From the Collection of Glenn C. Gould Jr.

1970 Quasar SR-70 SR-70 "D Sports Racer"

1,147 SOHC 4-Cylinder Inline Engine
140bhp
6-Speed Manual Hewland Mk 8 Gearbox
Independent, front by A-arm, Rear By Coil Springs
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

*Very rare sports racing prototype
*Offered from Museum ownership
*Previously owned and raced for decades by Bill Tannhaeuser
*Extensively restored, then exhibited

QUASAR

If you are going to write a book called How to Make Your Car Handle, what better way to show you know your stuff than designing and selling your own race cars? Fred Puhn did both of those things very successfully! Puhn was a Mechanical Engineer working in Southern California's aerospace industry. He worked as a structural engineer and also as a design engineer. This turned out to be a great combination for building racing cars as well. Puhn used this knowledge to not just design the car systems to work, but to work together. His knowledge of aerospace design led him to design the car with exceptionally low drag, high downforce and exceptional stability. He also made sure that all the blueprints were completed prior to the first build, so no re-do's compromising the design downstream. The result? First 4 races, four wins! Inevitably, the sports racing world took notice, and Puhn started a company (Chassis Engineering Co.) to produce cars and sell plans for do-it-yourselfers. Road and Track asked to do a road test of the car, and it appears in their November 1970 issue (they were suitably impressed!).

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This 1971 Quasar is probably the finest example of Mr. Puhn's cars existing today. Quasar #3 was a Chassis Engineering Inc./Puhn-built, i.e. 'works', delivered car. It has an extensively documented history file which it has clearly retained from its earliest days and charts all of its racing career through 4 consecutive racing log-books. Importantly, it is understood to be one of the two cars tested in Road and Track in period.
Jim Serniuk was the first owner of this car. He was also a partner with Puhn in Chassis Engineering Company. Chassis number 003 was fitted with a prominent rear spoiler, as it appears today, giving it excellent high-speed stability while maintaining low drag. From the racing log books, the first engine in the car was an Ocelet Suzuki 750cc, then a 1300cc Ford Escort engine, which soon was replaced with a Lotus Twin Cam.
Serniuk upgraded the car continually to current production specs as development on the design continued. In 1973 he sold the car to Bill Tannhaeuser. Tannhaeuser was well known in Midwest SCCA racing, with his Elva Mk I showing up at Road America, Brainard, and other Midwest tracks. He decided to upgrade the engine to a Honda 1200 cc 4-cylinder engine, perhaps the first racing car ever to use an engine from the "new" Honda Civic. With his newly upgraded Quasar, Tannhaeuser collected 6 wins and 10 podiums in his first 11 races.
In 1997, John Langermann purchased the car from Tannhaeuser, and sent it to GMT Racing in Newtown Connecticut for a total restoration. The car was restored from the ground up, retaining the original chassis, wheels and drivetrain, but featuring a new tub and having new body panels created in fiberglass and Kevlar from the original factory molds. The original wing design and support structure was restored, bringing the car back to factory intended specs. Langermann specified the car be made legal for SVRA events, which he planned to run, but also legal for CHR, HSR, MCSCC, SCCA, USRRC, VARA, VHRA, VHRS and VSCDA events.
The newly restored Quasar was taken to New Hampshire International Speedway after restoration, and Langermann put the car through its paces on their road course. After a successful day of testing, the car was returned to the shop and serviced ready for its next season of racing. Alas, plans changed, and John decided to retire from racing, and the Quasar has not turned a lap since! It later joined the Wells Auto Museum where it was prominently displayed.
Included with the car are two complete fire suits and helmets, SCCA Log books, service invoices dating back to 1971, a copy of the Road and Track with test results, SCCA race results, and much more!