115 years ago today, Detroit headlines, "Hurled 60 Feet, Lives." Henry Ford to quit racing game.

[Rob]

Following up on an earlier thread, when Frank Kulick went through the fence at the Highland Park racetrack with the six cylinder racer, and Henry Ford declared he was through with racing. A month later, Ford and Kulick were back at it with the 1100 cubic inch six cylinder racer, sanctioned to attempt a world mile record. This is what Detroitans saw when they opened the "Detroit News" newspaper on the morning of October 19th, top fold, left hand column:

This time, Henry Ford was indeed finished with racing. He was finished with the six cylinder racer. After one more year, he was finished with the six cylinder Model K, whose motor was copied from the original 1904 six cylinder racer. Many historians will write about this crash, and Henry Ford's disdain for both track racing and the six cylinder motor. I'll follow with a few examples of what history tells us about events as they unfolded following this accident.

[Rob]

The "Detroit News" also carried the story, with a photo of Frank Kulick seated on the racer, and of the wreck:

Photo courtesy of THF, all rights apply

Both newspapers used different photos of the wrecked racer. The sanction for the expected record run was announced by Ford Motor Company with several newspapers at the track.

Photo courtesy of THF, all rights apply

Next, how others saw and reported the accident, and Henry Ford's announcement that he was through with racing.

[Rob]

Also on the 19th, Henry Ford was quoted by the "Detroit News" saying "I have said it many times before, but this time I say it finally - never again will I build another racing machine. I hope that machine is wrecked beyond recognition. I never want to see it again. Records are nothing compared with the life of a man. I thank God that Frank is not dead, and I can promise that he will never race again for the Ford company."

[Marty Bufalini]

Just for the record, it’s “Detroiters”

[Rob]

Misspelled by a “Nebraskan…..”

[Rob]

Many Ford historians report that Henry Ford left racing, and about this same time, report his disinterest to outright distaste for the six cylinder racer and motor. Some authors reported that the six cylinder racer was indeed buried on the spot, not to be seen or heard from again. Others report Ford left racing for good. Still others wrote that he left racing until 1910, when Frank Kulick again races specially built four cylinder Ford racers.

Let's look at the "facts," following the "crumbs" left by magazines and newspapers of the time.

A few days after the wreck, newspapers and journals across the country carried the story of the Kulick accident, as well as Henry Ford's decision to leave racing for good:

It appears Henry Ford and Frank Kulick have left racing for good.

[Rob]

One of the best known Ford writers, Alan Nevins wrote in Ford, the Times, The Man, The Company, of the incident, "This was a telling lesson; Ford never raced again.:

So, as I mentioned above, it seems Henry Ford was through. Through with racing, and through with the six cylinder racer......

Until just over a week later:

It seems Henry Ford was interested in seeing what his six cylinder racer was capable of on a proper racetrack, and considered sending it the Brooklands in England. The idea appeared again in the media in November, 1907:

But, it didn't happen. Henry Ford possibly was finished, and disgusted with the whole six cylinder idea. 1908 loomed ahead, and all reports (historians) tell us Henry Ford stayed true to his word and out of the racing game.

[Rob]

Meanwhile, the press kept track of the recuperating Frank Kulick. Reports indicated "Mr. Ford visited him frequently at the hospital while he recovered from his injuries.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. began putting the "fluff" pieces out with Kulick again. In the April 1908 piece below, Frank Kulick is arrested for speeding, but then encouraged to speed by the arresting officer.

In May, 1908, Frank Kulick and the six cylinder racer were featured on the cover of the Ford Times:

Again, in the July 1 1908, three racers including the six cylinder racer were featured in the Ford Times. The three racers mentioned in this 5th year FMC anniversary edition were 999, the six cylinder racer and the 24 hour record setting Model K:

And in July, Frank Kulick reportedly returns from inspecting the Vanderbilt Cup course. Is Ford re-entering racing?

All Ford historians write that Ford and Frank Kulick did not race in 1908. We shall see.............

[Wayne Sheldon]

Some really interesting quick tales of the times! I really like the one about Frank Kulick and the policeman. I don't offhand recall reading that one before?
Thanks again Rob!

