You can be forgiven if National Inventors’ Day (February 11) passed you by yesterday, but it gives me a great excuse to write about Barney Oldfield, one of British Columbia’s own treasures.
Barney Oldfield:
Horace Basil (Barney) Oldfield was a mechanical genius and inventor who lived most of his life in Saanich, just outside of Victoria. He and brother Brian founded the Prospect Lake Garage in 1934 on Old West Saanich Road, which amazingly still operates as a family-run business. It was inside his little shop that he built a 24-ton truck out of scrap metal, specialized bulldozer blades and he developed a portable welder and other tools for the logging industry.
Teardrop car:
The two inventions though that attracted the most public attention was the teardrop car he designed and built in the early 1940s, and the rotating house located just a few blocks from his garage.
According to a Times Colonist story from September 1967 the aerodynamic car which he custom-built was the size of a VW bus and could reach speeds of 180 kilometres an hour. He called his invention the Spirit of Tomorrow. It was a combination of a 1939 Dodge frame, Ford V8 engine, transmission, two-speed Columbia over-drive, and front and rear suspension. John Norton, a Victoria-based metal worker built the aluminum body. A large metal fin went on the back of the car to provide better directional control in crosswinds.
For six months Barney carried sandbags in the uncovered chassis, putting them in different positions until he found exactly the right balance that he wanted in the car. John Norton told the Times Colonist reporter. “The airfoil design makes it sink at high speed. It drops a whole inch at 90 miles an hour.”
Rotating House:
Barney, who never married, built his 12-sided rotating house out of steel on top of Saanich Mountain. When he finished the house in the early 1970s, it rotated at 360 degrees with the flick of a switch and could spin at two speeds and reverse. The ground floor was 1,150 sq. ft with a fireplace and bathroom in the centre and kitchen, dining area, living room, two bedrooms and laundry facing outward. On the top was a 200 sq. ft round room with views of Mount Baker, the Malahat and part of the Olympics, and the controls to make the house rotate. Underneath he built a garage and basement.
Barney died in 1978 at 65. He had hung himself in his home.
© Eve Lazarus, 2022
For more stories like this one check out: Sensational Victoria: Bright Lights, Red Lights, Murders, Ghosts and Gardens
Sources:
- Five Eccentric BC Houses
- Times Colonist, September 5, 1967; June 28, 1973
- Website: Spirit of Tomorrow
- BC Assessment
14 comments on “The Marvellous Inventions of Barney Oldfield (1913-1978)”
Buckminster Fuller would have been impressed.
Interesting story Eve. The man probably never received the accolades that he deserved in his lifetime. Unfortunately, many creative people are bordering on genius, and some are self-destructive.
Another good story. There is an Oldfield Rd just north of the home and parallel to Old West Saanich Rd.
Thanks for digging up this amazing story. I’d only recently heard of the car but local old car guys seem to know it well. It has quite a history of its own. And the revolving house is great!
Interesting. I grew up in Victoria but have never heard of this man or his inventions before!
The 18 wheel logging truck, Butler Brothers # 70, was all wheel drive all wheel steer powered by a V12 71 jimmy with 6 speed Allison Automatic trans and a hydro retarder . With trailer it could haul over 150 tons of logs.
The car had flashing electric turn signals and a rear engine. Independent front suspension. Aluminum body.
Interesting stuff there, coincidentally I just came across a picture on Facebook that someone posted of when the car was apparently at Expo 86.
Vancouver expo 86 spirit of tomorrow car 1986.jpg
Basil was a very nice person when I visited him at his rotating house and showed me all around and how it worked. Plumbing drains went down a single pipe in the middle with a slip joint so it could rotate. Electrical cables were looped to rotate one way and then back the other. I think the building inspesers were shaking their heads over the design
A very interesting article. Heard about this man over the years …Thank-you for this more complete story .
Fascinating write-up Eve. Does the house still rotate??
Apparently it does. Be nice to take a spin!
My soon-to-be husband took me past Barney’s revolving house in 1971, and I thought that he (fiance) was slightly bonkers. (Turns out he actually was, a bit…). Anyway, it was a delightful afternoon.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking Nora Oldfield out enjoying lunch or coffee at Sophie’s Cafe which is now the Gelatin on the corner of West Saanich/Sparton Road then enjoying a walk over to the garage to view the logging truck and the fancy car in the garage of her residence. Will always remember the wonderful neighborly get togethers singing at Nora Oldfield’s home. Miss her now and always.
I’ve Been Lucky enough to Have been in the Home while its rotating and to have ridden in the Car . Both so unique inventions .