The history of this auto race in America and the changes made to the cars during the 1960's. Features rare and contemporary photos.

For race fans in America, the month of May has always meant one thing: the biggest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500. It's a race that has captured our attention from the moment Ray Harroun took the first checkered flag in 1911. Indy racing has been so fascinating because it has always been a showcase for racing technology -- big purses and major sponsors have ensured that Indy would always attract the fastest of the fast. Over the years, the 500 and its racers have produced a pendulum-like swing between periods of wild innovation and a conservative "run what wins" philosophy. The latter is exemplified by the '20s, when the Millers dominated so thoroughly, and the '50s, when the traditional Offy-powered roadsters ruled. The Miller era was upset by the Great Depression and subsequent introduction of the "Junk Formula" in 1930. The new rules resulted in a "run what ya brung" ethic that brought all kinds of machines and ideas to the brickyard. In the '40s though, it became clear that an Offy-powered roadster was the way to go, and those cars began a new era of domination that lasted into the early '60s. And that's when all hell broke loose. In 1961, a diminutive British Grand Prix car tried its hand at Indy. Jack Brabham's rear-engine Cooper-Climax didn't have the horsepower to beat the roadsters, but its light weight and nimble handling gave it a decided edge in the corners. Suddenly, the Offy roadsters were under attack. Rear-engine cars, stock-block engines, turbines, twin-engine Porsches, Diesels ... you name it, somebody tried racing it at Indy in the 1960s. The battle intensified when Ford entered the fray in 1963, leading to the first rear-engine win when Jimmy Clark drove a Lotus-Ford to victory in 1965. Within a few years, the roadsters were little more than relics, as advances in tires, engines, aerodynamics, and race car engineering left them in the dust. It was the wildest decade ever for America's biggest race. Book jacket.

At speeds of over 230 miles per hour, the Indy open-wheel race cars set the bar for American Championship car racing. For over 100 years, the Indy cars and their drivers have drawn hundreds of thousands of spectators to Speedway, Indiana, with another 6 million people watching the race on television or by live stream. In The Winning Cars of the Indianapolis 500, James Craig Reinhardt, author and official tour guide for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, details the history of the famous race and how the open-wheel race cars have evolved over the last century. Starting in 1911 with the first running of the Indy 500, Reinhardt profiles each race and car, including the starting position, engine, tires, race speed, margin of victory, and much more. Featuring nearly 200 images of the automobiles and individuals who make the race renowned, this book showcases the top drivers and how racing has changed through two world wars, the Great Depression, and unforgettable accidents. This beautifully illustrated book is a must-have for veteran and rookie race fans alike.

Team Lotus took the Indianapolis 500 race by storm between 1963 and 1969. In a race previously dominated by home-grown American cars and drivers, double Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark scored a stunning victory in 1965, and twice finished second in his Lotus cars powered by Ford engines. Here is the definitive inside story of how – encouraged by the great Dan Gurney – the tiny British Lotus team, headed by Colin Chapman, took aim at an icon of American sporting life and rewrote motor racing history. First published in 1996 and out of print for years.

Professional motorsports came to Las Vegas in the mid-1950s at a bankrupt horse track swarmed by gamblers--and soon became enmeshed with the government and organized crime. By 1965, the Vegas racing game moved from makeshift facilities to Stardust International Raceway, constructed with real grandstands, sanitary facilities and air-conditioned timing towers. Stardust would host the biggest racing names of the era--Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, John Surtees, Mark Donohue, Bobby Unser, Dan Gurney and Don Garlits among them. Established by a notorious racketeer, the track stood at the confluence of shadowy elements--wiretaps, casino skimming, Howard Hughes, and the beginnings of Watergate. The author traces the Stardust's colorful history through the auto racing monthlies, national newspapers, extensive interviews and the files of the FBI.

At speeds of over 230 miles per hour, the Indy open-wheel race cars set the bar for American Championship car racing. For over 100 years, the Indy cars and their drivers have drawn hundreds of thousands of spectators to Speedway, Indiana, with another 6 million people watching the race on television or by live stream. In The Winning Cars of the Indianapolis 500, James Craig Reinhardt, author and official tour guide for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, details the history of the famous race and how the open-wheel race cars have evolved over the last century. Starting in 1911 with the first running of the Indy 500, Reinhardt profiles each race and car, including the starting position, engine, tires, race speed, margin of victory, and much more. Featuring nearly 200 images of the automobiles and individuals who make the race renowned, this book showcases the top drivers and how racing has changed through two world wars, the Great Depression, and unforgettable accidents. This beautifully illustrated book is a must-have for veteran and rookie race fans alike.

This comprehensive reference guide reviews the literature concerning the impact of the automobile on American social, economic, and political history. Covering the complete history of the automobile to date, twelve chapters of bibliographic essays describe the important works in a series of related topics and provide broad thematic contexts. This work includes general histories of the automobile, the industry it spawned and labor-management relations, as well as biographies of famous automotive personalities. Focusing on books concerned with various social aspects, chapters discuss such issues as the car's influence on family life, youth, women, the elderly, minorities, literature, and leisure and recreation. Berger has also included works that investigate the government's role in aiding and regulating the automobile, with sections on roads and highways, safety, and pollution. The guide concludes with an overview of reference works and periodicals in the field and a description of selected research collections. The Automobile in American History and Culture provides a resource with which to examine the entire field and its structure. Popular culture scholars and enthusiasts involved in automotive research will appreciate the extensive scope of this reference. Cross-referenced throughout, it will serve as a valuable research tool.

The automotive industry underwent great change in the 1960s and the early 1970s. The continuing trend toward market consolidation, the proliferation of sizes and nameplates, and the "need for speed" characterized this period, loosely labeled as the muscle car era. This is an exhaustive reference work to American made cars of model years 1960-1972. Organized by year (and summarizing the market annually), it provides a yearly update on each make's status and production figures, then details all models offered for that year. Model listings include available body styles, base prices, engine and transmission choices, power ratings, standard equipment, major options and their prices, curb weight and dimensions (interior and exterior), paint color choices, changes from the previous year's model, and sales figures. Also given are assembly plant locations and historical overviews of each model nameplate. The book is profusely illustrated with 1,018 photographs.

The automotive industry underwent great change in the 1960s and the early 1970s. The continuing trend toward market consolidation, the proliferation of sizes and nameplates, and the "need for speed" characterized this period, loosely labeled as the muscle car era. This is an exhaustive reference work to American made cars of model years 1966-1972. Organized by year (and summarizing the market annually), it provides a yearly update on each make's status and production figures, then details all models offered for that year. Model listings include available body styles, base prices, engine and transmission choices, power ratings, standard equipment, major options and their prices, curb weight and dimensions (interior and exterior), paint color choices, changes from the previous year's model, and sales figures. Also given are assembly plant locations and historical overviews of each model nameplate.