![]() Riding back to the launch in the runabout, we sink into the supple leather of the bench seats, every bit as carlike as that Dietrich folding top. But that's a small price to pay for exhilarating performance on the open water, where it belongs. In the tight quarters of the marina, we discover that the slender runabout is about as maneuverable as a log at low speeds. The Scripps didn't miss a beat during what can only be described as the most glamorous marine-recovery operation in the Detroit River's recent history. Lines are made ready, and then gently - very gently - the 28-40 tows the much younger boat to safety. There's never a dull moment when you're on the water, but there's absolutely no reason to complain - it's a beautiful spring day.įield-repair attempts meeting no success, there's nothing to do but limp to the nearest port. Only it's the Whaler, not the Gar Wood, sitting dead in the water, knocked out of commission by a bum hydraulic-steering pump. Then, a mechanical failure cuts short our return trip. We haven't yet seen all of Schnabel's shots, but we're sure they're spectacular. The GM headquarters towers above us, a stunning backdrop for a stunning boat. It's a quick and thrilling sprint to Belle Isle's MacArthur Bridge and then we're in front of Detroit's downtown skyline. It's tough to say whether riding in the Gar Wood would have been any more visually satisfying than watching it from the chase boat. With the 28-40 coursing down the river, though, you can't focus on the stubborn blight or the ramshackle marinas. Save for a series of riverside parks, it's prime real estate that Detroit can't quite decide what to do with yet. The factories are gone, but little has sprung up to replace them. The riverfront has changed since Gar captivated the world with feats of speed - and not for the better. We hop into a weathered Boston Whaler chase boat, joining RM's photographer, Darin Schnabel, RM vice president Alain Squindo and a handful of others before we set off. The high-pitched whine of a Detroit Grand Prix practice session drifts across the river, contrasting with the cammy, purring idle of the 28-40's Scripps six. By the time we show up, they've been on the water for hours. The launch site is hardly glitzy in the shadow of a powerplant, it's used mostly by fishermen. We're told there's a free Vedic feast on Sunday if you want to take a closer look at the grounds. It's located near Lawrence Fisher's party palace, still standing but owned by Hare Krishnas. We put in not too far from the site of Gar's now-demolished Grayhaven riverfront mansion. It's not the kind of offer you turn down. ![]() They invited us to wake up early on a Saturday to tag along for a photo shoot in the Detroit River. RM Auctions will be selling the runabout for considerably more than its original list price at the upcoming Motor City sale, held the day before the Concours d'Elegance of America in Plymouth, Mich. We do know what it cost, though: $4,700 (more than 10 times the price of a new Ford Model A and about the same price as a Packard Eight De Luxe). We're not entirely sure what the boat was called when new. Logan, apparently something of a teetotaler, did not specify an ice chest. It has a few special touches that set it apart from the other triple cockpits built that year, like a folding top designed by automotive coachbuilder Dietrich. It's called a 28-40 because it is 28 feet long, and its torquey Scripps Model 202 inline-six can push it to a stated top speed of 40 mph. Clair River northeast of Gar's proving grounds - the waters around Detroit's Belle Isle. Its boatbuilding arm had just relocated to Marysville, Mich., where Lake Saint Clair meets the St. This particular Gar Wood model 28-40 triple cockpit runabout, now named “Katie's Choice” (Katie, whoever she is, apparently has superb taste), was built in 1930 for Gar's brother, Logan, then president of Gar Wood Industries. Today, they're recognized, along with Chris-Crafts and Hackercrafts, as some of the finest and most collectable runabouts ever produced. Garfield “Gar” Wood, a Tony Stark-like entrepreneur/inventor/daredevil - the first man to travel over 100 mph on the water - often crammed Packard powerplants into his series of record-breaking “Miss America” speedboats. Miss Daytona, designed for pure speed in 1929, was essentially built around a motor devised by Indy legend Harry Miller. Look at nearly any speedy watercraft borne of the Machine Age and you're sure to find some connection to the automotive industry. We've learned a lot about making faster boats, more efficient boats, flashier boats, since 1930. The vessel charges over the waves effortlessly it gets up on plane quickly, water rising up to kiss its keel mid-hull, leaving behind nothing but a thrumming engine note and a picture-perfect vee wake. To say that a Gar Wood 28-40 Triple Cockpit runabout floats across the water isn't just obvious - it's an understatement.
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