Overhead Valve Engine, Built by B.B. Korn for a High School Shop Project, circa 1920

THF160778 / Overhead Valve Engine, Built by B.B. Korn for a High School Shop Project, circa 1920
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Artifact Overview

Barney Korn was among the most accomplished builders of tether cars in the 1930s and 1940s. His models were always beautifully detailed. Korn even built model cars, boats, and airplanes for Hollywood movies. This elaborate, water-cooled model engine, built by Korn in his high school shop class, features overhead valves operated by a chain-driven camshaft.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Engine (Power producing equipment)

Date Made

circa 1920

Place of Creation

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Driven to Win: Racing in America

Object ID

2013.47.123

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Eric Zausner and the E-Z Spindizzy Foundation.

Material

Brass (Alloy)
Copper (Metal)
Glass (Material)
Iron alloy

Technique

Handmade

Dimensions

Height: 7.5 in
Width: 4.75 in
Length: 5.25 in

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    Tether cars, gas-powered model race cars, were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Few tether car makers matched the skill of Barney Korn. His remarkably detailed and largely hand-built models stood apart from mass produced units by larger manufacturers. Korn's models weren't big sellers – they were too slow for serious racers and too expensive for amateurs – but modern collectors value them for their beauty and rarity.