Solved -PJ- Who am I? - Benjamin F Harris III

[Paul Jaray]

Here you are a different type of puzzle.
These are few lines of someone's bio.
Who is He?
Which car can be related to this man?
Enjoy!

[Paul Jaray]

Experts?

[RayTheRat]

Curtis E. LeMay?

[fyreline]

Sounds like Alex Tremulis to me, perhaps best known for his design work on the ill- fated Tucker automobile of 1948.

[Paul Jaray]

Curtis E. LeMay?

Not him...

Sounds like Alex Tremulis to me, perhaps best known for his design work on the ill- fated Tucker automobile of 1948.

Not him, but somewhat closer.

[streamliner]

Great letter!  A very under-rated Ben Harris, designer of the 1934 Front Wheel Drive Streamliner.  A car far ahead of its time, and still existant.  How is the restoration coming along???  Anyone?

ps: Tremulis knew of Harris and his car, but I don't think he knew him personally...

[motorcar1]

PJ, If I may.
Perhaps PJ may award you a 1/2 point streamliner>> 1935, licensed and titled>> personally I believe to beat Gordon with front mounted pop open headlights, as Gordon changed his patented side mount pop open headlights to Bens style>> whimsical tale between the two life long friends.

Alex Tremulis>> yes, you remember the stories on great designers at the old Tucker site, roughly 21,000 reads on that link>>> yes, Alex was inspired by Bens futuristic exotic, as the world had never seen before. Streamliner>> I do believe Alex did know Ben, would have been hard for him not to have.

BTW>> have a letter where as preston was trying to get Ben to design him a new car!!
This singular page above, which is like a walk through of many of the best in auto design and racing figures, was one in over 100 more pages a Harris Family member sent me.

Four racing films were also included, which Ben filmed or had filmed that he officiated at and/or hosted in the early days while building the SCCA to a National level>> included within>> Kimberly, whacky arnolt, Biggs and Ben taking shared honors. Wikipedia lists Chicago as the real birthplace of the National level of the SCCA beginings>> that was these boys>>

I am flat overwhelmed>> and this is one of the reasons why I have not posted more in the story>> just imagine researching over 30 more prominenet names Ben worked with and associated with in this one page posted above.!!!!!

To my surprise, Bens story and links herein autopuzzles, has garnered over 18,000 reads, >>Ultra, Stats>>>perhaps more reads than any other singular automobile in Autopuzzles?

Streamliner, the Speedster is sitting quietly in my shop, as I do not have the funding to start an Invitational restoration, let alone time to historically sort these persons on this page and about 200 more.

Otto Puzzle and MG, >>>I posted a few days back in your excellent studebaker topic, have many things to add to that, as Ben hosted some killer races at Harold Vances Studebaker proving grounds, alassss, another one to study and research, as Flojole ties in there also.

Ray B, as I do notice>.thanks for keeping up with the speedsters story at other sites>>> and pointing them back to autopuzzles>> the greatest of sites in the world, with the best of the best in Historians.

Keep faith in me guys, as PJ and many others have herein autopuzzles>> thanks PJ !!!!!

Perhaps it is time to think hard about the book on the man and machine>> BTW, it was just noted in a new book on automobile designs of the decades, makes three now that have given Ben credit for being advanced in creating what was to come in race and street car design.

I am still amazed every time I walk by the speedster, Ben was soooo advanced, even beating the Europeans for once in automobile advancement, which the Americans seemed to lag behind in..

A special automobile in time that brought us 15 firsts, which even though modernized, are in use in race car and street car designs to this very day in 2012 !!!!!!!

Imagine, a one off special 56 Vette in the above page, that the Corvette society knows nothing about, Ben had another Vette which he picked up at the Styling studio which Cole and Harley built for him>> thats another part of the story of this great man.
A site that is not open>>> and I can never find time to load 400 pages of docs onto, sad huh ?
http://www.harrisspeedster.com/harris.html
Thanks again PJ>>>
Warmest regards,
John

[Paul Jaray]

...and now you know where this letter cames from!
Streamliner deserves a full point...don't you think?
Thank you John for sharing this piece of info...as soon as you send me new material for the article, I'll upload it.
It seems a neverending story, spreading each time more and more and involving all the big names in the Automotive history!
In case you are wondering where's the article:
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=11958.0

[Paul Jaray]

And the solution was in the last part of the page:
As you can read there it won a 1st prize at Indianapolis in 1951!:

[motorcar1]

PJ,
Thank you again for your never ending help with the Man and Machine !!!!

Guess the last part of the letter you kindly added back brings forth that even at 15-16 years of age and innovation, Bens special creation was still winning !!

One day perhaps it may stun the Invitational world again>> as it did in 1936 when it was invited to sit atop a pedestal at the 1936 Chicago International auto show.

Most do not realize that the speedster is really no bigger, higher, wider,longer of heavier than a D-Type Jag or an AC Cobra.
John

[streamliner]

John,

Can you post any current photos of how the car looks today?  That would help in getting some sponsors together for its restoration...

[motorcar1]

Streamliner,
Do appreciate your thoughts and consideration, thank you !!

One thing really coooool about this singular page, it backs up what has been written in the story, which is about 1/5th of the story as a whole. Rhetoric and assumption does not count>> only pure documentation, is what true archival and historical work is all about !!!!!!

I will get together with Paul Jaray>aka francesco, as he has done all of the posting of the story.

I truly am terrible at cutting, posting and whatever with computers.
I chicken pick every word that I write>> fingers and hands are beaten up from many years of metal forming and more. Have almost severed off a few fingers over the past 40 years working on automobiles, oh well.

I spent 4 hours trying to get the latest text page to a readable std , PJ dictates strong stds for me to adhere too !!ha

If it was not for PJ and a few others help, the story would still be all in my notes.

I did get your thoughts on the Tucker conv>>#57 in a posting you made.
That was months worth of work and countless hours of posting at the tucker site, if I truly had time to explain what the savings grace was for this particular tucker, I would lay down facts and docs, as with my work on the Man and Machine.

Time>>> something which is scarce in my life.
I will ask PJ to post a shot, in the story or wherever PJ deems best, of the Speedster in current day condition.
Warmest regards,
John

[Paul Jaray]

I've got those 2 shots of the car you sent me last time...if you want I can post them.

[motorcar1]

Francesco,
I sent you an email and pm via autopuzzles.
Added some text to go with the "one" picture.

Please use "only" the picture of my son jared sealing/primering the speedster.
John

[Paul Jaray]

I add that pic where you told me, on chapter one below the 2 others but the text, in my opinion should find a different location. I sent you a PM.

[motorcar1]

PJ,
I looked at the picture in the story, looks good there.

It might look good>>> to place the text I sent you>>> right next to the picture>> as there is enough "blank" area there.

It will not effect the story text as it is running then.

What do you think?

Let me know your opinion Francesco.
John