Barney Oldfield Dies -- October 4, 2021

Washington Evening Star, 05-October-1946

Barney Oldfield was a pioneering race car driver. The first time he drove a car was when he drove Henry Ford's 999 in a race in 1902. He died 75 years ago today, on 04-October-1946. 

Barney Oldfield, 68, Famous

As Auto Racing Driver, Dies

Heart Attack Fatal;

Was First to Race

At Mile a Minute

(From. Yesterday’s Last Edition.)
By the Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 4.-- Barney Oldfield, former famous automobile racing driver, died of a heart attack at his home here today. He was 68 last January. His wife, Mrs. Bessie Oldfield, found him dead in bed this morning. She reported he was alive and apparently well when she arose and left the room to get the morning paper. When she returned a few minutes later, she was unable to arouse him.

Friends said the former speed driver complained yesterday of a pain in the back of his neck but refused to have a doctor called, saying he would visit his physician today.

His widow and their adopted daughter, Mrs. Betty Kelly of Beverly Hills, survive him.

First Mile-a-Minute Driver.

There were many drivers who surpassed the marks established by Mr. Oldfield, but none whose fame was more enduring.

It was something more than the fact Oldfield was the first automobile racing driver; the first man to drive a car around a dirt race track at a speed of a mile a minute and first in many other phases of the development of automobile racing that fixed him in the mind of America’s motorists as the symbol of the "roaring road."

Oldfield was described -- with few to challenge the statement -- as the "greatest race driver of all time and the most picturesque figure the speed game has produced."

Mr. Oldfield began racing in 1902, when automobiles were "made" rather than "produced." Quantity production at the time was still a somewhat vague dream of Henry Ford. It was Ford who built the first racer used by Mr. Oldfield. Mr. Oldfield retired in 1918, scarred by many accidents, the idol of automobile racing enthusiasts. Berna Eli Oldfield, as he was christened, was born in Wauseon, Ohio, January 29, 1878. He went to Detroit originally as a bicycle rider.

Mr. Oldfield was married four times. His last marriage was in San Diego, Calif., December 29, 1926, when Huda R. Braden of Beverly Hills became his wife. He divorced her in 1945 and remarried his second wife.

After his retirement in 1918, Mr. Oldfield headed a tire manufacturing company bearing his name. Later he became connected with a Detroit investment house and just before the business crash of 1929 was estimated to possess a fortune of around $250,000.

After the crash he became associated with a Detroit automobile manufacturing company, with Billy Arnold, youthful speed star of the race tracks, as his assistant. Strangely enough, the veteran dare-devil of the unbanked dirt tracks was given the title of "highway safety adviser," his duties being to serve as adviser on safety features of automobiles.

Here is Barney Oldfield at the controls of the Ford 999. He was a bicycle racer who had never driven an automobile before he drove 999 in a race. 999 was named after a famous New York Central locomotive.

News of the Week December 18, 1915 -- December 18, 2015

The 18-December-1915 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"Seeking pearls in slime of White River, Arkansas.  Copyright, 1915, Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  People harvested pearls from freshwater mussels.  Production reached its peak in the 1920s.

"Results of the terrific tornado at Great Bend, Kansas.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Great Bend, Kansas was hit by a huge tornado on 10-November-1915.

"Immense shell used on U. S. Warship.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  I think the Navy's biggest guns were 14-inch/50 caliber guns on the New Mexico class.

"Immense casting for world's largest telescope hauled to Carnegie Observatory, Mount Wilson, Calif.   Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  I assume this is part of the Hooker telescope at the  Mount Wilson Observatory, which had the largest aperture of any telescope.

"Ships ply at last on the Buffalo-Troy Canal after sixteen year's work and immense expenditure.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  I guess this could be part of the New York State Barge Canal. 

"Earl Cooper wins Exposition auto race.  Copyrighted, 1915, Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  On 26-November-1915, Earl Cooper won a 100-mile dirt track race at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.  Barney Oldfield got passed in the 98th lap and finished second. 

News of the Week January 23, 1915 -- January 23, 2015

The 23-January-1915 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"Lighthouse at Scarborough, England, bombarded by German fleet.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  On 16-December-1914, the German battlecruiser squadron, commanded by Admiral Franz Hipper, shelled British port cities including Scarborough, North Yorkshire.  The raid killed 137 people, including many women and children.  These raids on undefended towns allowed British propagandists to give Hipper the nickname "The Baby Killer." 

"Start of Bronx Cross Country run with hundred of entries.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  I haven't been able to find anything about this race. 

"The $300,000 fire at the terminal station, Camden, N. J.  Copyright, 1915, Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  On 03-January-1915, the ferry terminal of the Reading Company, a major railroad, caught fire and burned.  More than 100 firefighters were injured. 

"Firing French 155 millimeter gun at the front in Belgium.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe Daily News."  This is probably a de Bange.  Early in the war, the French had a shortage of field guns larger than the famous 75.  This is the first Pathé newsreel we have seen. 

"Rescuing the injured in the recent New York subway fire.  Copyright, 1915. Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  On 05-January-1915, an electrical fire at West 55th and Broadway spread smoke through the IRT subway. 

"Barney Oldfield ready to start race against Bob Burman at Los Angeles.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe Daily News." Barney Oldfield was a pioneering race car driver.  Bob Burman died in a 1916 race. 

