Skip to Content

Menu
- Tickets
- Membership
- Support
- Make an Impact
- Shop
- Careers
- Member Login

Collections & Research
Digital Collections
Expert Sets

Visit
Explore
Collections & Research
Education - inHub
About The Henry Ford
History & Mission
Current Events
Membership
Support
Shop
Host an Event
Charitable Registration Disclosure
Careers
Member Login
Packages & Promotions Experience more, save more! See Details

Site Search

Search our website to find what you’re looking for.

Select Your Language

You can select the language displayed on our website. Click the drop-down menu below and make your selection.

Online Auto Racing Collection

14 artifacts in this set

This expert set is brought to you by:

The staff at The Henry Ford

From the Curators: Racing in America

From the Curators: Racing in America

Detailed Description

1901 Ford "Sweepstakes" Race Car

Racing car

This is Henry Ford's first race car. After his first auto company failed, Ford turned to racing to restore his reputation. He raced "Sweepstakes" against Alexander Winton on October 10, 1901, and, to everyone's surprise, the novice Ford beat the established Winton. The victory and resulting publicity encouraged financiers to back Ford's second firm.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1965 Lotus-Ford Race Car

Racing car

Scotsman Jim Clark won the Indianapolis 500 with this rear-engine car in 1965. After his victory, a traditional front-engine car never won that race again. The Lotus-Ford combined a European Formula One-inspired lightweight chassis with a big Ford V-8 engine. The Lotus-Ford's success effectively killed the traditional Indy roadster and established a new design for American race cars.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1965 Goldenrod Land Speed Race Car

Racing car

On November 12, 1965, Goldenrod streaked across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats at 409.277 miles per hour, setting a new land speed record for wheel-driven cars. Builders Bob and Bill Summers powered Goldenrod with four massive Chrysler V-8 engines. Although other car builders copied its sleek design, Goldenrod held the record until 1991.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1972 McLaren M16A Race Car, Driven by David "Salt" Walther

Racing car

This hulk is what remains from one of the worst crashes in Indianapolis 500 history. On the first lap of the 1973 race, David "Salt" Walther's car crashed into the outside wall, exploded, and overturned. Though badly burned, Walther survived. After a lengthy rehabilitation, he returned to compete at Indy the following year.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1987 Ford Thunderbird Stock Car, Raced by Bill Elliott

Racing car

Bill Elliott set NASCAR's all-time speed record with this car when he qualified for the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega at 212.809 miles per hour. By the 1980s, "stock cars" only looked stock. Underneath this Thunderbird sheet metal is a purpose-built steel tube frame, racing suspension and brakes, and a racing engine that no Ford dealer ever sold.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1933 Willys Drag Racer

Racing car

When machinist George Montgomery started racing in 1953, all drag racers were amateurs with "real jobs" supporting their hobby. This car helped change all that. Montgomery bought an old Willys in 1958 and built a dragster so successful that promoters started paying him to run at drag strips nationwide. In 1966, Montgomery became one of drag racing's first full-time professional drivers.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1960 Buck & Thompson Slingshot Dragster

Racing car

Sam Buck and Bob Thompson built this car in 1960. They bought the chassis as a kit, and the 1948 Ford engine was highly modified with special cylinder heads, crank, pistons, magneto, camshaft, and fuel injectors. In this style of dragster, popular from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, the driver sat behind the rear wheels "like a rock in a slingshot."

Use default description of artifact

Details

1967 Ford Mark IV Race Car

Racing car

Learn more about how the Mark IV fits into the story of Racing in America by reading From the Curators: Racing in America, available at http://www.thehenryford.org/education/erb/RacinginAmerica.pdf

Use default description of artifact

Details

1906 Locomobile "Old 16" Race Car

Racing car

In 1908, driver George Robertson and mechanician Glenn Ethridge took this car to victory in the Vanderbilt Cup, America's first great automobile race. It marked the first time an American-built car won a major international road-circuit race. The Locomobile competed while wearing number 16, and it's been known as "Old 16" ever since.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1902 Ford "999" Race Car, Built by Henry Ford

Racing car

Henry Ford hired a fearless bicycle racer named Barney Oldfield to drive "999." Although he had never driven a car, Oldfield learned quickly and won his first competition. He went on to become America's first nationally famous racing hero, known for his thrilling exhibition races and the trademark cigar he chewed to protect his teeth in a crash.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1984 March 84C-Cosworth Race Car

Racing car

Tom Sneva set the fastest qualifying lap at the 1984 Indianapolis 500 with this car, but a broken rear suspension forced him out early during the actual race. The car's front and rear wings and underbody ground effects represent the aerodynamic advances that increasingly shaped race cars in the 1970s -- and continue to do so today.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1935 Miller-Ford Race Car

Racing car

Harry Miller, one of America's most important racing designers, built this car for Ford Motor Company's effort at the 1935 Indianapolis 500. It has all of Miller's hallmarks -- innovation, craftsmanship, and an almost sculptural presence. All that it lacks is a victory. Miller built ten similar cars, but a hurried production schedule led to mechanical problems and none finished the race.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1903 Packard Model F Runabout

Automobile

In 1903 this car became only the second to drive across America coast-to-coast. Packard plant foreman Tom Fetch and journalist Marius C. Krarup made the trip from San Francisco to New York City in 61 days. Their journey was an enormous challenge. Roads scarcely existed west of the Mississippi, and those east of the river were often simple dirt paths.

Use default description of artifact

Details

1939 Soap Box Derby Car

Coaster car

Mason Colbert placed third with this car in the 1939 All-American Soap Box Derby national championship in Akron, Ohio. The first official derby was held in 1934. Young contestants built their cars from soap boxes, orange crates, and baby carriage wheels. Over the years, designs became more elaborate and materials more sophisticated. But the "fuel" remained the same -- gravity.

Use default description of artifact

Details

Member Appreciation Days GET DETAILS

Buddy's Pizza Coupon Save 15%. COUPON

Gift Cards Give inspiration for every occasion. Buy Now

Visit

Plan Your Visit
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Greenfield Village
Ford Rouge Factory Tour
Giant Screen Experience
Venue Operations & Safety Protocols

Explore

Stories of Innovation
Inside The Henry Ford
Innovation Nation
Recipes & Cookbooks
Blog
Social Justice and Injustice
THF Conversations

Calendar
Kids Activities

Collections & Research

Digital Collections
Digital Resources
Services
About Us

Education - inHub

inHub Overview
Experiences & Field Trips
Curriculum Resources
Invention Convention Worldwide
Innovation Learning
Summer Camps

About The Henry Ford

Mission & Vision
Board of Trustees
Annual Reports
Employment & Volunteering
The Henry Ford & the Community
Press Room
Farm to School Lunch Across America
NAGPRA
Contact Us

History & Mission

Tickets
Membership
Support
Shop
Host an Event
Charitable Registration Disclosure
Careers
Member Login

THF Connect Mobile App
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 The Henry Ford

Policies
Copyright Policy
Privacy
Sitemap
Terms of Use

20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI 48124‑5029

Contact Center: 313-982-6001
Contact Center Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

THF Connect Mobile App
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 The Henry Ford

Legal Information
Privacy
Copyrights
Sitemap
SMS Terms of Use

20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI 48124-5029

Contact Center: 313-982-6001
Contact Center Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Buy Tickets