Baby Bootlegger

$499.00$549.00

  • Dimension approx.: 35.5″ L x 8.25″ W x 9″ H
  • The model is already built, NOT a model ship kit
  • Handcrafted from scratch using finest woods & metal fittings
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Description

One of the most beautiful race boats of all time, BABY BOOTLEGGER achieved fame as the winner of the APBA Gold Cup in 1924 and 1925 and the Dodge Memorial Trophy in 1925.

Designed by George Crouch and built by Henry Nevins, the construction of BABY BOOTLEGGER was unique. The sides of the mahogany hull were rounded into the deck with a gradually changing curve from stem to stern. The advantage of this design was that it permitted the construction of a light and strong hull with a minimum of wind resistance.

The boat initially used a V-8 Hispano-Suiza engine, specifically the licensed Wright-Hisso version. Built with 719 cubic inch piston displacement, the engine was sleeved to meet the 625 cubic inch maximum of the day. The popular “Hisso” was used in the Spad aircraft during World War I.

The owner Caleb Bragg was a successful auto racer, a World War I test pilot, an officer of Wright Aeronautical, and–by all accounts–a most thorough engineer, he drove BABY BOOTLEGGER (G-5) posted heat speeds in the 50 mile an hour range.

BABY BOOTLEGGER may have won the 1924 Gold Cup by default on a technicality, but she and Caleb Bragg won the race “for real” in 1925 on Manhasset Bay at Long Island, New York. Nine boats showed up to do competitive battle that year with six of them using Packard power. Three 30-mile heats were run and three different boats won them: NUISANCE, BABY BOOTLEGGER, and MISS TAMPA.

Following an accurate, complete, and craftsman-like restoration by Mason and Bruce Barnard, BABY BOOTLEGGER was repowered with a rebuilt “Hisso” engine. It went on to win the Best of Show Awards at the Antique and Classic Boat Society gatherings in Clayton, New York, at Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire, and on Canada’s Muskoka Lakes in 1982. The restored BABY BOOTLEGGER is a fitting tribute to powerboat racing’s classic past and one of the few race boats from the 1920s still in running condition.

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Shipping & Terms

  • Your item will normally be shipped within one or two business days after receiving payment. We will update tracking number of your shipment.
  • We use USPS, FedEx, and UPS for standard shipping. Please contact us if you prefer an express service. Standard or free shipping is just for customers in Lower 48 States.
  • Please contact us for shipping rate if you want to ship to Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii or other countries. We reserve the right to decline shipping to some countries for safety reason of the package.
  • International customer: Customer will be responsible for any taxes/duties at your country. Please contact your customs for import regulation
  • Guarantee to arrive safety. All shipments are FULLY INSURED with professional 100% secure packing
  • Damaged in transit: If you’ve found damage to the package please keep the original shipping carton/shipping label. Contact us immediately within 4 days so we can issue a damage claim with carrier. If the item damaged inside a wooden crate, please do not continue to open wooden crate, contact us immediately for instruction.
  • Please contact us first if you want to ship to APO/FPO/PO Box addresses. We are not responsible for extra shipping cost if the package denied for any reasons
  • Orders are shipped on business days only. Business days are Monday-Friday, excluding federal holidays within the United States. If you place an order after 2PM of Friday we will process on next Monday.