Remarkable Racers: The Ten Best American Race Cars

Around the world, if you bring up American race cars, there’s a certain amount of snobbery that you can expect to be on the receiving end of. To many people, American racing is encapsulated by NASCAR, which to the uninitiated, is often believed to be a dull disciple of simply driving in a circle. The intricacies that are more well known on this side of the pond are less so in Europe or Asia, and, as such, American racers are often looked down upon. In this article, we’re going to try and do American race cars justice. They’ve had a long and successful history at competitions around the globe. We’re going to give them the recognition they deserve.

Ford GT40

Debut Year: 1964

When you’re talking about American-made automotive legends, the first stop has to be the Ford GT40. This car took the design of the British Lola Mk6 and ran with it. Among its many honors are the famous 1-2-3 win of the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, which broke a dry spell American manufacturers had been suffering under in European races for 45 years. The four drivers who helped secure first and second place for Shelby American included the late, great, Bruce McLaren, whose name survives in the McLaren racing team and the fabulously fast McLaren F1.

Powered by a 427 V8, the GT40 made use of aluminum and fiberglass to keep its weight down, and boy, was it quick. The car averaged over 130 mph throughout the track at Le Mans, which would increase to 135 mph in 1967, when driven by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt. While its Le Mans wins are its most famous accolade, the GT40 also won four FIA titles. It established that American race cars were here to stay, and could take on the European manufacturers in their own backyard and win.

Duesenberg GP

Debut Year: 1921

That 1921 Grand Prix win that I mentioned? That was the work of the man-machine combo that was Jimmy Murphy and the Duesenberg GP. In the 1921 French Grand Prix, also held at Le Mans, Murphy stormed to victory, finishing a full 15 minutes ahead of his next competitor, Ralph DePalma. While Duesenberg is a name that’s long since vanished into the mists of time (it has been defunct since 1937), it’s one that deserves more recognition. As one of the small companies that emerged when the car was really beginning to surge in popularity, the company produced a series of cars powered by a 24 horsepower flat-twin engine.

For the Grand Prix, the company got serious, producing an F1 car that produced 115 horsepower, thanks to a three-liter straight-eight. The team that won the 1921 Grand Prix was managed by former Vanderbilt Cup winner, George Robertson. What is even more impressive, on the driver side of things, is that Murphy was still recovering from injuries sustained in a crash when he trounced the competition, and became the only American driver in an American car to win the French Grand Prix.

Hudson Hornet

Debut Year: 1951

To the untrained eye, the Hudson Hornet appears to be just a regular 1950s full-size. While it earned numerous plaudits for its handling and styling, it was put to incredible use in the world of racing. The reason? The engine. It was a high-compression straight-six, which produced 145 horsepower and had twin-barrel carb. However, you could get even more power and speed out of it if you knew what you were doing. One such person who knew exactly what to do was Marshall Teague. Teague thought he would be able to get 112 mph out of the engine in a NASCAR-spec Hornet.

It’s safe to say that he was right. The Hornet was untouchable in the stock car circuit of the early 50s. In 1952, Teague beat his nearest rival by 1000 points in that year’s AAA season. He won 12 of the 13 races in that championship. That is utterly ridiculous. In that same year it also won 27 of the 34 NASCAR races, and won a similarly spectacular number of them in 1953 and 1954. The Fabulous Hudson Hornet, driven by both Teague and Herb Thomas, can be seen today at the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum.

L88 Corvette

Debut Year: 1967

To some, this car is the pinnacle of the Corvette. Different models may come and go, but the L88 remains just as bonkers, tough, and exciting as it was in the 1960s. The car was produced as a street-legal racer, and was hard to find, hidden deep within the Corvette’s options. GM had agreed to not produce race cars like this, but it still got out there. Only 20 were made, thanks to GM actively attempting to put consumers off the car. They advised potential buyers that the car had to be run on 103 Octane gas, which was hard to come by in many places across the country. They also underrated the engine’s horsepower significantly, stating it produced 435, when in fact it produced around 580.

It was expensive too, priced at $4,240. The result was that the few L88s that were sold ended up being owned by racing teams. They were put to good use though, have no fear. The L88 nearly won the Tour de France Automobile, and also put in excellent showings at Le Mans. One L88 chassis was used for six successive races, which is a record left standing today.

Chaparral 2J

Debut Year: 1970

This is far from an obvious pick to include on this list. The car hasn’t won much in the way of silverware. In fact, its trophy cabinet lies completely bare, and it only raced in one Can-Am season. Despite this, it deserves a place on this list. Why? Well, it pioneered numerous technical advances that are still used to this day. The car used a snowmobile engine to power two fans that suckered it to the ground, giving it astounding downforce. This in turn gave it incredible maneuverability.

