Bruce Meyer is a car guy who has a lot of money. He's not a car guy because he has a lot of money. That's an important distinction. He doesn't buy anything to show off; he buys cars about which he is wildly, infectiously enthusiastic. And he cares for a very special collection of them.
As of last year, he also owns Miss Daytona, a 16-foot step hydroplane with an engine built by Harry Miller -- the guy whose cars won Indy on nine occasions and whose engines won it three more times.
It was built in 1929 and owned by a man named Chris Ripp, who famously allowed Indy legend Wilbur Shaw to race the boat in Florida and Cuba. Shaw recounted his exploits racing Miss Daytona (and carousing) in his excellent autobiography, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.”
Miss Daytona had most recently been part of the incredible collection of Tom Mittler, who passed away in 2010. Since Meyer acquired the boat, it's been made seaworthy by Doug Morin of Morin Boats in Bay City, Mich.
Autoweek recently tagged along with Meyer when he took delivery of Miss Daytona in Bay City, where he told us the vessel's life story with the kind of heartfelt, joyful reverence you just don't see enough of anymore.
The guy could have shipped the boat directly to his home in California, but he wanted to pilot it first. So, on a cold, rainy morning in May, we met him at a public boat launch on the Saginaw River in Bay City.
With the boat off the trailer and bobbing in the debris-choked river, Meyer donned a pair of old-timey goggles and a cotton life jacket that looked more likely to soak up water and drag him under than keep him afloat. He punched the throttle with his left foot. Doug Morin briefed him one last time on the controls before hopping off the long, slick deck. Meyer lit up the throttle and took off. While the boat is beautiful in the water, its Miller 151 engine is the true work of art.
It exhales through about 18 inches of straight pipe—just long enough to direct exhaust gasses directly into the pilot's face. The noise is an all-consuming crackle. Imagine holding a soup can full of firecrackers to your ear and lighting them. Then imagine you enjoyed it enough to keep doing it over and over. It was like that. Until it sucked up some bad gas and crapped out.
The engine was rebuilt by Phil Reilly & Co. in California, so everyone was pretty confident the hiccup was fuel related. Sure as hell, pumping out the old gas and replacing it with fresh stuff was enough to give Meyer several more deafening runs up and down the river.
Pulling up to the dock, Meyer was all infectious grin. He hugged everyone. He was as he is, more man than magnate—a kid with his favorite new toy.
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