Innovations of the Speedway--Four-Wheel Hydraulic Brakes
When automobiles were first introduced, the braking system was rudimentary—a lever pushed a wooden pad against the rear wheels. The same system was used in carriages. As the engines became more powerful and speeds increased, this system became unviable.
In 1918, Malcolm Loughead patented hydraulic brakes. His design was the first mass-produced hydraulic brake, but, like the then-existing brake system, it was applied only to the rear brakes. Malcolm and his younger brother, Allan, founded the Loughead Aircraft Company in 1916, which won a contract with the U.S. Navy to manufacture flying boats during World War I. After hostilities ended, the contract was canceled, and Loughead formed Lockheed Hydraulic Brake Company in 1919. Around the same time, Loughead, who was tired of people mispronouncing his name “Log Head,” changed the spelling to Lockheed. In 1926, Malcolm and Jack Northrop formed the Lockheed Aircraft Manufacturing Company, today known as Lockheed Martin.
While Loughead designed the first hydraulic brake, Fred Duesenberg soon filed patents for his hydraulic braking innovations. The use of four-wheel brakes dramatically reduced braking distances.
Before the Duesenberg brothers began designing and building automobiles, they were deeply involved in auto racing. By 1914, they had participated in the Indianapolis 500. Eddie Rickenbacker finished 10th in a Duesenberg racer.
In 1921, with financial backing from spark plug manufacturer Albert Champion, Duesenberg entered four cars in the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. Powered by Miller engines, the cars were driven by Jimmy Murphy, Joe Boyer, Albert Guyot, and Louis Inghibert. Jimmy Murphy won the 1921 Grand Prix with an average speed of 78 mph. The use of four-wheel hydraulic brakes gave the Duesenberg drivers an unfair advantage. Duesenberg took three of the top six positions at the finish. The Duesenberg brothers highlighted the advantages of hydraulic brakes in their promotional material.
After moving from Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1920, Fred and Augie Duesenberg purchased a 16 ½ acre lot in Indianapolis, where they planned to build a “car designed and built for the connoisseur.” When the Duesenbergs started manufacturing automobiles for consumers, they used many of the innovations they had developed for their racer cars.
The Duesenbergs introduced the Model A, also known as the Duesenberg Straight Eight, at the Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis in February 1921. The display featured a roadster and a touring car chassis. The roadster was powered by a straight-eight engine and could reach an astonishing 85+ miles per hour. To stop the car efficiently, the Model A had four-wheel hydraulic brakes.