1923 Miller 122 Supercharged

Estate sales can recirculate heretofore unobtainable cars, which—absent their owners’ passing—would have remained tucked away indefinitely

by Miles Collier

Harry Miller’s name may not ring a bell as loudly as Ettore Bugatti’s, but Bugatti acquired Miller race cars to study before producing his first dual overhead camshaft engine in the Type 50 of 1930. New Indianapolis 500 competition rules for 1923 limited engine displacement to two liters and eliminated the riding mechanic, so Miller designer Leo Goossen gave working drawings of the Model 122 to shop foreman Fred Offenhauser, who had been with Miller since 1915. With the exception of wheels, tires, ignition parts, gauges, and a few other items, every part was produced on the premises. Miller required that parts be simple, lightweight, and sculptural, and the creation of these “simple” parts required tremendous skill and patience.

The engine design was straightforward. The architecture of the successful 183 was retained but scaled down. The cylinder head was cast integrally with the blocks, of which there were two, each with four cylinders. These...