1. Look at all the neck ties in the crowd.
2. I can't decide who looks more beat, the drivers or the car.
Anyone have a shot of before the race started to show the differences in man and machine compared to this image?
From a previous posting at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/188146.html I have copied a few items about car #2. Below is a photo from the Ford Images at: http://ford.artehouse.com/perl/options.pl?imageID=63791&productTypeID=57 Darel Leipold posted it and asked if it was one of the 1909 race cars. After some discussion it was concluded it was car#2 prior to the final preparation for the race (i.e. add the leather straps to the front axle, paint 2 on the car, add “New York to Seattle” on the rear canvas, replace headlamps with the lighter aluminum ones etc.).
Below is a photo of Car #2 taken Jun 1, 1909 at the start of the race (ref Stern’s “Tin Lizzie” page 62).
We believe the photo shows the same two individuals in all three photos and if so it would be Bert Scott as driver and C.J. Smith as the riding mechanic. Notice the “six” valve stems per wheel at the beginning of the race and the single valve stem at the finish. And somewhere along the way those nice side lamps were removed. Below is the "map" from the Jun 1, 1909 Cycle and Trade Magazine page 60 ref Google books.
The story of the race is a great read and is available as a pamphlet reprint from the vendors. It was also reprinted in Stern’s “Tin Lizzie” which is still one of my favorite old car books and is available by inter-library loan if your library does not have a copy.
Jay and others – thank you for posting so many of the early photos. They have a lot of details about the cars and often some interesting stories.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Here's another photo of the end of the race with Henry Ford congratulating the race team.
One more photo at a different angle of Henry Ford posing with the race team.
Here's the car going into Model T muesuum.
Mark.
Wasn't the supposed original race car sold off by the Henry Ford Museum?
I think it was owned by Al Wiseman(or at the least a good clone). I believe he sold the car at his large auction a few years back. I have some photos I can scan and post if anyone wants to see them.
The Ford Museum did have one replica. It was at at the Waterloo, Iowa meet in about 1960. Les Henry (director of the auto division of the museum) was at the meet. It was parked near my 1910.