Few early American racers did more than Ak Miller. He was a well-known hot rodder, successful long-distance racer, had more than one legendary run in The Carrera Panamericana in the 1950s, was a frequent winner at the hillclimbs at Pikes Peak, tried his hand at road racing, and even roared across the Salt Flats of Bonneville. But perhaps his most interesting accomplishment was Caballo II, the first, last, and only all-American sports car to compete in Italy’s legendary Mille Miglia.
Caballo II was conceived as a car to run in the 1957 Carrera Panamericana. After the race was canceled following the tragic 1955 season, rumors began to fly that the event would again be run the following year. When that didn’t happen, the team of Miller, Doug Harrison, and Ray Brock decided to press on with construction…certain that they would find a way to put the car to use. The project began with Miller’s purchase of a 500X space frame from Frank Kurtis. Harrison went to work adding tubes to increase the car’s overall stiffness. This was an extremely good idea as its power plant was a bored and stroked 392 Chrysler Hemi pumping out 400 horsepower at 5,400 rpm. At just 2,100 pounds, the monster had an astounding 5.25 pounds per horsepower. Not satisfied with brute force alone, Miller hired famed metal shaper Jack Sutton to clothe the car in an exotic dual head-fairing’d masterpiece.
The car created an international stir in the months leading up to the 1957 race across Italy. Miller was able to arrange both support and press coverage from the NHRA, and also got crew support from military enthusiasts stationed in Europe. It all looked good until the car broke down with a cracked brake drum at the 300-mile mark. Not discouraged, Miller ran the car at Bonneville in August of ’57 and blazed through the traps at an impressive 177.42 mph. The car was later entered in the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix at Riverside in 1958 but was not running at the finish. From here, the story of Caballo II gets quiet…very, very quiet.
Bob Wildoner of Apple Valley, California, has had a love affair with sports cars for as long as he can remember. One of his clearest boyhood memories is the car that adorned the cover of the April 1957 issue of Hot Rod Magazine…Caballo II. Wildoner still recalls his curiosity with Ak Miller and his car: “I was fascinated that a hot rodder was building a two-seat, Hemi-powered, road racer to take to Italy. No one had ever done that. And the car was so beautiful.”
Caballo II dropped out of sight in the late ’50s and Wildoner went on to have a successful career as a real estate appraiser. In 1974 a friend called to tell him about an old racecar parked next to a garage in Hesperia, California. Five years later, after Wildoner had moved to that town in the high desert, his friend again reminded him of the old sports car. Wondering if it was going to be a waste of time, Wildoner drove across town to see if he could find this mysterious racecar.
According to Wildoner, “When I walked up to the car, my heart began thumping because I immediately knew what it was. I couldn’t believe that this famous car was just sitting there, with weeds growing up through it.” Wildoner walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. The wife of the owner came to the door and said: “Don’t even ask, it’s not for sale.” According to Wildoner that was the entire conversation. Wildoner returned once a year to visit the car. In 1985, he rang the doorbell again. This time the owner answered. According to Wildoner, “It was just one of those fortunate moments. I made him the right offer at the right time.”
Wildoner immediately began doing research on the car and has been steadily restoring it since 1988. Most of the chassis work and mechanicals are finished and “Alloy Cowboy” Bob Foster is making good progress restoring the body. Wildoner would like to show Caballo II at Pebble Beach in 2008, and then hopes to run the car at the Monterey Historics the following year. Hey! What about another try at the Mille Miglia.
