1953 Ford V-8 Pace Car, Used at Indianapolis 500 Race

When Carl Fisher and his partners opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, the crushed stone and tar track surface quickly proved too dangerous. Fisher had the entire track resurfaced with 3.2 million paving bricks. The track was fully paved with asphalt by 1961, but a three-foot brick strip -- at the start/finish line -- remains, as does the speedway's nickname: the Brickyard.

Auto racing pushes drivers and cars to their limits, advances new technologies, and entertains loyal fans. It also sells cars. Manufacturers have applied racing-inspired names to brands and models for more than a century. Some of these cars had horsepower and speed worthy of their lofty labels, but others simply suggested a connection to a great racing track, series, or personality. For many buyers, that was enough.

This car symbolizes 1950s America: a time of exuberance, self-confidence, excess, and self-indulgence. Cadillac designers drew on jet aircraft for ideas, from the sharp, swept-back tailfins to the front parking lights that resemble B-52 bomber air intakes. Under that jet-inspired skin is a 345 horsepower engine, air suspension, and a host of luxury options, including an automatic headlight dimmer. We are unlikely to ever see such cars again.

Learn about our 1953 Ford Sunliner, the Official Pace Car of the 1953 Indianapolis 500—and find out more about the race and the history of pace cars.