Bob Shotwell lived in a small town in Minnesota, and in 1931, asked his father for a car as he was about to graduate from high school
His dad replied that if he wanted a car, he should build one. So, 17-year-old Bob scrounged parts and made his own little three-wheeled coupe powered by a four-cylinder 1931 Indian engine, right out of high school. He worked in his father's Minneapolis radiator shop, hand-hammering the steel for the body, each fender a 40-hour project.
He took a front end from a Model A Ford, cut it down a little bit and used the hubs from a '32 Ford. But at the little coupe's heart is the kick started Indian 4-cyl engine with its integral 3-speed driving the single rear wheel with a chain. There's no Reverse. And there were two little electric blowers for cooling everything in the engine compartment.
Bob called it Philbert the Puddle Jumper. He and his brother, Edward, made headlines in local newspapers in the Northwest when they drove it on a 6000-plus-mile jaunt, and eventually racked up 150,000 miles on it.
"Philbert," named for the cartoon character who overcame all obstacles.
The brothers Shotwell headed west, traveling through the Rockies at a time when they were building the original highway. At some points, bulldozers had to pull the car over the yet-to-be-tamed terrain.
Bob Shotwell went on to a career as a pilot for Northwest Airlines, retiring in 1975. He married and raised two children - and his little coupe was always an important part of the family's life.
But at age 82, he was afraid that the car would end up being torn apart by motorcycle guys for its precious Indian engine. He didn't want that to happen so, he gave Jay Leno the coupe in 1997, as long as he promised that he wouldn't break it up.
Popular Mechanics, Sept 2009
If I was a little younger and still had a couple of harley engines I might jut be tempted! Make a great daily driver for my old carcas!
ReplyDeleteThe video is quite entertaining. Jay Leno brings us into the situation of driving this - and for 150,000 miles!
ReplyDelete