This legendary Harley-engined, streamliner top-speed machine was the brainchild of veteran hot-rodder, Bill Burke of San Gabriel, CA. It competed in the 1959 Bonneville Nationals, where Burke eclipsed a speed of 151.7 mph, a very respectable time for the era and considering the engine size. The car competed in the F/Streamliner class, where it achieved the impressive speed utilizing a Harley-Davidson V-Twin Knucklehead engine. The engine, starting life with a 61-cubic-inch displacement, was bored and stroked to a 90-cubic-inch size, along with modified cylinder heads with custom camshaft work in conjunction with a pair of custom Riley carburetors. This trick setup was the recipe to its successful run at the 1959 Bonneville Nationals.
Burke was well known in the hot-rodding world and had a great reputation for building successful high-speed cars, including a large number of belly tankers. Using all his knowledge, he set out to build a lightweight, purpose-built, no-compromise, highly aerodynamic racer. The result was this slippery, streamlined no-frills race car you see here. The car featured a Burke-built lightweight fiberglass body connected to a modified lightweight chassis, believed to be from a Cooper race car. This gave the car a total weight of approximately 600 pounds dry. With the success and uniqueness of the car, it captured the attention of the biggest rodding magazines of the time; it graced the cover of Hot Rod magazine in their January 1960 issue as well as the cover of Rod & Custom magazine in their August 1960 issue; both magazines will accompany the car.
The car traded hands in the late 1960s to Jim Deist, a pioneer in racing known for making some of the best racing safety equipment. After a long period in Deist’s hands, the car was sold to Jim Mann in 2001. The car was later sold to Joe Baird and apparently traded hands to another buyer after that, when it was finally purchased by Jerry “Weeks” Baker from Indianapolis in 2004. Baker would then commence on a multi-year restoration to bring the car to its original configuration. Finished in its wonderful, original yellow livery complete with the appropriate Mooneyes disc wheels, the car’s presence brings large levels of nostalgia. After the restoration was completed, the car attended the 2008 Bonneville Nationals, where it received the honor of being the first car to leave the line and open the entire competition.
A truly rare opportunity to own a legendary Bonneville car rich in both history, ownership and nostalgia. A wonderful addition to the most discerning collections.
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams Cars.)
