This Day in Automotive History: Roll Cage Inspired in Bob Burman's Memory
Robert (Bob) R. Burman wanted to go fast and eventually his need for speed got him killed. At the age of just 31 Burman was killed on this day in 1916 when his open-cockpit Peugeot rolled over during a race in Corona, California. The accident also took the lives of three spectators and seriously injured five others.
Before his fateful wreck Burman had quite a career. He was an all American racecar driver, born in Michigan in 1884. He took the checkered flag in the inaugural Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race, the precursor to the Indy 500, in 1909. He went on to participate in the first ever Indianapolis 500 two years later. He also set numerous world records behind the wheel of a 200hp Blitzen Benz at Daytona Beach and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Following his death two of his friends were inspired to build a racecar that would be much safer for the driver. Barney Oldfield and Harry Arminius Miller invented what is now referred to as a roll cage, but they took it one step farther. They completely enclosed their racecar, dubbing it the Golden Submarine, which was completed in 1917. That car, along with Burman, are pictured.