Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Ford Rouge Factory Tour and Giant Screen Experience will be closed Monday, March 16, for a day of staff learning and development. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Ford Rouge Factory Tour and Giant Screen Experience will be closed Monday, March 16, for a day of staff learning and development. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Racing Harness, 1955-1960

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Artifact Overview

Driver safety improved dramatically over the more than 30 years that Bobby Unser raced. One of the most important precautions was simply to secure the race driver to the car with a safety harness. Racing safety belts evolved from simple straps to elaborate five-point harnesses. Unser used this harness, which he adapted from aircraft equipment, early in his career.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Safety Belt

Date Made

18 January 1951

Creators

Place of Creation

Collection Title

Bobby Unser Collection

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Driven to Win: Racing in America

Object ID

2009.171.5

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Bobby and Lisa Unser.

Material

Cotton (Textile)
Metal

Technique

Casting (Process)
Weaving

Color

Black (Color)
Brown
Gray (Color)
Red

Dimensions

Width: 2 in
Length: 60 in

Inscriptions

On labels: RUSCO/ AERO/ PRODUCTS/ A.C.T.C. 30/ MOCEL NO. / AF300/ RUSCO NO./ S8933-26[?]/ DATE OF/ MANUFACTURE/ JAN[?] 18 51/ APPROVED FOR [blank] PERSONS/ THE RUSSELL MFG. CO. MIDDLETOWN CONN. On top of metal buckle: PRESS/ TO/ FASTEN/ LIFT/ TO/ RELEASE/ INSERT TIP UNDER HERE/ AND UNDER HERE On bottom of metal buckle: RUSCO/ PAT2191228/ TOG-L-LOK BUCKLE/ C.A.A.-A.S. 90/ D-665/ 1 OR 2 PERSONS
Keywords
Racing Harness, 1955-1960