The contributions of Harold Arminius Miller to the early years of motor sports are essentially impossible to overstate. Miller-designed or powered cars won the Indianapolis 500 a then unprecedented 12 times, beginning in 1922, when a Miller-powered Duesenberg claimed victory at the Brickyard. His concepts led to some of the very first purpose-built race cars that were not merely modified road equipment. Over 100 years later, the sheer beauty and functionality of Miller’s groundbreaking designs, and his fanatical attention to detail, continue to be a source of marvel. He pioneered the use of lightweight materials, supercharging, and front-wheel- and four-wheel-drive chassis. Surviving Miller cars and components are extremely rare and prized on an unprecedented level.

The Miller car on offer, a front-drive Model 91, is one of just 12 to 15 examples thought to have been made. According to Miller historian and author Mark Dees’volume on the marque, it is believed that the car was built from the damaged components of front-drive No. 4, which had been part of Earl Cooper’s team. It was driven by Jules Ellingboe at the 1927 Indianapolis 500, but crashed on the 25th lap. Dees contends that the components of No. 4 – and possibly No. 5 as well – were rebuilt by Texas-based racer Phil “Cowboy Red” Shafer within the AC spark plug workshops of General Motors, with Indy in his sights. Finished with a distinctly louvered hood, a dramatically flared cowl, and a higher-profile tail, the car raced at Indianapolis in 1928 and 1929, placing 6th and 12th respectively.

English racing driver Douglas Hawkes saw Shafer’s Miller in action at the 1929 race and arranged to purchase it, as rule changes would soon render it obsolete in the US. Hawkes, along with Lt. Col. Stewart and his wife Gwenda – herself a formidable driver at the limit – had set several speed and endurance records at the Montlhéry circuit. They knew that to sustain their success, they would need a Miller to achieve ever higher speeds – and front drive, to raise the profile of the design – as their French company, Derby, was advancing the concept.

Gwenda Stewart had driven ambulances in WWI and is described by Dees as “one of the most remarkable people of her time, and probably the bravest, most skillful woman ever to hold the steering wheel of a racing car.” In her “office,” driving the Miller at Montlhéry in 1930, she was successful in breaking the 100-Mile 1-Hour, and 200 Km records. They would by no means be the last records to fall as a result of her efforts.

In 1931, following engine failure at Brooklands while attempting to break Leon Duray’s flying kilometer record, the powerplant was substantially rebuilt by Derby and enlarged slightly to run in the 2,000 cc category. More records fell, Gwenda’s popularity soared, and the Derby-Miller was steadily improved throughout; however, at Brooklands in August 1931, the engine failed once more. A new emboldened crankcase was fashioned using metric threads, the compression ratio was raised, and new superchargers were built. The gearbox was similarly strengthened and spring rates were optimized to handle the increased power. As a result of their efforts, the Derby-Miller was the most highly developed of all 91 front-drives, remaining on its original chassis through at least 1935. In August of that year at Brooklands, Gwenda and the Derby-Miller – with a smooth-paneled bonnet in place of Shafer’s louvered unit – took part in a match race with Kay Petre, who was driving an 11-liter Delage. Despite the 9-liter delta in displacement between the women’s cars, Gwenda posted a lap time less than 1 mph behind Petre, and the event marked the final contest for Gwenda and her mighty Derby-Miller.

The following year, the car, and its patterns and spares were offered for sale. They were purchased by Bobby Baird, proprietor of the Belfast Telegraph in Northern Ireland, where it was largely disassembled. The engine was found decades later by Griff Borgeson and made its way to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Long-missed collector Bob Sutherland was a true enthusiast and catalyst for two aspects of the hobby that we enjoy today. Firstly, he founded the Colorado Grand, still one of the most popular 1000 Miglia-style retrospectives in America, and one that spawned any number of similar events. In addition, he was passionately interested in the evolution of the 1930s twin-cam engine cars of both American and European construction. Consequently, in his stable when he passed were Grand Prix Maseratis and Bugattis and a number of Millers.

He and a handful of others are directly responsible for the revival of enthusiasm in the Miller marque. Frequently traversing the UK, Europe, and America in the mid-1990s, he learned of surviving components from a FWD Miller discovered in the UK by David Harrison. This led him to purchase the engine from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and enlist renowned sleuth Richard Crump to source more parts from an exploratory trip to Belfast, including an original hood panel still marked with “Derby.” Intent on building a modern-day reconstruction of this fabled and accomplished Miller, the final piece was to commission a FWD frame to be built by expert engineer Peter Shaw.

Ultimately, when his appetite for projects waned, Mitchell Rasansky stepped in to follow the venture through to completion, with assistance from Bob Willey and Chuck Davis. A new body was constructed, including the hood, in order to preserve the original as a piece of history, rather than risk losing its original finish. The Gwenda Stewart-Hawkes car made its debut in restored form at Pebble Beach in 2000, where it wowed spectators with its striking appearance and visceral motive power.

Since 2000, this Miller has been shown around the world, including on multiple occasions at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the annual Harry Miller Meet at the Milwaukee Mile. This historic Miller 91 remains a captivating sight to behold and hear — its survival is a lasting testament to Mitchell Rasansky and the late Bob Sutherland.

*Please note that this vehicle is sold on a Bill of Sale.