It may be ugly, but its idea of using a skirt made of Lexan, which reached the ground, would go on to inspire technology in F1, arguably the most tech-driven of all racing disciplines. These, in combination with the fans, allowed this car-cum-hovercraft to have a steady amount of downforce regardless of its speed. After its one season, other teams pressured SCAA into banning the car, arguing that the fans were “moveable aerodynamic devices” which were outlawed. Regardless of its short life, and, to be kind, spartan looks, the car is nevertheless forward thinking and crucially important in the history of racing.

Cunningham C4-R

Debut Year: 1952

While the GT40 may have been the first American car to win at Le Mans, it would be amiss of us to ignore the Cunningham C4-R. Briggs Cunningham was an entrepreneur, racer, and team-owner. He wanted to win Le Mans’ prize for the US, and to do that, he built the C4-R. This car was built with no other purpose in mind. The car was powered by a Chrysler Firepower V8, with a displacement of 330 ci and an output of 300 horsepower. Its top speed was 155 mph.

Sadly, Cunningham was never to win Le Mans, but did manage to nab third place in 1954. Despite this, it did have some honors to its name, winning the 1953 Sebring 12 Hours race. It proved that American manufacturers were able to do endurance racing, and spurred on the passion that would eventually lead to the GT40.

Corvette Racing C5R

Debut Year: 1999

If you want to look at a car that was dominant in the world of GT racing, you need look no further than the Chevy Corvette C5R. If you can name a famous series of racing, this car has probably won it. Le Mans? It’s won it three times. Daytona? Check. The American Le Mans Series? It won in its class a whopping 31 times. What made it so good? Well, GM put their full weight behind this car, something they’d never truly done before, and the results speak for themselves.

The car is based on the Chevy C5, and used a 427 V8. It was built by Pratt and Miller, supervised by GM. The chassis was dramatically different to those used in road-going C5s, with a firewall installed behind the driver, which removed any rear visibility whatsoever. The rear got wings and a diffuser, while at the front, there were splitters and vents installed. A truly phenomenal American racer, this car was pretty much perfect for its time.

Eagle Mk1

Debut Year: 1966

A whole 46 years after Jimmy Murphy secured victory in France in 1921, an American-made car won a Formula 1 race for the first, and to date, only time. The Eagle Mk1 was built for Dan Gurney’s Anglo American Racers team, and it helped them do great things. The Eagle Mk1 is often regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever produced in Formula 1, and it’s easy to see why. The car’s body is a work of art, made of aluminum and riding on a Titanium-Magnesium monocoque chassis. It was powered by a 183 ci V12.

In 1967, the car won the Belgian Grand Prix at the world-famous Spa circuit. While it may not have broken the dominance of European teams completely (as we said, it’s still the only American-made car to win an F1 race), the car did demonstrate something important. It IS possible to beat the established teams, even if you make the car yourself. That’s a very important thing to remember, and that’s why it’s on this list.

Swamp Rat 14

Debut Year: 1970

Drag racing is a uniquely American discipline. While you can find it in other countries, no other nation does it to the same degree as the US. This dragster, created by Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, was revolutionary at the time of its creation. See, Garlits, as you’re probably aware, is a superstar in the world of drag racing. He is considered the father of the discipline, for heaven’s sake. He was the first to go 200 mph over an eighth of a mile, the first to hit 270 mph, and more. So when he decides something needs to change, the rest of the dragsters follow.

He’d lost some of his right foot thanks to an explosion in his earlier Swamp Rat 13, and while recovering in hospital, decided he’d rather not go through that again. Seems sensible. So he created the Swamp Rat 14, with its engine mounted at the rear. This wasn’t the first dragster to feature this design, but he made it widespread, and as a result, made drag racing safer for everyone.

Shelby Daytona Coupe

Debut Year: 1964

The Shelby Daytona is legendary for a reason. It has to be number one purely because of its groaning trophy cabinet. As well as being beautiful, it was supremely functional. Designed to take on the Ferrari 250 GTO, it did so magnificently. Only six were built, but that was all that was required. The car was powered by a 289 V8, and that allowed it to go plenty fast. The car was built with aerodynamic research that had been gleaned from WW2, which allowed it to improve on the earlier Cobra.

It won everything. The car won in the GT class, and came fourth overall, in the 1964 Le Mans series. It won in its class in Sebring in ’64. It won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and the Nurburgring 1000KM race in ’65. The Daytona allowed Shelby to become the first American constructor to win the FIA World Sportscar Championship. Oh, and just in case you needed any more proof of how awesome it was, consider this: the car set 25 land speed records at Bonneville. You can’t get any better than that.