1901 Ford "Sweepstakes" Race Car
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Content Description:
This is Henry Ford's first race car. Seeking to revive his reputation as an automobile engineer after the failure of his first auto company, Ford built this two-cylinder race car with the help of his friends Oliver Barthel and Ed "Spider" Huff in 1901. In October, at a horse track in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Ford defeated a much better known and more experienced auto manufacturer and driver from Cleveland, Alexander Winton. Winton's car was faster, but developed engine trouble, allowing Ford to win the ten-mile race. Ford's victory helped him finance his second auto company. He left that company after a few months, eventually forming his third company, Ford Motor Company, in 1903. Engine: Ford horizontally opposed 2-cylinder, atmospheric overhead intake valves and side exhaust valves, 539 cu. in., 26 hp.
Physical Description:
Racing car
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