All you young ‘uns clean the wax out of your skulls and listen up because today we are digging into the OG treasure chest today to talk about one of the greatest automotive engineers of all time: Harry Miller. The Engine Builder Hall of Fame said it best when they referred to Miller as “…one of the most influential and revolutionary figures in the early days of American motorsports.” And today we’re here to explain why this bold claim is so accurate.

For Harry Miller was not just an engine builder and carb tuner. The guy was a sculptor, an artist, a designer, an aerodynamics and downforce mastermind, and one hell of a marketing man.

It’s Miller Time!

Born back in 1875, Harry Miller was raised like many Wisconsin kids: In a simple, yet nurturing environment. Fortunately for Miller, both of his parents were extremely creative, and he inherited these traits. Forever curious as to how things worked, Miller showed a broad learning capacity at a young age, with deconstructing and rebuilding being obvious strengths.

After moving to California in the mid-1890s, Miller became infatuated with all things automotive, and before long he was filing for patents for things like spark plugs and various other small parts.

Miller’s first major assignment came when Olds Motor Works in Lansing, Michigan tasked him with preparing an Oldsmobile entry for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup, a racing event in Long Island, NY that drew competitors from across the globe. According to historical documents on the race, the event marked a bunch of automotive racing firsts, with a record crowd estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 in attendance. It was on this day that the finish of the race was marked by the first use of a checkered flag, which sadly was overshadowed by the death of a spectator on Lap 6.

Meanwhile, Miller was suffering from his own afflictions. One issue after another had caused his car to fail to finish. But instead of being downtrodden by the situation, Miller viewed the whole scenario as an opportunity to improve himself and construct an even better engine.

After returning to California, Miller opened his first shop in 1908: The Miller Carburetor and Manufacturing Co. Specializing in aluminum carburetors, Miller’s first manufacturing endeavor resulted in a hefty number of orders from both race teams and aviation firms. This eventually led to Miller being handed his first full engine assignment in 1914, as well as the rebuilding of a Peugeot for the 1915 Indianapolis 500. The Miller-Meteor Company, Miller’s race engine building side of the business came next, which saw moderate success at first, and then a whirlwind of wins shortly thereafter.

Photo Credit: Engine Builder Hall of Fame/YouTube

On the Upswing

After receiving encouragement from fellow racing legends Leo Goossen (who would become Miller’s blueprint specialist), Fred Offenhauser, Ed Winfield, and Barney Oldfield, Miller went head first into producing cars for an all-new form of racing. It was called The Indianapolis 500, and it was about to make Miller one of the most famous men in automotive history.

The first big breakthrough was something most of us take for granted every day: A series of overhauled, dual-overhead-camshaft engines that produced more power, and reliably at that. Over the course of the next decade, Miller’s cars outperformed almost every competitor, setting many new world records along the way.

Take the Miller 91 pictured below for instance. A supercharged straight-eight engine that set the bar for “technological excellence and engineering innovation.” It was this redesign that is credited with single-handedly slapping the pushrod engine out of the Indy 500, ushering in what many refer to as the “Golden Age” for the aspiring entrepreneur.

Later, after teaming up with machinist and engineer, Fred Offenhauser, the Offenhauser Racing Engine Company was founded. With Miller’s design and marketing capabilities, and Offenhauser’s machining skills, a new standard for race car engines was established. Even more reliable and performance-packed than the already outstanding Miller 91, The Offenhauser engine quickly became the go-to powerplant for Indy 500 winners and remained so for years to come.

Photo Credit: Engine Builder Hall of Fame/YouTube

The Great Downturn & One Bad Deal After Another

Unlike fellow Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee, Ed Winfield, who managed to maintain much of his financial means and automotive engineering enterprises during America’s Great Depression, Miller did not fare nearly as well. As the economy tanked, and race budgets evaporated, Miller found himself selling off almost all of the assets associated with his companies, and by 1933 the motoring mastermind had filed for bankruptcy.

In a desperate move to make money, Miller and Preston Tucker of “Tucker 48” fame, forged a partnership in 1935, to produce a stock-block engine in an independently sprung chassis for Ford’s racing division. They got the deal, and Miller was assigned the job of building ten cars for the Indy 500. However, due to the delayed arrival of crucial assembly and manufacturing equipment, testing was limited at best. Ultimately, only four of the ten cars ended up being able to qualify, all four of which were forced to retire early. Needless to say, Ford was nonplussed and Miller was blacklisted.

The last attempt at producing a race machine came in the late 1930s when Miller was contracted to engineer and build Grand Prix and Indy cars for the Gulf Oil Company. After every single one of his creations failed to qualify for the 1938 Indy 500, Miller resigned from the sport of racing and turned his focus toward conceptual designs and military applications. One of these was a rotating turret-equipped vehicle called the “Tucker Tiger,” which was brilliantly conceived but hampered by legal battles with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This final attempt at automotive engineering ultimately led to Preston Tucker’s downfall, and Miller’s resignation from car engineering. Unable to resurrect the glory days of his automotive engineering career, Harry Miller worked tirelessly on conceptual designs and the occasional aircraft project until his death in 1943. 

At one time or another, almost every major speed and distance record was held by a Miller product. It is a record unequaled by any other manufacturer before or since. As a result, the name Miller has become synonymous with phenomenal success. — Official Nomination Bio for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America by Automotive Historian, Joseph S. Freeman

Photo Credit: Engine Builder Hall of Fame/YouTube

The Legend Lives On

Today, modern cars and race programs alike owe Harry Miller credit for the roots supporting their aerodynamics, engine technologies, and performance capabilities. Miller’s impact on the Indianapolis 500 is even more weighty, as his contributions to race car design and engineering changed open-wheel racing forever.

His cars not only dominated racing, but they simultaneously set records that stood for years to come, with anything coming out of the Offenhauser Racing Engine Company being of particular significance. In essence, this was the guy who started American aftermarket parts. In recognition of his contributions over half a century later, Harry Miller was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, followed by the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Inaugural class of the Engine Builder Hall of Fame in 2023.