This is an unusual Grand Prix Squalo quarter midget race car that was built to resemble the Ferrari 553 Formula One car that debuted in 1953.
Unlike the 256 bhp Ferrari original, this quarter midget is powered by a reliable 4 bhp Briggs & Stratton single-cylinder engine, sending power through a centrifugal clutch and chain drive to the rear wheels.
The Grand Prix Squalo quarter midget race car was built to resemble the Ferrari 553 Formula One car that debuted in 1953. Image courtesy of the Grand Prix Mfg. Corp.
History Speedrun: Quarter Midget Racing
Quarter midget racing first emerged in the mid-20th century as a direct response to two parallel forces then driving American motorsport – the post-WWII boom in grassroots oval racing and the desire to create a safe, structured entry point for young drivers.
The quarter midget concept was simple, deliberately so, the goal was to build cars that were roughly one-quarter the size of full-scale midget racers, then race them on correspondingly short tracks, and apply clear rules that were focused on driver development over out-and-out speed. The result was a new racing discipline that would quietly become one of the most influential feeder systems in North American racing.
Early quarter midget cars mirrored full midgets in layout, with open wheels, solid axles, torsion or leaf suspension, and simple engines. Tracks were typically one-twentieth of a mile in length, allowing close competition while keeping speeds manageable (and safe) for junior drivers. By the mid-1950s, the format had proven successful enough that formal organizations began to appear, standardizing safety requirements, class structures, and technical regulations.
Quarter Midgets of America was founded in 1957, it soon became the dominant sanctioning body and it remains so today. They introduced age-based classes, engine parity rules, and a national championship structure that helped unify what had previously been a ragtag regional pastime.
This framework made quarter midget racing more legitimate in the eyes of the general public, allowing local clubs to flourish while feeding into state and national competition. As the sport matured, purpose-built tracks, dedicated safety equipment, and increasingly sophisticated chassis designs followed – all without straying far from the original mechanical simplicity.
As you can see from this brochure page, the Grand Prix Squalo quarter midget race car was advanced by the standards of the time, with features unseen on many competitors cars. Image courtesy of the Grand Prix Mfg. Corp.
The influence of quarter midget racing on professional motorsport is difficult to overstate – generations of drivers have passed through the discipline before moving on to karting, midgets, sprint cars, and ultimately NASCAR, IndyCar, and sports car racing. Names like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch all began their competitive careers in quarter midgets, learning racecraft, mechanical engineering, and oval-track fundamentals at an early age.
The Grand Prix Squalo Quarter Midget Shown Here
The Grand Prix Squalo quarter midget racer shown here was built by Grand Prix of El Monte, California, and styled to echo the Ferrari 553 Formula One cars of the mid-1950s. It had red fiberglass bodywork fitted to a square-tube steel chassis, with removable tail, cowl, and hood sections that all align with period open-wheel design cues.
It measures in at approximately 72 inches in length and it was refurbished under prior ownership. It has chrome front and rear bumpers, nerf bars, and a roll hoop, along with an air scoop integrated into the tail section.
Suspension is by torsion bars, and braking is handled by a mechanical disc acting on the rear axle. The vehicle rides on staggered-diameter 5 inch Margay wheels with black spokes and polished lips, currently shod with older Bridgestone and Goodyear slicks.
The cockpit is arranged in classic quarter-midget fashion, with a black padded seat and matching headrest positioned behind a steering yoke and ahead of twin foot pedals.
The influence of quarter midget racing on professional motorsport is difficult to overstate – generations of drivers have passed through the discipline before moving on to karting, midgets, sprint cars, and ultimately NASCAR, IndyCar, and sports car racing. Names like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch all began their competitive careers in quarter midgets. Image courtesy of the Grand Prix Mfg. Corp.
Power comes from a Briggs & Stratton single-cylinder engine rated at 4 bhp, this is paired with a centrifugal clutch and chain drive. Exhaust exits via a trumpet-style pipe extending beyond the rear bodywork.
he vehicle is now being offered at no reserve out of Tampa, Florida, and it’s accompanied by spare wheels and tires. It is sold on a bill of sale and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