Winton Bullet II and Ford 999 -- January 21, 2011

Barney Oldfield moved from bicycle to auto racing on the Ford-Cooper 999 in 1902. Here, in a photo from the 24-March-1904 Motor Age, Oldfield poses on the Winton Bullet II while Ed Hausman poses on 999, which had been rebuilt after an accident. Oldfield and Hausman were touring the south, racing against each other. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

INITIATING THE SOUTHERNER

The Winton Bullet II, driven by Barney Oldfield, and old 999, formerly known as the Ford-Cooper racer, and now driven by Ed Hausman, are now being used in exhibition and match races in southern cities, and Saturday and Sunday, March 26 and 27, Oldfield and Hausman are scheduled to race in New Orleans. Each combination is under separate management, the report that both were being managed by Colonel Billy Thompson, having been a canard. Oldfield is under the racing management of his erstwhile racing partner, Tom Cooper, while Hausman is being managed by W. H. Pickens, who says he has purchased outright from Tom Cooper the 999 car.

Interest in these matches is enhanced by the fact that the car against which Barney rides now is the one on which he first rode into motor racing prominence, before he was engaged to drive the now famous Bullet, holder of the track records and a likely candidate for mile straightaway honors.

After the southern engagement Oldfield proposes to go to Ormond beach, Florida, for a try at this and other straightaway marks. Both he and Hausman expect to be on hand in the east when the regular track season opens with the Decoration day meeting at New York. Oldfield's program for the season, as now arranged, concludes with another trip to the Pacific coast in the fall, this western trip including appearances at Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Barney Oldfield and the Golden Egg -- September 29, 2010

Barney Oldfield was a pioneering auto racer. The Golden Egg, also known as the Golden Submarine, was an early effort at streamlining. The car was designed by Fred Offenhauser and Harry A Miller, who both became famous racing car builders. Except for the skinny tires and spoked wheels, it looks remarkably modern. The "outlets" (windows) were covered with screens because he couldn't get rounded glass. Glass all around could also have been dangerous. From the 22-July-1917 New York Tribune. Click on the image for a much larger version.

Barney Oldfield's New Racing Contraption Has Been Christened the "Golden Egg"

In the old days Barney Oldfleld was ever the picturesque daredevil of the automobile racetrack. And he certainly did stunts, all the way from the Ford 999 and Peerless Green Dragon times until he had made all the dirt track "records" that Bill Pickens could think of or Ernie Morosa lay claim to. But now, apparently, our Barney has become cautious. Look at this racing machine in which he now competes, which someone has christened the "Golden Egg," because of its form and color. Racing in a sedan, it looks like to us. But Barney knows that if she ever turns over he'll be safe. There are no corners to catch on anything.

The "Golden Egg" is made with outlets all around at the top, which are covered by a heavy wire netting. This gives vision on every side, but stops things from flying in. The exhaust leads out through the back end of the egg. When Barney and the cigar and the mechanician are inside it is just like racing in a closed car. Of course, modified wind resistance, as well as the principle of safety first, have something to do with the idea. The body was built to Barney's ideas on a chassis which he developed himself, and he has used it in several racing engagements thus far. Respect for the truth compels us to say it could have been more successful.

White Touring Car Defeats Barney Oldfield And His Bullet -- November 28, 2009

An advertisement for the San Francisco branch of the White Sewing Machine Company describes their steam-powered touring car defeating famous racing car driver Barney Oldfield in his Rocket.

The image is from the 07-November-1903 San Francisco Call.

Today we went to Half Moon Bay to do some shopping. It got windy in the afternoon. The Advent Wreath was up in church.

Barney Oldfield -- August 29, 2008

"Motorist, Barney Oldfield, sitting in a parked next to a garage" in Chicago. I like the minimalist racing car. The front end appears to be an attempt at "wind-splitting."

The photo comes from the Library of Congress' wonderful American Memory site (http://memory.loc.gov/). SDN-003390, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

Senator Obama finished off the convention with a big speech in a football stadium. Senator McCain chose the governor of Alaska as his running. He announced it today to try to cut into Obama's press. I wonder how the issue about dismissing the Public Safety Commissioner is going to turn out.

Barney Oldfield in Bullet Number 2 -- February 27, 2008

Barney Oldfield drove Winton Bullet Number 2 at San Francisco's Ingleside Racetrack on Friday, 06-November-1903. Notice that he is not wearing a cap. From the 07-November-1903 San Francisco Call.

White Flier -- December 17, 2007

I sometimes mention that I enjoy the look of pre-WWII racing cars. Here we have Gus Seyfried, who drove the "rakish" steam-powered White Flier (shouldn't that be Flyer?) to a 59 second mile on the muddy track at Tanforan on 06-December-1908. Barney Oldfield could not do better than 1 minute, 3 seconds. Seyfried was from the area. I like the look of the car's front end. Note the steam exhaust pipe ahead of the cockpit. During a later qualifying heat, a "defective pilot light" put the car out of commission. This is from the 07-December-1908 San Francisco Call.

Ford 999 - July 17, 2007

I enjoy the look of pre-WWII racing cars. The 1902 Ford 999 is the most minimal racing car of all. Here it is shown with driver Barney Oldfield at the controls. He was a bicycle racer who had never driven an automobile before he drove 999 in a race. 999 was named after a famous New York Central locomotive.

I know Henry Ford was a bad guy in his anti-Semitic views and the way he treated his poor son, but I have always admired his engineering ideas. One that he held from his very first car, the quadricycle, was that autos should be light. 999 is an excellent example.

The original car is on display at the Henry Ford Museum (http://www.thehenryford.org/).