MTFCA Forum

Henry Ford warming up his six cylinder racer at the New Jersey beach races (Cape May and Atlantic City-Ventnor Beach) in late summer 1905. A red Darracq, one of three “heavyweight” racers invited to the meet (along with Ford and Walter Christie) were attempting to break the mile and kilometer records) is also partially visible.
Henry Ford initially began designing this six cylinder racer in late 1903 when Barney Oldfield commissioned him to build a “European style” racer. These races were the first time the racer was officially timed (broke a crankshaft at Ormond in January before official time trials began).
The racer had a six cylinder motor, unique Ed Huff designed CDI ignition, and at 1156 cubic inches, a bit more displacement than previous Ford racers 999 and Arrow.

(photo courtesy of Detroit Public Libraries, all rights apply)

Great pic, Rob. I haven't seen this one before & it's one of those rare ones with Henry driving in a race. Good material for an "Early Ford" book someday....

Rob: Thanks for the post, and like Kieth, I can't wait for 'the book' to come out.

Not trying to hijack your thread, but here is a short article on the Cape May-Atlantic City Ventnor Beach races: https://racersreunion.com/jon-clifton/b ... ic-city-nj

And a short note plus photos. Rob, I can't vouch for the accuracy of any of this, and if it's bogus, please tell me and I'll delete it.
https://www.capemay.com/blog/2013/03/racing-to-success/

Keith, as always, thank you. BTW, do you have any recommendations on a production company accounting expert who might help me deciphering some 120 year old Ford production records?

James, a few discrepancies in both links from what I’ve found, but good to see this story (Ford and beach racing) out in print.

This one has made a few Ford history accounts, and is wrong in many ways. Ford’s first agents and agencies came aboard in mid 1903 (William Hughson is one often linked to FMC as “1st”).
The story below (2nd link) is also linked to the story that Henry Ford was “broke” and tried to sell Ford shares to this fellow, and settled with selling his Model F for $400 and giving a Ford dealership out.

Problem is, FMC was by thus time in yhe top five of automakers in the U.S., and had just issued two 100% dividends to investors. In other words, Henry Ford had just personally received the equivalent today of over a million dollars from his ultra successful company during the summer of 1905.
I’ll add more photos to this link as I find them.
From the 2nd link, and patently false:
“As Henry Ford had promised, he gave Dan Focer who most in Cape May called “Uncle Dan” the nation’s first Ford agency in 1908. Focer took J. Mecray as a partner who later opened a Ford Agency in Ocean City and one in Cape May Court House. Alec Lyle was told these facts by Dan Focer when he went to work as a car salesman in October of 1921.”

I’m going to add this page as it goes directly to the heart of “accepted” Ford history. First, a few pesky facts. Henry Ford began designing his six cylinder racer in late August 1903, according to the press, and an interview with Barney Oldfield, at the time the best known race car driver in America (and still driving Ford creation 999 until later in 1903).

By late winter 1904 he finished the six cylinder racer, at that point over 1,000 cubic inches and one of if not the first six cylinder racer in the U.S. Ford had the racer sent by rail to Ormond beach for the 1905 winter speed contests. After watching the racer warm up at Ormond, Oldfield and Alexander Winton both told the press they expected Fords racer to set the mile world record.

However, while tuning up, the racers crankshaft broke, so the racer remained untuned and untested in competition.

By August 1905, Ford had redesigned the racer and was read for the Cape May and Atlantic City race events, planned for the end of August and over the Labor Day weekend. What this means is, Ford has not yet raced, nor timed his racer officially. The first trials occurred at Cape May. Ford drove the racer himself, along with Frank Kulick, and made a few attempts at mile and kilometer records. The racers crankshaft broke did tie Walter Christie’s U.S. km record of 25 seconds flat, but on the same day Christie lowered his own record to 24 2/5 seconds.

At the Atlantic City event a week later, the racers crankshaft broke, now beginning its second career meet, performed better. On one occasion the Ford, with Kulick driving, set the world mile competition record of 41 seconds (two or more cars on the same track or course). However, Cambell, the Darracq driver Ford best, protested because the Ford crossed the start line ahead of the Darracq (flying start). The record was disallowed, otherwise the Ford Six might be as well known today as Fords world record holding 999.

Kulick did beat the Darracq two out of three attempts in the mile to win the Atlantic City Cup (below). However, the historically snake-bit racer suffered one more slight. That trophy is at The Henry Ford, off display, and is mislabeled as having been won by a 28 bp Packard (which won another event for large touring cars).