Ford 999 - July 17, 2007

I enjoy the look of pre-WWII racing cars. The 1902 Ford 999 is the most minimal racing car of all. Here it is shown with driver Barney Oldfield at the controls. He was a bicycle racer who had never driven an automobile before he drove 999 in a race. 999 was named after a famous New York Central locomotive.

I know Henry Ford was a bad guy in his anti-Semitic views and the way he treated his poor son, but I have always admired his engineering ideas. One that he held from his very first car, the quadricycle, was that autos should be light. 999 is an excellent example.

The original car is on display at the Henry Ford Museum (http://www.thehenryford.org/).