Gar Wood Miss America VIII heads to Mecum Kissimmee

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 03:37 PM

Inventor Garfield Wood was a world champion speed boat racer in the early 20th century, winning prestigious Gold Cup races five years in a row from 1917-1921. He made his fortune with his Wood Hoist Company, which built hydraulic lifts that dumped railroad coal cars. He later changed the company name to Garwood Industries and began producing other items, including quality wooden speed boats and commercial truck bodies.
Garfield Wood was a bit of a stunt man, too, racing his boats against a train more than 1,250 miles up the East Coast [[he won) and the Twentieth Century Limited train up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany [[he won that one, too). Beginning in 1920, “Gar” Wood began building his own race boats. With his designer, Nap Lisee, Gar Wood built a series of 10 Miss America boats that were the fastest speed boats of their day. With Gar at the helm, the Miss America boats won the Harmsworth trophy eight times in 12 years. Gar’s brother, George, also won a Harmsworth Trophy in 1931, aboard the Miss America VIII, in a year when Gar was disqualified for jumping the start. This made the Miss America VIII a two-time winner of the largest speed boat event of its day, with victories in 1929 and 1931 added to a second place finish to the new Miss America IX in 1930.

Read more http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...cum-kissimmee/

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/top_pi...TION_ID=FL0112

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 03:55 PM

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 04:10 PM

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 04:30 PM

1931 Power Boat Races in Detroit, MI. Harmsworth and Gold Cup Boats. Home Movie taken by E.G. Mistele from the end of the main dock of the Detroit Yacht Club on the Detroit River.

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 04:41 PM

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 04:50 PM

**Packman41** · February-02-12, 06:09 PM

This is great stuff! And what story.

Miss America VIII had a high bid at the auction last weekend of $700,000, but did not meet its reserve price - so it did not sell.

Miss America X is still in the Detroit area and is routinely on display at the Packard Proving Grounds during our Open House event. Name: Miss America [[Large).jpg
Views: 8996
Size: 51.8 KB

Name: Miss America [[Large).jpg
Views: 8996
Size: 51.8 KB

**black gold man** · February-02-12, 06:45 PM

I think i will make it out there this year. But i might be in a
Also if you need plaster repaired there contact BGM

**Smirnoff** · February-03-12, 01:55 PM

They should have took the $700k - especially in this current economy.....

**stnfrnt** · February-04-12, 04:34 PM

Outstanding stuff, black gold man!! One of the Miss America boats dropped by the Gar Wood mansion when I was livivg there...don't know which one it was, but it sure was something specia!l The owner wanted to check out the mansion, so he pulled up to the "curb" and took the nickel tour.

black gold man....have you ever posted on the the Gar Wood Mansion thread before your recent visits?. Like way back when that thread first started?

Attachment 11951

View of Gar Wood Mansion from thr Detroit River showing the "aqua garage door" Gar Wood used to drive his boats right up into the house. A "lock" gate would rise from the bottom [[underwater) at the entrance and seal off the river so the boatwell could be pumped out making the whole boathouse a dry dock.

**black gold man** · February-05-12, 08:47 PM

First time here for BGM i just love the old homes of the area.
Lucky to have worked in some nice ones with history.
One the homeowner told me Eddie Rickenbacker had lived in her house.
http://www.lib.auburn.edu/archive/fi.../101/eddie.htm

http://detroit1701.org/Rickenbacker.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/auburnu...ream/lightbox/

Or another were the front hall and fireplace had swastika on the tile everyone was thinking
Nazi party. but i said no maybe this has something to do with the KRIT MOTOR CAR COMPANY
.................................................. .................................................. ...

http://rexcurry.net/krit_motor_car_company_detroit.html

I really wish i went ashore at the gar wood back in the 80s.
I will have to read more of the thread.

**black gold man** · February-05-12, 11:59 PM

I found this film i believe it is Detroit gar wood watching Miss England III arriving in Detroit.

http://www.lib.wayne.edu/resources/d...o.php?vid=5_07

one from England http://backup.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=2988

More here http://backup.britishpathe.com/resul...earch=Gar+Wood

**RaumVogel** · February-06-12, 09:49 AM

Does any one know about Harold Mistele? I found an article about him trying to gain ownership of Miss America XIII, but it just calls him a "Detroit industrialist".

http://www.thunderboats.org/history/history0449.html

**black gold man** · February-06-12, 11:32 AM

post #5 that's him

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&cp=15&g...w=1024&bih=609

**black gold man** · February-06-12, 11:58 AM

Charles Mistele, Phil Wood and Orlin Johnson June 1971 - Grosse Pointe, Michigan

http://www.missamericaix.com/Pages/PhotosII.htm

http://woodyboater.com/communityweb/...of-a-lifetime/

**Smirnoff** · February-06-12, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by black gold man

I found this film i believe it is Detroit gar wood watching Miss England III arriving in Detroit.

http://www.lib.wayne.edu/resources/d...o.php?vid=5_07

one from England http://backup.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=2988

More here http://backup.britishpathe.com/resul...earch=Gar+Wood

Thanks for posting the Gar Wood video's & photo's.....but please, don't stop/keep going!!!!!

**black gold man** · February-06-12, 12:44 PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rushhourphoto/3036518054/

**black gold man** · February-13-12, 10:00 PM

DETROIT RIVER
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...iss-England-II

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...-Gus_City-Hall

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675040746_Gar-Wood_speedboat-record_water-carnival_driftwood_crowd-on-the-bank

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675022454_Gar-Woods_Miss-America-

X_co-pilot_speedboat_practice

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...intenance-crew

**Smirnoff** · February-16-12, 11:21 AM

Don't stop - great footage!!!!!

Attachment 12041

**RaumVogel** · December-22-12, 09:54 AM

http://books.google.com/books?id=XSg...epage&q&f=true

**Smirnoff** · December-22-12, 11:27 AM

Gar Wood Judge's Stand on the Detroit River.....

Attachment 17599

**Hermod** · December-22-12, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by black gold man

.................................................. .................................................. ...
http://rexcurry.net/krit_motor_car_company_detroit.html

No, the swastika was the ancient Indo-European symbol for the sun. It was the 'sun-wheel". The runic letter "S [[sigil)" was used by the Nazis in their SS insignia. The swastika was probably chosen by the Nazis as a symbol of "new birth". The swastika spread to India and is a frequent motif in Hinduism. It is also used in Buddhism which grew out of Hinduism.

Native Americans in the southwest used the swastika in their designs. The 45th Infantry Division [[OK-NM-AZ National Guard) used the swastika as their shoulder patch until about 1936 when it became firmly identified as a Nazi symbol. The 45th Div then changed the patch to a thunderbird.

The swastika was a frequent design motif in stone, brick, and tile until the mid-thirties.

**black gold man** · December-22-12, 05:30 PM

**xdet** · October-29-17, 04:27 PM

Back when my grandpa worked for Gar, after his racing days, developing outboard motors for the 'Storm Boats', small eight man attack boats. That's Phil Wood's boat in the picture, by the bridge to Grayhaven, c. 1941 or so.

Originally Posted by black gold man

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rushhourphoto/3036518054/

**douglasm** · October-29-17, 08:28 PM

I realise the Detroit connection, but it's too bad in a way that it couldn't have gone to the Hydroplane And Race Boat Museum in Seattle.

https://thunderboats.ning.com/