999
16 artifacts in this set
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.
1904 Ford Sales Catalog, "The Blue Ribbon Car"
Trade catalog
This 1904 Ford Motor Company sales catalog shows the choices of "blue ribbon" vehicles offered by Ford. Henry Ford set out to create a lightweight and inexpensive vehicle. He continued to improve on these early attempts. Four years later Ford created the vehicle that he envisioned, the Model T.
Advertising Poster, Barney Oldfield Endorses Firestone Tires for all His Race Cars, circa 1910
Poster
Racing hero Barney Oldfield built a career from his first race in Ford's "999." Then as now, durable tires were a key to victory, and Firestone sponsored his efforts. This poster features many of Oldfield's rides prior to 1910, including "999" at top left.
Advertising Poster, "Ford on the American Road," 1962-1965
Poster
The evolution of Ford Motor Company vehicles through 1965 is illustrated in this colorful advertisement. The line starts with the 1896 Quadricycle and the 1902 "999" race car, and it includes four variants of the pivotal Model T. The Lincoln and Mercury marques are each represented with multiple cars. Later important Ford models, like Thunderbird and Mustang, finish the progression.
Henry Ford and Barney Oldfield with the "999" Race Car, 1902-1903
Photographic print
After building this massive racing car in 1902, Henry Ford was reluctant to drive it. He hired a bicycle racer named Barney Oldfield, who would win many races at the controls of the Ford "999." Both men built careers on the car's success--Oldfield became America's first nationally famous race driver and Ford gained support for his next venture: Ford Motor Company.
Ford Race Car "999," Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Photographic print
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The Ford Exhibition Building, which sat on eleven acres at the fair and featured industrial demonstrations and informative displays like this, became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934.
William Clay Ford in the 999 Racer on the Ford Test Track, April 1953
Photographic print
William Clay Ford (1925-2014) was Henry Ford's grandson and the youngest of Edsel and Eleanor Clay Ford's four children. He joined his brothers Benson and Henry II at Ford Motor Company in 1949 after graduating from Yale University. For the company's 50th anniversary in 1953, William drove his grandfather's legendary "999" racer on the Ford Test Track.
Lord Mountbatten with Group, Viewing the Ford "999" Racer in Henry Ford Museum, April 8, 1972
Photographic print
Lord Mountbatten was great-grandson of Queen Victoria, a British World War II hero and viceroy of India in 1947 during that country's partitioning and independence. In April 1972, he toured Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, accompanied by Henry Ford II and Edison Institute's president, Donald Shelley. The group rode on a Cushman cart to view exhibits throughout the expansive museum building.
Newspaper Article, "World's Record for the "999," January 13, 1904
Article
On January 12, 1904, Henry Ford and his riding mechanic Ed "Spider" Huff set a world speed record of 91.37 miles per hour on a frozen Lake St. Clair, northeast of Detroit. The feat raised Ford Motor Company's profile, and the racer-- referred to as the Ford "999"--became a common subject in Ford advertisements.
The 20-Millionth and 15-Millionth Ford Cars with the "999" Racer outside Henry Ford Museum, 1931
Photographic print
Three significant Fords sit outside Henry Ford Museum. The "999" race car, built in 1902, made headlines with Barney Oldfield at the tiller. The fifteen millionth Ford, built in 1927, represented the end of Model T manufacture. When this photo was taken, the twenty millionth Ford, a 1931 Model A, represented the latest milestone in Ford Motor Company production.
Tom Cooper and Barney Oldfield Seated in Race Cars, circa 1902
Photographic print
Tom Cooper (left) and Barney Oldfield (right) pose in race cars built by Henry Ford but owned by Cooper. Oldfield sits in "999" while Cooper's vehicle was known both as "Red Devil" and "Arrow." Cooper and Oldfield were both professional bicycle racers who turned to the newer automobiles in 1902. Oldfield became America's first great auto racing hero.
Henry Ford Seated in the Ford "999" Racer, September 1902
Photographic print
The "999" and "Arrow" race cars, built by Henry Ford, Tom Cooper and Edward Huff, were cover-story subjects in the September 27, 1902, issue of The Automobile and Motor Review. The article noted that the cars were "built for speed and speed alone" with "not the slightest indication of a frill or decoration."
Henry Ford Seated in the Ford "999" Racer, Detroit, Michigan, September 1902
Photographic print
The "999" and "Arrow" race cars, built by Henry Ford, Tom Cooper and Edward Huff, were cover-story subjects in the September 27, 1902, issue of The Automobile and Motor Review. The article noted that the cars were "built for speed and speed alone" with "not the slightest indication of a frill or decoration."
Henry Ford Driving the 999 Race Car Against the Harkness Race Car, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, 1903
Photographic print
Image originally published in the May 1903 issue of Munsey's Magazine captioned, "At full speed a trial brush between Messers [Henry] Ford (car to the left of the picture) and [Harry] Harkness." Less than a month before Ford Motor Company's founding, Henry Ford was still interested in automobile racing and the benefits to be gained in experimenting with parts of chassis, bodies, and engines that could be integrated into his future...
Henry Ford Driving the 999 Race Car Against Harkness Race Car at Grosse Pointe Race Track, 1903
Photographic print
Image originally published in the May 1903 issue of Munsey's Magazine captioned, "At full speed a trial brush between Messers [Henry] Ford (car to the left of the picture) and [Harry] Harkness." Less than a month before Ford Motor Company's founding, Henry Ford was still interested in automobile racing and the benefits to be gained in experimenting with parts of chassis, bodies, and engines that could be integrated into his future...
Henry Ford Driving the 999 Race Car Against Harkness at Grosse Pointe Racetrack, 1903
Photographic print
Image originally published in the May 1903 issue of Munsey's Magazine captioned, "At full speed a trial brush between Messers [Henry] Ford (car to the left of the picture) and [Harry] Harkness." Less than a month before Ford Motor Company's founding, Henry Ford was still interested in automobile racing and the benefits to be gained in experimenting with parts of chassis, bodies, and engines that could be integrated into his future...
This is user-generated content and does not reflect the views of The Henry Ford.