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Winton 'Bullet' No. 2, 1903

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

restored
Stine, John
Winton Engine Company
Description
In 1878, a Scottish immigrant named Alexander Winton arrived in New York City. By the turn of the century, he would be one of America’s best known automobile makers and race car drivers. The first Winton car was sold on March 24, 1898. Winton saw racing not only as a way to attract investors and customers but also as essential to developing and testing technologies for his production automobiles. He built the first of his three Bullet race cars in 1902. Winton built his second Bullet in 1903 to compete in the Gordon Bennett Road Race in Ireland. Built to withstand the rigors of 327 miles of rough Irish roads, Bullet No. 2 was more powerful and built with a heavier frame than the first Bullet. It had one of the first in-line, eight-cylinder engines, consisting of two in-line, four-cylinder engines bolted together. After a promising start, mechanical difficulties caused Winton to drop out of the race. Upon his return from Ireland, he announced his retirement from racing. Winton continued racing the Bullets with hired drivers behind the wheel. With Winton’s financial support, Barney Oldfield traveled across the United States performing automotive feats with a flamboyant style and his trademark cigar clenched in his teeth. On January 28, 1904, at the second Florida Winter Speed Carnival, Oldfield drove Bullet No. 2 a mile in 43 seconds, which was equivalent to 80 miles per hour and close to the world record at the time. In 1930 the Winton Engine Company donated Bullet No. 1, Bullet No. 2, and the first Winton sold to the Smithsonian Institution.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of The Winton Engine Co.
1903
ID Number
TR.309603
accession number
105119
catalog number
309603
Object Name
automobile, racing
Physical Description
steel (overall material)
rubber (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 50 in x 66 in x 150 in; 127 cm x 167.64 cm x 381 cm
on pallet: 59 1/2 in x 66 in x 151 in; 151.13 cm x 167.64 cm x 383.54 cm
place made
United States: Ohio, Cleveland
See more items in
Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
Automobiles
Transportation
Road Transportation
Sports & Leisure
National Museum of American History
subject
Engineering
Record ID
nmah_834514
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-7b68-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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