LAKELAND, FLORIDA (March 19, 2009) – Heacock Classic, a division of Heacock Insurance Group, presented its annual award for the most historically significant race car to a 1923 Miller Special 122 Supercharged owned by A. Dano Davis – a car that went on to also win the Concours de Sport award at the 2009 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. Harry Miller produced this “122 inch” model in 1923 and it was powered by a straight-eight, twin-cam, dry-sump engine. With this magnificent machine, the Millers dominated American racing for the next two years, winning the 1924 Indianapolis 500 race and continuing on […]
LAKELAND, FLORIDA (March 19, 2009) – Heacock Classic, a division of Heacock Insurance Group, presented its annual award for the most historically significant race car to a 1923 Miller Special 122 Supercharged owned by A. Dano Davis – a car that went on to also win the Concours de Sport award at the 2009 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance.
Harry Miller produced this “122 inch” model in 1923 and it was powered by a straight-eight, twin-cam, dry-sump engine. With this magnificent machine, the Millers dominated American racing for the next two years, winning the 1924 Indianapolis 500 race and continuing on to be quite competitive well into the 1950s. The 122 cubic inch Miller supercharged engine developed over 200 horsepower and Millers set numerous land speed records over the years.
“To me, the Miller 122 represents the pinnacle of American craftsmanship,” said Heacock Classic President, Ford Heacock III. “The car is a work of art; it is like the Bugatti of America.”
Ford Heacock III was specially chosen to present the “Race Car” award, due to his background and passion for high performance automobiles. As a native of Sebring, Florida, his grandfather, Ford Heacock Sr., was the first local chairman of the Sebring 12 Hours of Endurance sports car race.
Known as one of the nation’s most ground-breaking vintage automotive events both in design and innovation, the 14th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, held March 13-15, attracted over 250 cars from seven countries to fill out the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island.
Heacock Classic is a division of Heacock Insurance Group, Inc., based in Sebring, Florida. Founded in 1922, it is a full-service independent insurance agency. Today Heacock Classic is one of the leading collector car insurance organizations in North America.
