Started work with Buick aged just 16 to help the family out in Flint, where Leo grew up. At the time, Flint was a major base for both automobile and racing cars and Leo picked up a lot of skills early on. After poor health stopped him serving in World War 1, he worked as a cowboy, of all things, for a while before returning to what he knew best, engines and engineering - this time with Harry Miller. His work on the Offenhauser engine was his big achievement, but he also worked on many engine developments, and also chassis design as well. Both his Scarab engine and a project he was planning before he fell ill and died in the 1970's were constantly with new experimental design features or new parts.

Biography last updated