Piston from "999 Racing Car," 1902

01

Artifact Overview

Henry Ford's "999" race car featured an enormous 1,156-cubic-inch, four-cylinder engine that produced 80 horsepower. Ford worried about driving the car himself, so he hired bicycle racer Barney Oldfield. The fearless Oldfield won many races with "999" and became America's first nationally famous racing driver. The car's success helped Ford promote his next venture: Ford Motor Company.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Piston

Date Made

1902

Location

On Loan - Fuji Motorsport Museum (Oyama, Japan)

Object ID

19.3.1.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of William Hughson.

Material

Metal

Color

Black (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 7 in
Diameter: 7.25 in