Automobile

1519 · 62985 — Indianapolis IN: Chevrolet Bros. Mfg. Co. 410 West Tenth St. Feb. 15 1927. 8vo. 15 1 pp. With numerous text & photo illustrations throughout. Red illustrated & printed softcovers w/ Fronty-Ford race car on front cover soiling from creasing spotting minor chipping & edgewear thumbing still a Fair sound copy w/ manuscript notes on back page concerning Glen Smith’s Fronty Ford race car. First edition of this remarkably scarce and early speed catalogue for specially designed new overhead-valve cylinder heads and lightweight stripped down racing bodies for the Ford Model T in 1927. Arthur and his brother Louis along with Cornelius W. Van Ranst designed and built the cylinder heads and racing cars beginning in 1922. Although the Chevrolet brother Gaston Chevrolet -- winner of the 1920 Indy 500 had died in a spectacular crash in 1920 the two surviving brothers continued their drive to build faster cars. These special heads eliminated overheating and vibrations boosted fuel economy and enabled acceleration speeds of 5 to 40 mph in 16 seconds. The Fronty-Ford racing cars were sold for $ 2000.00 but a race car driver could also purchase the racing exhaust manifolds special ball-bearing caps Fronze front and rear brackets oversize axle shafts racing steering knuckles racing wheels filler caps and specially designed one-man racing bodies & radiators. Worldcat locates 1 copy Henry Ford Research Center; Matt Litwin Chevrolet Abetting Ford Racers; Spotting a Frontenac Cylinder Head Hemmings Daily Jan. 11 2016. Chevrolet Bros. Mfg. Co., 410 West Tenth St., paperback