1924

This 1924 Chrysler B-70 Touring was reportedly purchased by Dr. R.C. McNabb of Carthage, Indiana, in May 1924, and participated in two Indianapolis 500 Festival parades in the 1980s before it was refurbished and donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation by the McNabb family in 1987. The car has since been kept in the IMS Museum’s climate-controlled storage facility and has recently been used in the IPL 500 Festival Parade, which is held annually the day before the Indianapolis 500. Power comes from a 201ci L-head inline-six paired with a three-speed manual transmission, and the car is finished in blue with a black soft top and fenders over blue leather upholstery. This first-year Chrysler is now offered by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation with a clean Indiana title. The Walter P. Chrysler-designed B-70 was the first model built by his eponymous company, launching in January 1924 at the Commodore Hotel in New York City. This example was repainted in its current blue with black fenders and white pinstripes in the late 1980s. The car is said to be equipped with door handles for a left-handed driver, and additional features include chrome bumpers, glass wind wings, side marker lamps, running boards, and a brake light. The paint and brightwork were reportedly buffed and polished prior to its last appearance in the IPL 500 Festival Parade in 2019. The black folding soft top features a glass rear window and can be seen up close in the gallery below. The seller notes that the photos were taken in June 2020. The wood spoke wheels were refinished in the late 1980s and are mounted with Firestone 4.75-5.00-20 bias-ply tires, with a spare rim and tire fitted out back. The B-70 rode on a 112.75″ wheelbase and featured a tubular front axle with Lovejoy hydraulic shock absorbers and a live rear axle with leaf springs as standard equipment. Braking is handled by hydraulic drums at all four corners, and new wheel bearings were installed in the late 1980s. The two bench seats are trimmed in blue leather with matching door panels and a carpet for rear passengers. A foot starter was fitted in the late 1980s. The four-spoke steering wheel fronts a body-color steel dash featuring a barrel-type speedometer and gauges for amperage, oil pressure, water temperature, and fuel level. Just under 700 miles are shown on the five-digit odometer, and total mileage is unknown. The 201ci L-head inline-six features a Stromberg side-draft carburetor, seven main bearings, and aluminum pistons. It was rated at 68 horsepower when new. The car was reportedly last serviced prior to the 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission that was reportedly last serviced in the 1980s. Corrosion is noted on the rear leaf springs, and additional underside photos are viewable in the gallery, and a driving video featuring NTT INDYCAR driver Ed Carpenter can be seen below. Located inside the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, the IMS Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on the support of visitors, members, donors, and corporate partners to make possible their daily operations, exhibits, restoration and preservation initiatives, and educational programming. To learn more about the IMS Museum and the many ways you can show support, including their “Adopt-a-Car” program, please click here.