1956 Hillegass Sprint Race Car
2022.0005.0001, Savoy Collection
Engine: 312 cu. in. (5.1L) Cast-iron block, OHV, V-8
Output: 212 HP @ 4,600 RPM
Transmission: In-N-Out
No. Produced: 60
Manufacturer: Hillegass
Hiram Hillegass of Allentown, PA, began building racecars in 1919 and was recognized as one of the foremost builders of “single-seat” racecars. He was elected to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1997. Sprint race cars are essentially stock racers in miniature, one-seater vehicles that are traditionally powered by a naturally aspirated, methanol-injected overhead valve V8 engine. This Sprint car was one of 60 tube-type Sprints built in 1949 by Hillegass.
This Sprint racer went on to win 99 races until its final lap in 1975. Notable racers who drove this Hillegass Sprint car include Mario Andretti, Eddie Sachs, Steve Yanigan, Lou Johnson, Bobby Courtwright, Hank Rogers, and Bill Holland. In 1987, Gene W. Weaber purchased it and began a decade-long restoration. Alongside craftsmen Kenny Rasp and Frank Murray, Weaber restored the car to its 1956 race configuration, completing the restoration in June 1997.