Description

GAR WOOD'S MISS AMERICA IX RACE BOAT

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY HIGH QUALITY SHIP MODEL

Dimension Approx.: 32″ L x 8.5″ W x 7″ H
The model is already built, NOT a model ship kit

In the early 1930s, when speedboat racing was a proving ground for engineering daring and national pride, Miss America IX emerged as one of the most important powerboats ever built. Conceived by legendary racer‑builder Gar Wood and constructed in Algonac, Michigan, the boat represented the peak of American craftsmanship and innovation. Designed by Nap Lisee and built by Wood and Orlin Johnson, Miss America IX combined rugged construction with aerodynamic elegance: a triple‑planked bottom, spruce stringers, and red‑mahogany topsides, all wrapped around a hull built to withstand unprecedented power.

That power came from twin Packard V‑12 engines, each producing roughly 1,200 horsepower. Their vertical exhaust stacks became an iconic silhouette — a visual promise of the speed that would soon rewrite history. On March 20, 1931, on the waters of North Miami Beach, Wood and Johnson pushed Miss America IX to 102.256 mph, making her the first boat in the world to exceed 100 mph. The achievement was all the more dramatic because it came just one day after a British team had set a new record at 98.76 mph. Less than a year later, with supercharged Packards installed, Miss America IX raised the bar again, reaching 112.434 mph and cementing her place as the fastest propeller‑driven boat of her era.

After her racing triumphs, Miss America IX entered a quieter chapter. In 1958, Gar Wood donated the boat to the Algonac Lions Club, where she slowly deteriorated until only a handful of original components remained. Her salvation came in 1970, when Charles Mistele, a former Olympic‑class sailor, acquired the boat and began a painstaking preservation. With his wife Diane, he restored Miss America IX with extraordinary respect for authenticity, replacing only what was structurally necessary and preserving her original mahogany, gold leaf lettering, and even the scars earned during her record‑setting runs.

Because her original Packard engines were long gone, the Mistele family sought a suitable repower. After an unsuccessful attempt to secure engines from GM, two Chevrolet 427 racing engines mysteriously arrived at their door — the donor never identified. These engines powered Miss America IX for decades, allowing her to appear at shows, exhibitions, and demonstrations as a living artifact of American racing history. She remained under Charles Mistele’s care until his passing in 2020.

Today, Miss America IX stands as one of the most significant powerboats ever built — the machine that first carried humanity beyond the 100‑mph barrier on water. Preserved with reverence and still displayed on occasion, she embodies the boldness, ingenuity, and competitive fire that defined the golden age of American speedboat racing.