115 years ago today, Ford Motor Company set their first stock automobile world record.
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:32 pm
On June 21, 1907, Ford Motor Company entered three cars in a 24 hour race at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. A total of ten cars entered, with the race beginning at 10:00 pm on the longest day of the year (June 21). At this time, Ford Motor Company was the largest automaker in the world, and produced more 4 cylinder, and 6 cylinder cars than any automaker in the world.
Several of the best drivers in the world entered, and were featured in advertising. Eddie Bald would years later be listed as the best driver of 1907. Herbert Lytle was a Vanderbilt Cup participant, and widely followed across the U.S.. Mongini was a famous Italian driver, who would later in 1907 win a 24 hour race himself. Kid McCoy was a well known former prize fighter. He would later become a Ford Agent in Pittsburg, and Charles Coey was a well known Thomas Flyer agent from Chicago, who would go on to produce the Coey Special, his own creation using a Thomas chassis. Cory also won a 24 hour race later the same summer.
The cars entered included a 50 hp Pope Toledo, as well as a 50 hp Pope Toledo special racer, with Lytle one of the two drivers. The well known Thomas Flyer. In this race, Coey ran two Thomas Flyers, one the same model as the Thomas Flyer that would win the 1908 New York to Paris race, as well as a special 60 hp Thomas racer.
McCoy and Eddie Bald teamed with a 40 hp Underslung. Mongini drove two Stevens-Duryea and also entered were Buicks and one Wayne.
While Frank Kulick was a nationally known driver, he wasn't listed among the headliners in the advertisement.
For 1907, ten sanctioned 24 hour races were held across the country. Lozier, Autocar, Thomas and Locomobile were winners in some of the other races. Five of the 24 hour races were single car, two driver affairs, and five were two car, two driver races, as was the one in Detroit. The reason for two cars was so the crowd would in theory always see five to twelve racers on the track at all times. However, the number of cars, pit crew, tires and parts required for two cars was also doubled, creating a major expense for dealers and sponsoring automakers. For the Detroit race, Ford entered a Model K (two cars) and two Model R (four more cars total).
Following are copies of a series of telegrams sent by FMC to dealers branch managers across the country as the race progressed. In addition, several evening and early morning newspaper editions carried updates of the race throughout the morning and afternoon of June 22. Initially, Henry Ford dictated that the Ford six should begin with a 40 mile per hour pace through the early morning dark hours. As the sun appeared (some reports read that first light came between 2 and 3 a.m. on this, the longest day and shortest night). The Ford six was initially in fourth place, behind the 50 hp Pope, Thomas Flyer and American Underslung. However, during the night, the American dropped out, and Kulick, driving the Ford, began to increase speed and gain on the other two leaders, the Thomas and Pope. The telegrams below were converted into an ad by the Cincinnati dealer:
This article shows that by the 14th hour, the Ford Six has taken the lead:
Next, to the victor, the spoils...........
Several of the best drivers in the world entered, and were featured in advertising. Eddie Bald would years later be listed as the best driver of 1907. Herbert Lytle was a Vanderbilt Cup participant, and widely followed across the U.S.. Mongini was a famous Italian driver, who would later in 1907 win a 24 hour race himself. Kid McCoy was a well known former prize fighter. He would later become a Ford Agent in Pittsburg, and Charles Coey was a well known Thomas Flyer agent from Chicago, who would go on to produce the Coey Special, his own creation using a Thomas chassis. Cory also won a 24 hour race later the same summer.
The cars entered included a 50 hp Pope Toledo, as well as a 50 hp Pope Toledo special racer, with Lytle one of the two drivers. The well known Thomas Flyer. In this race, Coey ran two Thomas Flyers, one the same model as the Thomas Flyer that would win the 1908 New York to Paris race, as well as a special 60 hp Thomas racer.
McCoy and Eddie Bald teamed with a 40 hp Underslung. Mongini drove two Stevens-Duryea and also entered were Buicks and one Wayne.
While Frank Kulick was a nationally known driver, he wasn't listed among the headliners in the advertisement.
For 1907, ten sanctioned 24 hour races were held across the country. Lozier, Autocar, Thomas and Locomobile were winners in some of the other races. Five of the 24 hour races were single car, two driver affairs, and five were two car, two driver races, as was the one in Detroit. The reason for two cars was so the crowd would in theory always see five to twelve racers on the track at all times. However, the number of cars, pit crew, tires and parts required for two cars was also doubled, creating a major expense for dealers and sponsoring automakers. For the Detroit race, Ford entered a Model K (two cars) and two Model R (four more cars total).
Following are copies of a series of telegrams sent by FMC to dealers branch managers across the country as the race progressed. In addition, several evening and early morning newspaper editions carried updates of the race throughout the morning and afternoon of June 22. Initially, Henry Ford dictated that the Ford six should begin with a 40 mile per hour pace through the early morning dark hours. As the sun appeared (some reports read that first light came between 2 and 3 a.m. on this, the longest day and shortest night). The Ford six was initially in fourth place, behind the 50 hp Pope, Thomas Flyer and American Underslung. However, during the night, the American dropped out, and Kulick, driving the Ford, began to increase speed and gain on the other two leaders, the Thomas and Pope. The telegrams below were converted into an ad by the Cincinnati dealer:
This article shows that by the 14th hour, the Ford Six has taken the lead:
Next, to the victor, the spoils...........