Smokey's Six

[Anonymous]

Wasn't the Mustang prototype built in a hotel suite or something. I know it sounds strange, but I'm almost 100% sure that a WW2 fighter prototype was built in a hotel suite and I'm pretty sure it was the Mustang. Anyone heard of this?

Right after the US entered World War I, the chief engineers of Packard and Hudson met in a Washington DC hotel room and worked up the design for the Liberty aero engine. That's the only hotel-room story I know related to warplanes. I believe that the original Mustang prototype was built in the North American plant in upstate New York as a private venture.

BTW, the Liberty and Merlin were both built in the Packard plant in Detroit, had the same (1650 c.i.) displacement, and (I think) the same bore and stroke. Both were SOHC V12, though the designs were unrelated. Both were used in combat aircraft and both powered Gold Cup winning race boats.

 

[hasa68mustang]

Great pic, Don Garlits' museum ------- FANTASTIC
There is a 300 dragster there, did you get a pic of it also?

I went there quite a few years ago... before I really knew much about cars... and I would LOVE to go back. I remember lots of interesting stuff...

 

[I66coupe]

My brother, his son and Don last summer.