[Rob]

Wayne, my pleasure, as always.

As I mentioned, it's a consensus that Ford Motor Co. didn't participate in track racing during 1908. However, Ford Motor Co., Frank Kulick and a six cylinder Model K did. On August 29th the Kalamazoo newspapers carried the news that Kulick had arrived "with his big Ford car."

While this is the only race I've found in which FMC and Frank Kulick raced in 1908, it seems fitting that Kulick and his Model K 6-40 roadster won the last race Ford entered a six cylinder in:

Kulick was rumored for other races that year, but did not race again in 08:

In December 1908, Ford is rumored to be building another big racer. However, as we all know, Henry Ford was through with the six cylinder racer. It was in a broken pile, or buried at the track where it crashed.

It was now the era of the Model T. Ford's next well known racing or road event would occur in June, 1909, with the Ocean to Ocean race. Ford Motor Co, Henry Ford and Frank Kulick had moved on from the six cylinder.

Or had they? As always, there's a little more to this story............

[Rob]

Following Ford's Ocean to Ocean win in 1909, the "Indianapolis News" reported Henry Ford was entering the inaugural Indianapolis Speedway opening with a new racer, "a specially constructed six-cylinder machine." "It is expected to compete against the fastest cars in the country and Europe on the Indianapolis speedway."

A few days later, the "Indianapolis Star" reported "Ford To Resume Racing." Several "nuggets" were revealed in this article:

Henry Ford is quoted saying he felt he had to enter the racing game again:

Henry Ford went on to say "Since the track has been under way Kulick has begged me many times to let him have one more trial at the big six racer which I have always considered as the fastest car in the world." "The engine has been lying at the factory for a couple of years now."

Next, the "receipts." How we know Ford did intend to run the racer one more time..........

[Rob]

Into the summer of 1909, reports indicated Henry Ford and Frank Kulick would drive the six cylinder racer in the inaugural Indianapolis Speedway opening weekend events:

Into August, Charles E. Miller, Ford Agent for Washington D.C., relayed details of the six cylinder racer as it was readied for the late August races:

However, by mid August, Ford is no longer on the list of participants in the upcoming Speedway opening:

Maybe the reason the big 1,000 cubic inch plus racer was no longer listed was due to the new entry classifications. Much as Henry Ford had pushed for two years earlier, period racing was adopting motor restrictions based on size. The largest major event classification went to 600 c.i. for the Speedway events:

For whatever reason, the Ford Six Cylinder racer did not appear. After that, knowledge of the six cylinder racer, as with the six cylinder Model K, with motor based on Henry Ford's first six cylinder racer, were lost to history. I'll finish with a few thoughts, and the "receipts" that Henry Ford did not "hate" the six cylinder motor, at least as of the summer of 1909.

[Rob]

The "legacy" of the 6 cylinder racer appears to have begun to fade relatively quickly. While it had been Henry Ford's longest running racer, with development beginning in late 1903 through 1909, the racer didn't set any world records to put it in the company of 999 and Arrow. It does have the distinction of being the direct predecessor to a Ford model, the K, and it was the first Ford timed at 100 mph. There were three versions of the six cylinder racer, ending with the one that was destroyed when Frank Kulick ran through the fence at the State Fairgrounds track in October 1907. The December 1909 article below (that ran in my own Lincoln Journal Star, a newspaper that still exists today) demonstrates how the memory of the racer and subsequent legacy was already changing:

Excerpts from the article:

Below, the article finishes with "that is why Henry Ford doesn't race any more."

It became generally accepted "history" that the six cylinder racer was never to be heard from again. Some reports indicate it was buried where it wrecked that fateful day in October, 1907. Others, like the article above regarding Ford entering the 1909 Indianapolis Speedway opening, reported the engine lay neglected at the Piquette plant, never to again see the light of day.

Of course, there's one reason we know that isn't true.

The racer was indeed reconstructed. While it didn't race again in 1909, it was put in running order. And it sits, rather forlornly, off site at The Henry Ford, ready for the call that will never come:

Henry Ford, with goggles, ready for a record attempt with the 6 cylinder racer at the New Jersey seashore, late summer, 1905:

Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford, all rights apply.