Mormon Meteor
| Duesenberg Special / Mormon Meteor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Designer | J. Herbert Newport |
| Layout | FR |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Duesenberg Special: 420 cu in (7 l) 400 hp (298 kW) I8 Mormon Meteor: 1,570 cu in (26 l) Curtiss Conqueror 750 hp (559 kW) V12 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 142.5 in (3,620 mm) |
| Mormon Meteor III | |
|---|---|
| Layout | FR |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,570 cu in (26 l) Curtiss Conqueror 750 hp (559 kW) V12 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 156 in (3,962 mm) |
The Mormon Meteor I and III were two land speed record cars built in the 1930s by Ab Jenkins.
The Duesenberg Special was a one-off speed record car. It was built in 1935 on a supercharged Duesenberg Model J rolling chassis with a standard wheelbase of 142.5 inches (3,620 mm), a dropped front axle, 18 inches (460 mm) wheels instead of the standard 19 inches (480 mm) wheels, and a non-standard 3:1 rear axle ratio. The engine was highly tuned by August Duesenberg, with the compression ratio raised to 7.5:1 and different engine bearings being used. High performance parts developed for the Special, especially the "ram's horn" twin-carburetor inlet manifold, would be used on later supercharged Js (or "SJ"s as they were called by the public).
Financing for the Duesenberg Special came from sponsorship solicited by Ab Jenkins from oil companies and accessory manufacturers and distributors. Jenkins guaranteed his sponsors that he would break established speed records with the car. He delivered on his guarantee in October 1935, when he set a one-hour record of 153.97 mph (247.79 km/h) and a twenty-four-hour record of 135.57 mph (218.18 km/h) at a circuit on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The 24-hour record would be held until 1961.
In search of higher speed records, Jenkins had the Duesenberg Special modified by replacing the Duesenberg engine with a Curtiss Conqueror aircraft engine. August Duesenberg designed new parts to connect the aircraft engine to the car's drivetrain. Work on the car was supervised by August Duesenberg and done largely by him and by Ab Jenkins' son Marvin.
This version of the car was named Mormon Meteor and Ab Jenkins began breaking records with it in 1936, beginning with a 500 kilometres (310 mi) record of 164.47 mph (264.69 km/h). Jenkins and Babe Stapp drove the car to a 24-hour average of 153.82 mph (247.55 km/h) and a 48-hour average of 148.64 mph (239.21 km/h). In 1937, Jenkins and Louis Meyer increased the car's 24-hour record to 157.27 mph (253.10 km/h).
The combination of the V12 aircraft engine and the almost stock Duesenberg chassis caused understeer at high speed. Jenkins had August Duesenberg, now an independent engineer after the closure of Duesenberg Inc., design and build a new chassis to contain the aircraft engine. After the aircraft engine was removed from the Mormon Meteor in 1938, the car was restored to Duesenberg Special specifications, the body was modified for road use, and the car was driven by Ab and Marv Jenkins on the streets for about 20,000 miles (32,000 km) until 1943.
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Wikipedia