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Cars From the Vault: 1946 Miller-Ross Page Special

1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-feature From its beginning in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has held an extremely special place in US motorsports. The 500-mile race began when circle track racing was starting its heyday and has continued to create memorable events in racing history ever since. Not only are drivers made and ruined, but car designs come and go - innovation leads to change in an unending charge to the finish. When this 1946 Miller-Ross Page Special was spied in the garage vault of the Petersen Automotive Museum, we knew it was something we had to share. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-15 Built by Frank Kurtis, of Kurtis Kraft in Glendale, California, the Miller-Ross Page Special features an off-set Miller-Offenhauser engine – allowing more room for the driver to access the pedals. Most cars of this era had the driver sitting practically on top of the transmission. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-08 Kurtis built a many cars, mainly Indy cars, midgets, and sprint cars. He also designed some very early “customs” as well as production sportscars - including one that would be bought by Muntz and produced as the Muntz Jet, formerly featured on our Cars from the Vault series. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-20 The Miller-Ross Page Special gets its go from a supercharged Miller-Offenhauser engine. If unfamiliar with those names, the Miller-Offy engine was the winningest of its time, and in fact Offenhauser engines still hold the most Indy 500 wins. Fred Offenhauser worked for Henry Miller, the two collaborated on designs. In 1933 Miller went bankrupt, with Offenhauser buying the engine rights and continuing to develop it. Offenhauser engines dominated Indy wins into the 70s when the Cosworth took over. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-22 What made Offy engines so special was their displacement to power ratio, reaching as much as 3hp per cubic inch (in a day when even 1hp per cubic inch was impressive). The twin-cam four-cylinder engines had heads which were mated to the main engine body, adding the ability to increase compression pressures. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-05 During World War II, the Indy 500 halted, this Miller-Ross Page Special debuted on the race’s return in 1946, placing 11th. It continued racing two additional years, finishing 9th and 23rd and was then retired to lower forms of racing. Over the years the car’s wheelbase has been modified, allowing it to fit in various classes. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-14 The Lexan fairing adds a silhouette behind the driver’s head which was innovative for the time. Acrylic was a new material finding use during the war. It’s flexible and lightweight properties made it a “clear” choice for this aerodynamic addition. 1946-Miller-Ross-Page-Special-Indy-Car-Petersen-Vault-04 Restored in an attempt to credit its beginnings, the 1946 Miller-Ross Page Special is a beautiful example of racing history and innovation. As part of the collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum, you might catch it in an exhibit or in The Vault. You’ll never know exactly what you might catch a peek of at the Petersen’s Vault Tour, visit if you get a chance! Pictures: Tim Sutton | Words: Kristin Cline id 10171

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