Domination---No other worked so accurately describes the successful reign of the Offenhauser engine over six decades of American automobile racing. On small urban tracks, state fair dirt circuits, and Indy's brick oval. "Offy" was synonymous with "winner's circle."

     The man who lent his name to the legendary racing engine, Fred Offenhauser, came to work for intuitive design genius Harry Miller in 1913. When these two were later joined by draftsman extraordinaire Leo Goossen, the mold was cast---Miller dreamed, Goossen drew, ad Offenhauser created. By the 1920's, Miller's engines were all-conquering, outperforming those from the Duesenberg brothers and all other corners. 

     But for Harry Miller success bred unconstrained flights of fancy. Racing development went astray while a host of unrelated and unprofitable directions were pursued. By 1933 America's greatest race engine builder was bankrupt.

     Enter Fred Offenhauser to pick up the pieces.

     With Goossen still at his side, Offenhauser built on Miller's original powerful four-cylinder to create a circle-track racing dynasty. At the height of its powers in the 1950's, entire Indy grids were composed of Offenhauser-powered roadsters. Neither the rear-engined revolution of the mid-1960's nor the entry of Ford and other major players would knock the Offy from its throne. When the little four with the big punch finally ceased being competitive in the early 1980's, it was more a victim of the rules book than any engineering shortcoming.