Among the Most Famous and Successful Midgets of Its Era
Built by Racing Legend Roy Richter
Owned and Extensively Raced by 1957 Indianapolis 500 Winner Sam Hanks
Owned by Donald L. Weber for over 40 Years
The Ultimate Prewar Midget
110 CID Offenhauser DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Twin Winfield Sidedraft Carburetors
Estimated 125 BHP
Offenhauser In-Out Gearbox
4-Wheel Drum Brakes
Front Tubular Axle with Radius Rods and Transverse Leaf Spring
Rear Halibrand Quick Change Axle with Radius Rods and Transverse Leaf Spring
Roy Richter was a recent high school graduate in Bell, California, when he started a job at Bell Auto Parts. Interested in auto racing, Richter discovered his talent for car building, and by his twenties he was building Midgets and offering components, though he completed very few cars. In 1945, Richter bought Bell Auto Parts for $1,000, eventually turning it into the preeminent speed shop of its time. In 1954, he started Bell Helmets and later opened Cragar Industries, makers of the famous S/S custom wheels that would become ubiquitous on American roads.
This Richter Midget Racer was built for Bob Elgin in 1938, and it was originally driven by Paul Swedberg. Later that year, Sam Hanks of Alhambra, California, who had recently been crowned Midget champion, purchased the car, painted it black, and put his earned number “1” on the tail. He would go on to win more races in this car than arguably anyone else competing in midget racing in the same period of time. By the mid-1970s, Donald L. Weber learned of the car, then owned by Pete Snyder, and asked Hanks if he could authenticate it. While the car was incomplete, Hanks recognized enough of the components, including a patch that he himself had affixed to the tail section. The Midget Racer was then purchased by Mr. Weber and restored to a very high standard by Chuck Porter. While it has not run in some time, it remains an enduring and famous example of this exciting time in Midget racing.
*Please note that this vehicle is sold on a Bill of Sale.
