A Grid of Vintage Indy Cars Will Cross the Line in Kissimmee
Scattered among the over 4000 vehicles that will go to auction at Mecum Kissimmee, the massive Central Florida event that runs from January 7-19 this year, are multiple race cars, including some to-die-for historic Indy cars (as opposed to IndyCars, which would cover only the period that the sanctioning body has been called IndyCar, from 2011 to the present).
Quite a few of them are part of the Jackie and Gary Runyon Collection. The Runyons are hard to categorize as collectors—Runyon-owned vehicles up for auction range from a pair of Lamborghinis, to a quartet of Corvettes, to a hot-rodded 1957 GMC Suburban, to a 1938 Monarch Sno-Motor used to haul 20 skiers up a snowy slope. “I’d say my collection definitely falls under the category of ‘eclectic,’” Gary says. “I’m looking for stuff nobody else has got.”
But as Indiana residents, it’s natural that they’d be interested in Indy cars, and here’s a few highlights:
1959 Kurtis-Epperly Offenhauser
Estimate: $600,000 – $800,000.
Built by Frank Kurtis for the 1959 season and modified by Quinn Epperly for 1960, this gorgeous car was raced by Jud Larson in the 1959 Indy 500, then campaigned the next year by A.J. Foyt to his first of seven championship-winning seasons, paired with fabled chief mechanic George Bignotti. It’s powered by a 255-cubic-inch Offenhauser four-cylinder, and the car is eligible to race in vintage Indy car events, as are all the Runyon collection Indy cars for sale in Kissimmee.
1966 Lola T90 Ford
Estimate: $1,000,000 – $1,500,000
No argument: Jackie Stewart is one of racing’s all-time greats. There’s a reason why he’s Sir Jackie Stewart. The three-time Formula 1 champion came very close to winning the 1966 Indy 500 in this Lola T90, powered by 256-cubic-inch Ford V-8, for John Mecom’s fledgling team, again with George Bignotti turning the wrenches. Stewart led for 40 laps until, with just 10 laps left, an oil pump failed, leaving Stewart with a sixth-place finish, and rookie of the year honors (Stewart’s teammate Graham Hill won). He got back in the car for the Fuji 200 in Japan that October, qualified on the pole, and won the race.
1979 Lola T500 Cosworth Indy car
Estimate: $500,000 – $750,000
Driver Janet Guthrie was a genuine pioneer. In 1977, she was the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. This Lola T500, powered by a 2.65-liter turbocharged Cosworth V-8, is the car that Guthrie raced in the 1979 Indy 500, her last of three. She qualified in the middle of row five and finished 34th after burning a piston. (That year 35 cars were allowed in the field, as opposed to the traditional 33.) Later that year, Guthrie drove the car to a fifth-place finish in a 200-lap race in Milwaukee. Acclaimed NASCAR car owner and crew chief Ray Evernham’s shop restored it.
1963 Watson Offenhauser Indy car
Estimate: $500,000 – $600,000
Built by the legendary A.J. Watson with some styling input from Corvette designer Larry Shinoda, and powered by a 255-cubic-inch Offenhauser four-cylinder, this red and white racer was driven by 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500 winner Rodger Ward to a fourth-place finish in the 1963 edition of the race. Ward later drove it to a win in the Rex Mays 100 at the Milwaukee Mile. Run by Bob Wilke’s Leader Card Racers, this car was restored by Watson himself, along with Steve Miller and Classic Car Motorsports.
1971 Morris Marauder Ford Indy car
Estimate: $150,000 – $175,000
This car may not be as historically significant as some of the others for sale, but it’s personal to me because I was friends with driver Jim McElreath, who won five Indy car races, including the inaugural California 500 in 1970, in fellow Texan A.J. Foyt’s car. McElreath, the 1962 Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year, competed in 15 Indy 500s. His story was a tragic one: He and son James hoped to be the first father and son to run the Indy 500, and while Jim qualified for the 1977 race, James did not, and he was killed several months later in a sprint car crash. Daughter Shirley was married to racer Tony Bettenhausen, Jr., and both died in a private plane crash. McElreath drove this car in the 1971 Pocono 500; the car was owned by George Walther, Jr., head of Dayton Steel, and the father of Indy car driver Salt Walther, who also drove this car in several races.
The Morris Marauder, from the minimalist “long and low” Indy period, was built by George Morris, who was also the chief mechanic for the car. It is powered by a 159-cubic-inch Ford V-8. A comparatively simple car, it should be relatively reliable to race in vintage Indy and SVRA events.
1991 Ford F150 PPG Pace Truck
No estimate (sold for charity)
Can’t afford one of the Runyon Indy cars? Neither can we. But this 1991 Ford F150 pace truck, built by Jack Roush and McLaren Performance Technologies, might be a semi-sensible alternative. With just 5867 miles on the clock, and powered by a Roush-built, 500-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8, it’s painted a vivid purple, green, and yellow, which isn’t surprising since paint manufacturer PPG sponsored the races. Used from 1991 to 1994 in the CART PPG Indy Car World Series, it’s outfitted with everything from water-cooled brake calipers to strobe lights. Proceeds benefit Spina Bifida of Jacksonville, Florida.
Is there a package deal? I’ll buy em all ! Rather not have the pace truck but we could always sell that off. Sir Stewart is one of my faves. Yet talking Indy A.J. (aka Super Tex ) is all that and two bags of chips both as driver and owner. How many drivers were able to win in both the old roadster style (shown), when the drivers were fat and the tires were skinny, and then make the switch to the mid-engine configuration? Not to mention all the other series he competed in and won. I sure hope to see him” Back Home in Indiana’ this year.
I would love the AJ car just to drive around the neighborhood and scare the neighbors.
AJ also was a car builder, mechanic and engine developer. His 77 car was a new version he built off the failed Riley car and the engine was a revamp of an old Ford he made his own version of. Only Dan Gurney was of equal status.
Also let’s give George Bignotti credit as he was the crew chief to many winners. He knew how to set up a car. May be the best Indy Crew Chief ever.