Borg-Warner commissioned the Borg-Warner Trophy in 1935. It has been awarded to the winner of every Indianapolis 500 since 1936 and is one of the most recognizable trophies in all of sports.
Crafted from sterling silver by Spaulding-Gorham of Chicago from a design by Robert J. Hill, it was unveiled at a dinner in New York in February 1936. It featured bas-relief sculptures of every “500” winner up until that time.
There are 110 faces on the trophy’s squares. The faces date back to Ray Harroun, winner of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, and include two sets of dual victors (one driver started the race and the other finished it) for 1924 and 1941.
Tom Sneva (1983) is the only champion who appears on the trophy wearing his eyeglasses, by his request.
The new winner has been added every year since, and in 1986 (the trophy’s 50th anniversary), the final space was filled.
The solution for 1987 was to add a base, but this too became filled. In 2004, an even larger base replaced it. It has enough spaces to last through 2034.
The only sculptured face not of a winning driver is that of the late speedway owner Tony Hulman, whose likeness, in gold, was placed on the base in 1987.
The trophy originally cost $10,000, but today it’s valued at more than $1 million.
Since 1988, an 18-inch-tall replica of the trophy, a “Baby Borg,” has been crafted in sterling silver for the race winner. A new tradition began with the 1997 winner, as BorgWarner also presented the winning car owner with a “Baby Borg.”
Each year, the Borg-Warner Trophy is featured at a number of Indianapolis 500 events, including the public drivers’ meeting at the track, the 500 Festival Parade and the post-race Victory Celebration. Immediately after each race, the trophy is hoisted into Victory Circle with the winning car and driver for photographs.