1911 Ford Special journey, to France, and back.

[Rob]

I was going to limit this to 1912, having covered much of the Ford Special racing in France for 1911. However, I keep learning more and more that takes me back to 1911.

A few years ago we had a thread going about Ford in the French Grand Prix of t 1911 and 1912. Back then, I knew little if anything about the Ford Special racers, and certainly had no idea one was indeed sent to France.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/33 ... 1375694469

This morning, after a sleepless night, I looked at drawings from Benson library of the Ford Special motors and some hardware again. I've been thinking the racer sent to France must have a had a sub-3 liter car, because it was entered in the light car races set for late June 1911. While the description of that racer said it had larger than stock valves and different timing, I initially thought it used the large 300 cubic inch Ford Special motor. However, I kept thinking, if they knew it had larger valves, they surely would have known the block was almost twice as large a standard T block. Also, I wondered what was meant by different timing?

This morning, i saw this drawing for the umpteenth time. There were at least four or five Ford Special motors. By cubic inches, there appear to have been a 192 cu. in., 228, 300 and 410 cu. in.. The 410 cu. in. racer is at THF. We have the 300 cubic inch motor.

Today, i saw this again. Looks at the bottom left corner of this Ford drawing of the M-III (300 cu. in. motor) water pump cover drawing:

It reads 3 3/16 ENG & M-III !

I believe this is the motor sent to France. I suspect it was built specifically to be allowed to compete in the 3 liter and lower class. It's also the motor that allowed this T look a like to reach 69 mph in the 1 km trials, and was reported to be going 80 mph when it wrecked one week before the 1911 Grand Prix.

The motor, just larger than a standard T (displacement), met the 3 liter requirement (barely). This racer came in 2nd in the prestigious Mt. Ventoux hill climb, beating several famous European marquees and drivers. What ever Ford did with the engineering of these dual ignition, pressurized oiling side vented motors, it was working......

I suspect in a few years we'll look back at this thread and realize how little we knew then about these unusual pieces of the final Henry Ford racing saga.

One last piece of the puzzle. While this 1912 Ford entry into the Grand Prix indicates the motor was a 3.7 x 4 motor, it tells us one more thing to point toward a Ford Special motor. Under cooling, it reads "pump and fan."

And the reason the Ford Special didn't make the 1912 Gran Prix? Was the car ruled too light? Was there some other foreign intrigue or treachery involved?

Nope. Henry Depasse was ill:

[Rob]

Found another competition. On Oct 1, 1911, what French newspaper called the last sporting event of the year in Gaillon, France, the Ford Special ran in a hill climb. The Ford made the 1 km 10 percent grade hill climb in 50 sec. (45 mph).

On the magazine page, the Ford is shown at the top left insert:

Another article about the competition included this photo:

[John E. Guitar]

I love that Bédélia!

[Rob]

John,
It would be hard for me to get too excited about that thing....

A few more items regarding Fords short, but interesting 1911 and 1912 racing history in France. This article covered the Light Car competition the Ford Special was not allowed to compete in. On the last page, the writer talks about the light Ford, and the fact the rods and the "change in rods and pistons."

[Rob]

Should anyone ever recreate the French Ford Special racer body, we now know how it was painted too:

From an article in the June 24th French magazine Omnia La Locomotion:

Translation:

[John Warren]

Thanks Rob. All interesting.

[DHort]

Rob

I think you need to spend some time at Milford HS and learn French. Then you could read
the entire article and report on it.

[Wayne Sheldon]

French certainly is not my second language, however, I have been picking up a bit more of it. Maybe I need to go back to school?
Is there a place to get that "Omnia La Locomotion" article translated? I tried reading it myself, and what parts of it I did understand I found quite interesting! I tried to do a copy and paste to google, but apparently that sort of attachment does not allow that. I am wondering about the Delage and its transmission issues. Sounds like a bit of a dispute was involved?

A lot of interesting stuff there.
Again Rob, Thank You!

[Rob]

Found another event a Ford participated in during 1912. The driver is listed as Sonnet, so I'm unsure if this was the Ford Special racer owned by Ford. However, it placed 2nd in it's division and beat many cars in other divisions of this hill climb, so my suspicion it is our Ford Special still in France. Mont Ulia, 1912:

This Mathis was the overall winner:

[Rob]

Wayne,
I'll try to get the article tranlsated later.

[John E. Guitar]

Here is an English perspective on the race at Boulogne Sur Mer.

The Guardian, 26 Jun 1911, Mon, Page 4.

