There’s nothing like a relaxing day on the water, until something like this unmuffled twin V16 powerboat roars by, tearing a hole in time and space. Garfield “Gar” Wood built this 1931 Garwood Miss America VIII 30 ft motor boat (and others in the series) to break water speed records, and it comes to Mecum’s Kissimmee Florida auction on Saturday, 17 January 2026. Prospective buyers can smash their piggy bank and extract around $2 million USD, give or take a couple hundred thousand, according to Mecum’s estimate. Luckily the auction site includes an “Apply for Financing” button so, problem solved! Thanks to reader Mitchell G. for spotting this insane water toy.
Wood made ten of these speedsters, and the seller claims he favored this this eighth unit, calling it “the finest boat he (Gar Wood) ever built, barring none … my masterpiece.” The twin 1113 cid (18.2L) DOHC V16s replaced the previous boat’s pair of Packard V16 motorcar mills. These custom creations by engine master Harry Miller devour a cocktail of air and fuel prepared by four Holley carburetors each. While we can surmise the Holleys are not original, the engines are! No other surviving Garwood Miss America can equal that boast, according to the listing. Miller’s magic grossed 930 HP per side, good enough for 104 MPH on the Harlem River in New York, according to the seller, virtually guaranteeing you’ll get to the yacht club on time, fast enough to net the Harmsworth Trophy twice.
A restoration retained 75% of the original wood, and she’s a beauty from stem to stern. Exploring the limits of your $2 million unique wooden masterpiece may seem like folly, but don’t think it won’t happen.
Each driveshaft extends forward to a gear box that spins a long prop shaft rearward where an elegant metal propeller awaits its chance to shred unsuspecting water molecules. Anyone committed to piloting this beast inches behind two giant engines while machinery whirls madly forward and beneath them certainly won’t mind riding with these coffin-sized fuel tanks. Do I hear someone crying for their Mommy?
Mahogany seat bottoms keep you connected to the boat’s visceral undulations. Coax a passenger into signing the necessary waivers and hold on tight. Once you crank up this 1800 HP death spear, those holes might be draining more than errant lake water. This boat’s exploration of the fine line between excitement and death can’t be properly appreciated by modern video game-trained steering wheel holders who think they’re Max Verstappen every time they turn off traction control. Not even close. Do you have what it takes to pilot this floating mahogany near-death experience?
My Grandfather and Great Uncle both owned a Gar Wood cabin cruiser in the early 40’s like the one in this picture. When I saw this beast on Fast Finds, I just couldnt believe this setup. You’re sitting directly behind two mammoth V16s. That kind of horsepower for 1931 is staggering when you think about it. 40 or 50 mph feels very fast on the water. But over 100? On the Harlem River? Wow!!! The workmanship and wood and those engines are just beautiful. Great write up Todd and great research and history too. I enjoyed it!!!
You said a mouthful, Dave-and your kin had excellent taste in boats too! WOW!
They did. From what I was told My Great Uncle “enjoyed” the boat, my Grandfather did most of the work and upkeep. If you catch my drift.
-Dave
Like Dave and Nevada know.. 50/mph on the water has long been a gold standard.. you’re moving. ..
What a feature Fitch 👏 👍. Good eye Mitchell.
Two things cross my mind when I look at this; I first wonder what it would be like to pilot this down Flathead Lake if I brought it home. The next thing: What would it be like to ski behind this? I would think that it would be quite an adventure to ski behind this in a straight line. Of course, unless I won a big windfall this weekend my chances of skiing behind this boat would be less than winning the lottery twice in a row with the same set of numbers. But I like the boat!
You live by Flathead Lake?My sister & her husband were just
visiting us from Kalispell.I used to go up there all the time,starting
in the early ’70’s.
WAY TOO MANY Californians there now.
By “Gar”, all this just to turn a prop, fascinating, Captain. Just wood love boats, another in the “look but that’s it” category, now this? Good heavens, takes the “more must be better” thing a bit further. It’s all show, folks, but I read, with the Packard engines, it was the 1st boat to go over 100 mph. Unheard of in 1931. It just looks unsafe, sitting way back like that, no cush for the tush, and if something blows, it’s in your face. Really cool feature, about as practical as those pulling tractors with 6 motors, that amazingly, don’t do any better than some single motor jobs. I don’t know, I’d have to think half the cylinders aren’t firing and you’d never know it, now those drag boats with the nitro motors, THAT takes chutzpah.
Howard, if you’re into wooden boats and you live in ‘Sconsin (which I gather from previous posts) check out Glacier Lakes Chapter ACBS on Facebook. Many events are held after hard water disappears. I’ll guarantee 99.999% of the owners at any given show would gladly do more than just have you look! I’d certainly be happy to give you a ride.
Howard’s in Colorado,but is from Wisconsin.
Got a race car buddy that used to drag race his “nitro motor” 160 mph boat. Now he uses it to rattle the fishermen on his local lake. Showed a video that convinced me to stay on race tracks, the dry land type.
If I had 2 million dollars I could find a lot cheaper and fun way to go 100 mph!
Scary fast on water is twice as scary as scary fast on land!
Very interesting story and great write up!
A less interesting side story – Garwood Industries also made parts for the automotive industry, and they were the OEM manufacturer of the “simulated” (aka fake) mag hubcaps available as a factory option on Chevrolets beginning in 1965. I believe they also may have made the similar mag caps for Ford and Mopar in that timeframe. I guess making all the plated pot-metal pieces found on boats made Garwood very efficient at the process, so the pot-metal mag caps were right in their wheelhouse (pun intended)!
A set of 4 brand new 1965-66 Chevrolet mag caps still in the original Garwood Industries shipping box (not yet repackaged into a GM box) showed up on eBay about 20 years ago. I bid a WHOLE LOT, but was nowhere close to winning.
Additional research on the company history back then (which was not as easy as it is today) indicated that by then they had long been out of making boats and passenger car trinkets, and their only continued motor-vehicle manufacturing at that time was producing commercial garbage trucks and compactor trucks (which they had originally started back in the 30’s).
The wiki on Mr. Wood is well worth the read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_Wood
This thing is insane, I can’t imagine the sound that comes off those motors right in your face. The left motor is counter rotating as are most twin screws, the original Packard left was as well. With the weight of these motors this thing probably slows down like is has a basement underneath.
The mentality behind this boat reminds me of the 150 on my first bass boat in 1980, it wasn’t fast enough. I ended up going faster and faster until I ended up with 250HP EFI in 2001. Still wanted to go faster.