Engineer’s dubbed it a “madman’s dream.” Four 1800-horsepower, 12-cylinder Packard open exhaust engines powered Miss America X and it hit an astounding 124.915 mph (two miles a minute)!
Gar Wood’s quest for speed culminated in what is arguably his penultimate design feat, Miss America X. In 1931, Miss America IX became the first boat to reach 100 mph, topping out at 102.256 mph. He successfully defended his trophy 8 times with new generations of the Miss America platform. Gar Wood’s racing ambition carried him to England in 1920 to compete against European rivals with a hydroplane design christened Miss America I. Smith Boat and Engine Company (precursor to Chris-Craft). In 1916 he purchased the 28-foot Miss Detroit from a failed racing syndicate, not for the boat, but the Sterling 250 HP engine! He then commissioned and concurrently purchased a controlling interest in the C.C. He coupled innovative hull designs with brute power in search of speed. He was a self-professed engine fanatic, and used his personal resources to enter powerboat racing with a vengeance. He invented the first hydraulic hoist for dump trucks, pyramiding its success into a multi-millionaire fortune by age 40. Garfield (Gar) Wood was a self trained engineer, inventor and savvy businessman.
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