Makes › Miller › FWD Special (four-wheel-drive Indy car) · Factory competition · 1932
Miller
FWD Special (four-wheel-drive Indy car)
Four-wheel-drive Indianapolis racer; two built, sole survivor (4th at 1936 Indy 500 with Mauri Rose; later Bill Milliken)
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1932
- Engine
- DOHC inline four-cylinder (as currently fitted) · 4,180 cc / 4.2 LFactory: 255 cu in · converted
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Harry A. Miller
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 2 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Miller FWD Special was an early four-wheel-drive Indianapolis racer built by Harry A. Miller, of which two were completed for the 1932 Indianapolis 500. The surviving car, chassis 02, is the only remaining example and later raced into the post-war era with Bill Milliken.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionbuilt by Harry Miller (one survives) | 21 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Two cars were completed in time for the 1932 Indianapolis 500, where the surviving car was assigned to Bob McDonough. Improved for 1933, it returned with Frank Brisko and went on to start the 500 six times, its best result fourth place in 1936 with Mauri Rose. Between 1948 and 1951 Bill Milliken raced it at Pikes Peak, Watkins Glen and Mt. Equinox. It was later part of the Price Museum of Speed and sold at Amelia Island in 2026.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard FWD Special (four-wheel-drive Indy car).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | DOHC inline four-cylinder (as currently fitted)2 Independently researchedDescribes the surviving car's present engine; original 1932 engine not described in fetched sources. |
| Displacement | 4,180 cc / 4.2 LFactory: 255 cu in · converted2 Independently researchedPresent engine of surviving car. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 3-speed manual2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Four-wheel drive3 Independently researched |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
The surviving car is chassis 02, titled as 'FWD2'. In its present form it carries a 255 cu in DOHC four-cylinder engine with two Winfield carburettors, a three-speed gearbox, four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Gooding & Company – Early American race cars from the Price Museum of Speed announced for Amelia Level B
- 2 built by Harry Miller (one survives)
-
2
1932 Miller FWD Special Level C Gooding Christie's
- 255 CID DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
- 3-speed manual gearbox
-
3
Early American race cars from the Price Museum of Speed announced for Amelia Level B Gooding Christie's · 2026-02-04
- groundbreaking four-wheel-drive racer
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