Ford "999" Race Car and Indianapolis 500 Pace Car on the Ford Test Track, April 1953
01
Artifact Overview
Ford Motor Company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1953 and was invited to provide the pace car for that year's Indianapolis 500. Six weeks before the race, William Clay Ford and Ken Schuntz posed on the company's Dearborn test track with the pace car, a 1953 Ford Sunliner, and the "999," a race car built by Henry Ford in 1902.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Negative (Photograph)
Date Made
April 1953
Subject Date
April 1953
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
EI.1929.N.B.2826
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 4 in
Width: 5 in
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Artifacts
Artifact1902 Ford "999" Race Car, Built by Henry Ford
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.
Artifact1953 Ford V-8 Pace Car, Used at Indianapolis 500 Race
The Indianapolis 500 features a "rolling start" with entrants following a pace car into the green flag. Various manufacturers provided pace cars over the years. Ford was chosen to supply the vehicle for 1953, the automaker's 50th anniversary. The company built 2,000 replicas of the special Sunliner convertible for sale to the public, but this is the actual race-used car.