The comment on the Buenos Airies GP got me thinking.
I am always interested in the "variety" of race car that took part in the South American Libre events, especially their American engined specials.
I note in Leif's results of the 1941 Rio de Janiero GP that Rubens Abrunhosa of Brazil was 4th in a Studebaker.
In 1932/3 Studebaker built 5 very special Indy race cars.
One of them evidently went to South America.
Was this perhaps that car?
Regards
Rob Young

These cars were real beauties! At least the original ones, from 1932. Does anyone know if the 1933 cars were new or rebuilt ones?

I wrote a long story on them in a recent issue of Classic Car Africa because one of the cars came to South Africa in 1935, raced once in 1935 on a street circuit and then was converted to race in our formula libre/handicap events in the early 50's. It disappeared in the mid 60's.
The 1933 cars were the same cars as the 1932 cars but fitted with streamlined bodies.
They were the first race cars designed in a wind tunnel.
They were built because it was feared that the depression would cause the Indy 500 to be scrapped due to the cost of the Indy cars. As a result Rickenbacker mooted the "junk" formula which allowed stock block engines and cars to be built at a fraction of the price of the "pure" (no disrespect) racers. He got a full grid and it is said that the "junk" formula saved the Indy 500.
Regards
Rob Young

So then, the car Dave Evans drove to sixth in 1933 (owned by Art Rose) wasn't a previous year's car, was it? There were also two Studes wrecked in practice. My info had been that the 1933 cars were new ones, so I started to imagine what happened to the old ones. Thanks!

Was the 1953 Rio GP a Formula 2 or Formula Libre event? Who won?

The Art Rose car was not a factory car.
It ran 1933, 34, 35 and 1936 at Indy.
It used a Stud model 92 engine in a front drive chassis.

A car called the ROMTHE Spl was built by some Studebaker personnel for the 1930 Indy and was running well until a split fuel tank caused delays. It came 18th.
After the impressive showing of this car came the Hunt Spl.
The first (almost) factory Stud was probably the Hunt Special, now owned and raced by Bob Valpey. It raced Indy in 1931 and came 18th. It was 6th in 1932.
It appears that the Hunt Spl formed part of a 5 car Studebaker team for the 1933 race and it came 12th. Of the other cars the Zeke Meyer car was 9th and the Bergere car 11th.
For 1934 the 4 "newer" cars were fitted with streamlined bodies. Tony Gulotta was 7th and Luther Johnson 10th.
It was really a good effort.
I think in 1933 the cars were denied higher placings because of wheels coming loose and in 1934 the streamlined bodies caused the cockpits to heat up, which exhausted the drivers.
Regards
Rob

The race was won by F Landi (Alfa) from Q Landi.
This I have got from Leif Snellman's marvellous website.
Judging by the variety of car - Alfa, Maserati, Bugatti, Studebaker it must have been a F Libre race.
Rob

Stefan, look at the topic about La Gavea 1952 http://www.atlasf1.com/bb/showthread.php?threadid=13432

I also spoke about the 1953 race, in fact, not me but Emmanuel de Graffenried, winner of the race. His average speed: 76.12 kph and it was a 323 km race.

Sorry, I was so wrapped up with trying to find out about the Studebaker in the 1941 race I did not read realise that your question was about the 1953 raceSo I gave the 1941 results.
Regards
Rob

From Coys Grandes Marques Sale 14th Jan 2006

After having been successful with different privateer teams during several years racing at Indianapolis, the Studebaker factory, based in South Bend USA decided to built 'works' team cars from 1931. The five works cars produced were used in the 1932 and 1933 races, and are well documented in the book 'The Indianapolis 500' by Jack C, Fox.

These works cars were : No: 22 driven by Cliff Bergere, No: 37 driven by Zeke Meyer, No: 25 driven by Tony Gulotta, No: 18 driven by Peter Kreis and No: 46 driven by Luther Johnson.

Fortunately 4 out of the 5 works cars survived these gruelling races. The Hant special has been rebuilt to its original condition, Tony Gulottas car no: 25 went to the Brooks Stevens Museum, Cliff Bergeres car no: 22 and bearing no: 6 in 1933 was bought by Studebaker, restored and is now displayed in the Indianapolis Speedway museum and the car used by Peter Kreis in 1932 and Zeke Meyer in 1933 unfortunately sank with the boat while in transit to a race in Argentina.

As a replacement entry Luther Johnson's No: 46 was shipped to Argentina, where it raced until the outbreak of the war. After which a motorcar dealer from Buenos Aires, named Adolfo Rodriguez bought the car during the 1950's and in turn sold it to Ricardo Lopez Menem of El Calafate in Patagonia.

In the 1960's the car found its way back to a small garage in Buenos Aires. The garage keeper kept the car until the early 1980's, and took part in several races eventually selling it to a German who inturn sold it again to the Mercedes Benz dealer Eiberweiser of Deggendorf Germany, where it was displayed in their showrooms until the late 1980's, when it was bought by the current owner.

This collector shipped the car back to Indianapolis where, in 1991 it was restored at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to its original condition. In 1992 the car went back to Germany, where it was campaigned for 15 years in various historic races. Between 2004 and 2005 further work was carried out to make the car more competitive, this included the fitment of a new engine and gearbox and uprated brakes.

And here are some pics:

http://www.indy500.com/photo/gallery.php?s...lay=60&offset=0