B.]

I just knew the german sychronization so far, of course,

I am a great advocate of seing films in their original language with subtitles, but here this is a must, for Peter Sellers "hindu" accent. Well it's a must for any Sellers movie if you ask me.

[jotage21]

Ben Harris 1937

[jotage21]

Ben Harris 1937

[Ray B.]

Achieved in 1936 or 1937. Anyway, it's a bingo !

[Paul Jaray]

I received this email,

1935 Harris fwd steamlined speciale‏

Sir,
New to the site, it is really neat, never new it was on the web,
 A friend of mine told me that my car was on here somewhere?
 Have owned and researched it for 22 years.
 By any chance, do you know how I might find it in the posts and categories?
 Thank you,
John

Is Benjamin's car you are looking for?

[Ray B.]

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the picture I used with a better sharpness. But it obviously comes from an issue of Popular Science of 1937.
Here is another scan from the "Encyclopedia of American cars 1930-1942". You can forward it to your correspondent.

[Paul Jaray]

The problem is that I don't know who's writing me. I searched trough Google the same request and I found out more less the same email in another site, but just don't know who can it be and how did he get my e-mail. I'm actively registered in this site only while in other place I'm registered just to see the pictures in the pages, so I presume this person was referring to this place. My email is in my profile, that's why I think he is one of us. BTW John, here you are the page you are looking for!
Thanks Ray!

[Paul Jaray]

This is the request I found on the net in one site:
"Mr Nabeel,
I have a very special automobile that may be the first true streamlined closed bodied sports car.
The 1935 Harris fwd Streamlined Speciale.
It started as a clay model in 1934 and took the maker 2 years to complete.
To our best belief, it innovated 15 firsts in its design and build.
If you have a regular email address, I can send pictures of this truly remarkable and significant automobile.
With all respect,
John"

and thi in one other:

"I am searching for information about the earliest of fwd usage in automobiles.
Also searching for information about a lost engine;
It was refered to as the Swindler V-8, 2 examples and maybe 3 were built in roughly 1932-33.
It was a dual cam, dual distr, dual carb V-8 that weighed around 150lbs.
George Swindler from Dayton Ohio built them. AKA ( Swindlers Garage in Dayton.)
Searching for any heirs and family that may have parts or blueprints from this amazing engine also.
One such engine was in a old sprint midget car, Harold Crist #25 race car, era 1935.
Also searching for any information, pictures, magazines, newspaper articles, show brochures or WHATEVER for the;
1935 Harris fwd Streamlined Speciale, built in Chicago and Champaign Illinois era 1934-36
Any further information about its builder, Benjamin F Harris, is also desired.
Any pictures of Ben with Gordon Buerhig, Mr. Cord and others is also appreciated, will pay good for any and all items,
Thanks,
John"

He really want this info!

[Ray B.]

Yes, I found that too.

[Paul Jaray]

I'll write him back...

[motorcar1]

Hello everybody,
Thanks to the people that led me to this site, was surprised to see the car here!!!!

I started out 22years ago sending letters, e-mails when it came about, pictures and probably  300 phone calls or more to get facts on the Harris car over the years.
We are still gathering more.

Some of what is in the articles above is correct, some is adlived through the writer.

Allready have had a BINGO on this site, I have never been able to get the Popular Science Magazine, if anyone has a copy, would be interested in purchasing it !!!!!

ALSO, I am searching for:
a Better Homes and Graden it is written up in, another called Auto Age(think that is the correct name), 1937 or 38 NY International Auto brochure (the car is on the shows brochure cover)  any pictures of the car on pedestal at the 1936 Chicago International Auto Show, a picture of Mr Cord and the owner of Perfect Circle piston rings, the car pacing racing events, the car racing on track and several more, would appreciate any and all leads.

The V-8 twin cam, dual ign, dual carburated engine sung out 6,000 rpm's, it had a roller bearing cranshaft. Some have told me that it ran even faster than 110.

Spice Dana built there first ever fwd half shaft for this car, still looking for a write up they did in a magazine in the late 30's.

Yes, Gordon Buerhig was Bens best buddy  until their deaths, Ben was Gordons best man at his wedding, the wedding took place while the car was being built.
Alex Tremulis is being discussed on another site also, as we believe it may have inspired him in his youthful years, he worked at Auburn-Cord-Duesenburg, he was around 20 years old.

Has anyone ever heard of the David Biggs collection from Clarksville Missouri, Biggs was a racing fan and had a unbelievable collection of very rare cars, the Harris car was on loan to David for his museum,
Ben started SCCA racing in Illinois, he was awarded a life time membership and continued as an official for them in Illinois for many years. Ben and David were good friends.
He also ran with the Granatelli's and many others,

LOOKING for any and all other information, getting ready to unload our 22 years of research to tell the whole story, do so want the Historians opinion on the car and its place in History.

FIRE away at me with any questions, there are sooooo many things that it incorporated into its build and style.
Glad to meet everyone,
JOHN

[porridgehead]

Congratulations Autopuzzles!. I daresay this is a milestone. The first member to join here to hopefully garner information about their incredibly rare automobile. For some reason, this just tickles me. I mean, how cool is this?

All I can say is: Welcome John. You have an outstanding automobile and I am sure that I am not the only person who would like to hear all about it. Do you have any current photos of the car? 

[Paul Jaray]

Here's a better shot from the same magazine:

[Otto Puzzell]

Wonderful stuff. 

[Ray B.]

Gee, am I proud to have dug up this one! I knew the car from a long time, from the book clipping I have posted, but it was just a legend.
Unfortunately, what is above is all I know about it.
Maybe John could make it an article for our Feature Articles section.

[Paul Jaray]

I received an email from John, with other pictures and info. Now everybody, start search in our archives and databases and help him finding any details about this car!

[motorcar1]

Paul and everyone above,
Thank you for your kind words on the car, and your help!!

Paul, dumbie me, I did not realize you were whom I was addressing in our other e-mail correspondence.

I did forward you an e-mail today, please do post the other pictures I forwarded.
They should give everybody a better idea and understanding of the car and its construction.

The car was thought lost many years ago,  even though it was thought as gone in 1964, it still gained and captured many writers imaginations in articles, last known article in a national magazine was about 5 years ago.

Ray B, would be happy and honored to work with you and Paul !!!!!

I am not a very good writer and the mass of information I have is overwhelming to me.
I figure that it will take 14 chapters to describe everything about  the car, its build, its inovations, Ben and the people he ran with together with its history over the past 74 years.

Couple of Interesting points for you guys;
the fire at the Biggs museum was spotted by a gentleman breaking the worlds Genisse (sp) record for sitting atop a flag pole in Clarksville Mo,

after Ben had passed away, he was not burried until years later, still lost on that one!!!!

The Fordilac built in the early 50's with the help of the Granetelli's, was another of Bens cars.

Ben sat at dinners with Roosevelt, campaigned with his good friend Barry Goldwater and also knew Whacky Arnolt Bristol and Harley Earl, this is a start.

He was an amazing man that traveled the world in first class, he could purchase whatever he wanted at anytime, but yet, ""went hands on"" to build this car.

We like to think, as he had no other street cars to go by, Ben:
"unkowingly built/created the future to come" in street and race design as we know it,  even to this very day many of his incorporated ideas are used in some fashion.

We have been the care takers of this piece of History for 23 years now, do so hope that all of your help on this remarkable site helps us to further the car's history for all to enjoy.
It has already !!!!!!
Thank you gentleman,
John
Nebo Illinois

[Paul Jaray]

Here are the pages John sent me: