The American Streamliner A Desire To Harness Speed

Nothing quite symbolizes independence for Americans like the automobile.  The American Streamliner is a poetic example of our need for speed.  Our fascination and appetite for customizing and fast cars took off in the era of the streamliner where independent speed shops raced to build a faster car, many with the goal of a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Independent American automobile design built legends we can still appreciate.

The American desire to conquer speed began less than 150 years after we claimed our independence as a nation.  American’s hunger for speed, salt and Bonneville have been known throughout the world since Teddy Tezlaf drove the “Blitzen Benz” at 141.73 mph (unofficial) as a land speed record in 1914.  It took a few more decades before the Bonneville became the place to race and test automobiles for pure speed.  In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s the evolution of the American Streamliner, a highly stylized car, full of long sleek surfaces and lots of curved edges, purposely designed to challenge maximum speeds captured the attention of the world.

In 1940 the Ralph Schenck Streamliner car reached a top speed at 189.9 km/hr, in the Mojave Dessert.  This is the beginning of the streamliners, watch how they change.  The 1950 Eddie Miller Streamliner with its super sleek lines achieved  235 km/h at Bonneville in 1950 and 251 km/h in 1952.  Eddie was an early hot-rodder and built a number of notable cars.   Another Streamliner the Herbert Cams “Beast III” made its appearance at Bonneville earning it a place in the 200 mph club as the fastest single engine car in 1952. Repurpose and reuse before it was in style.  The 1952 So-Cal Speed Shop Streamliner, sporting the now legendary S0-Cal Speed Shop colors,  is made from the wing tank of a P-38 Lighting.  This car’s Bonneville record 198.340 mph for one way speed run still holds for a non-blown flathead.

Americans became infatuated with designing cars to rocket their way into the record books.  American independence was the breeding ground for American ingenuity and the “I can do it” attitude which permeated our brains back in the early to mid part of the 20th century.  The American Streamliner is a fine example of America’s founding principles to be independent, to challenge the status quo and not accept mediocrity.

Happy Independence Day!