Tuesday 10th March 2009

Webb Automotive Golden Submarine

Replica of stunning streamline racer

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US custom shop Webb Automotive Art has revealed this painstaking homage to the 1917 Golden Submarine racer, one of the pioneers of streamlining in the early years of motorsport.

The result of three years work by Dan Webb, the stunningly crafted machine was revealed for the first time in completed form at the Autorama rod and custom show in Detroit this month.

Powered by a Ford Racing Zetec ZX3 ‘crate engine’ delivering its 175bhp to a propshaft between the driver’s legs, the Webb Golden Submarine claims only to be inspired by the original racer, and is not meant as a replica. Other modern touches include a set of disc brakes pinched from the Buell motorcycle parts bin, but the rest of the car pure is pure nostalgia.

That hand-beaten, naked and super-smooth aluminium body sits on top of a hand crafted drilled for lightness frame, and all the controls and the majority of other components have been handmade by Webb Automotive. The original Golden Submarine’s enclosed bodywork was conceived as a safety improvement after it’s builder – the famed racing driver Barney Oldfield - lost a friend and rival in a racing accident in 1916. Thanks to jalopnik for the images.

 

[BigI]

Stunning!

[chuntington101]

i agree!

[fathomfive]

Yeah, I like that.

[Mr Gear]

Niiiiiiiiiiice.

[RB Will]

The seat looks comfy.

[stuckmojo]

I love that!

[OJ]

Got to love the talk of safety when they had a dirty great propshaft running between their legs

Lovely looking machine though. Bet its fun deploying 175bhp with a beam front axle and a steering box!

[stew-S160]

awesome car.

[fluffyducky]

The original slipped past me... by a fair few years admittedly but I wasn't even aware of it. However this is a stunning little thing, love it. If you get some speed up do the front wheels act a bit like a rudder?! People with fat legs and baggy trousers need not apply I guess.

[annodomini2]

Now that's something someone would be willing to pay money for, it may be 'old tech', but its pretty and uncompromising. Just the way a car should be.

[Plotloss]

Cool as the other side of the pillow.

[WILDROVER42]

Cool as a penguins pecker.

[patmahe]

Another one for the euromillions wish list

[andybg40]

That is a stunning automobile. Something that i find even more inspiring is the fact of the original being built in 1917, what vision that guy had.

[horton]

pure sex.
i would be frightened of it breaking something and taking off my plums, but it is gorgeous.

[nekrum]

Awsome..

More pics here http://www.autoblog.com/photos/sema-2008-webbs-aut...

[XitUp]

My wang would get wrapped round the prop shaft.

[beanbag]

They need to be careful with those discs overheating!

I had to replace mine after a heavy session on the twisties!

[Mars]

I love that.

If someone could produce something like that but a 2-seater, sort of a Caterham with a low-slung hot-rod roof, I reckon it'd be a winner.

[paul26982]

My lord