[John E. Guitar]

Here is the first part of the Omnia article:

The first Light Car Cup

Despite unfavourable weather, strong wind and wet ground in places, the first Light Car Cup has run in excellent conditions and fortunately did not justify the fears of those who predicted a serious accident. Four competitors covered the 625 kilometers of small steep hills and numerous sharp turns at the pace predicted by the most optimistic, 90 kmh. This is an excellent result, showing them as highly skilled drivers and their cars as particularly manoeuvrable. Of the 32 vehicles that started, 13 finished, all within an hour and a half of each other. Here is the list of these 13 winners and their official ranking:

1. Paul Bablot, in Delage, in 7 h. 2' 52"
2. Georges Boillot, in Lion Peugeot, in 7 h. 3' 52"
3. Rene Thomas, in Delage, in 7 h. 4' 17"
4. Albert Guyot, in Delage, in 7 h. 5' 18"
5. Jean Porporato, in Gregoire, in 7 hours. 23' 29"
6. Fred Burgess, in Calthorpe, in 7 h. 39' 37"
7. James Reid, in Arrol-Johnston, in 7 h 39' 37"
8. Dario Resta, in Arrol-Johnston, in 7 hours. 45' 29”
9. Philippe de Marne, in Grégoire, in 7 h. 57' 19"
10. Cyril De Vere, in Cote, in 7 h. 59' 29"
11. Baron Jean de Woelmont, in Excelsior, in 8 h. 3' 24"
12. D.S. Hodge in Arrol-Johnston, 8 am 17' 11"
13. Emile Mathis, in Mathis, in 8 h 30' 55"

A few of these drivers also raced in the USA. Rene Thomas won the Indianapolis 500 in 1914 in a Delage.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Rob, Don't go to any real trouble about a translation. I was wondering if maybe you had a link to something that could do that? Sure interesting, all those races, the intrigue over the rules. Automobile marques I know a bit about, a few I don't. Wonderful stuff. Thanks Rob.

[Rob]

John, thank you for posting the English article. I see the Mathis finished 13th. Emile Mathis finished first with a Mathis in the 1912 Mont Ulia (France). If my math is close, the Ford finished ahead of about 33 of the cars in that contest. It was a hill climb of 3 Km with 8 - 10 percent grade. I hope to find more pics of our Ford in Europe.

Things I don't know: Did the French agent return the racer, or at least motor, to Detroit. I suspect not. It probably disapeared, ending on a scrap drive during one of the world wars, the first which was about to envelope Europe in two years.

[Quickm007]

Thank you sharing this kind of article, I really appreciated. My young son is named Mathis.



Mario

[Kaiser]

If only it could still be in France somewhere waiting for Moi...

[Rob]

Wayne,
This is how I go from Gallica to translation. Gallica (French digital library):

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k ... age.r=%22H

Then open the "downward arrow" icon, opening your choices for PDF, JPEG or text:

I'll then choose PDF or JPEG (JPEG is faster, but sometimes PDF are clearer). I then download image on JPG or screenshot PDF. Next I go back and download "Text." With PDF and Text, you have to choose "current page" and put in the number of pages you want text from:

Then I copy the text, and transfer to to an online translator, either Collins Dictionary or Google. Text:

Two online translating links:

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/translator

https://translate.google.com/?tr=f&hl=e ... uera%20pas

Original and translation:

Then I go to work and make corrections, punctuate and reorganize missing paragraphs etc. depending how the translation went:

THE FORD CAR

Driving: H. Exceeded

Ford

In the statement of the characteristics of the Ford car, we will notice immediately that it is in flagrant contradiction with the regulation. Is it not imposed, in fact, on any machine taking part in the test to weigh a minimum of 8C0 kg. in working order? However, the Ford weighs only 600.

But in a regulation, there is the spirit and the letter ... The 800 kg specification. was introduced in order to prevent those who built a special car for the test to come to dispute with a lighter chassis, a real monster too far from common solutions used in commercial types. Only ... it turns out that the Ford car, in its type of series, the one that is sold every day to the customer, weighs little more than 500 kg. Would it be necessary to impose 3CO kg. lead salmon to bring it to the minimum weight required? The organizers thought, with good reason, that in this case it was possible to refer to the spirit of the regulation. However, as it is well known that Ford cars, by their special construction, weigh less than 600 kg., That all cars delivered to customers are below this weight, the Ford car was admitted under " series car ".

In fact, the car engaged by the sym-

Pathique Depasse in the Coupe des Automobiles Légères is perhaps the only machine participating in the event in which any constituent part is interchangeable with those of the commercial chassis. On the other hand, we know that the Ford has just given its measure at the meeting of the Sarthe where she climbed a 7 p. 100, standing start, 55 km.-h. of average and made the kilometer level to 111 km.-h. We must therefore consider it as a possible underdog.

It is not without interest to recall the personal characteristics of the Ford: separate four cylinder engine 95 X 102, but separate and single cylinder head; lower housing in one piece with that of the gear change; magneto ignition included in the engine flywheel; carburetor with adjustable throttle by the driver; metal clutch with multiple disks; epicyclic gear shift operated by a pedal and having two speeds and reverse gear; the car climbs so to speak all the coasts in direct catch, the variations of pace being obtained by regulation of the gases; vanadium steel stamped rear axle; suspension by transverse springs at the front and rear of the chassis.

We regret not to publish any document concerning the cars F. I. F., their manufacturer did not respond to inquiries we have addressed.

Characteristics.

Engine: Four cylinders 95 X 102. Carburetor: Ford.

Cooling: Thermosiphon. Magnet-Magneto: Ford.

Gear change with planetary gear (two speeds).

Transmission: By cardan. Wheelbase: 2 m. 50.

Track: 1 m. 40.

Weight: 600 kg.

Tires: 750 X 80 (front) 760 X 85 (rear)

[Wayne Sheldon]

Rob, Thank you so much for the insight and links. I will try to play with that some later. I have some other things I need to tent to first.
Thank you.