Driven to Win

Auto racing lost a legend, and The Henry Ford lost a friend, when Parnelli Jones passed away on June 4, 2024. Rufus Parnell Jones (an aunt gave him his lifelong nickname, “Parnelli”) was born August 12, 1933, in Texarkana, Texas.

Explore the inspiring story of Janet Guthrie, the first woman race car driver to qualify and compete in both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500.

Wendell Scott overcame obstacles, including the insidious challenge of racism, to become the first African American driver to compete full-time in NASCAR’s top-level Cup Series. Learn his story on our blog.

Race car driver and friend of The Henry Ford Dan Gurney leaves behind a rich and enduring legacy. His spirit, determination, and accomplishments will continue to inspire generations to come.

Recently, we’ve been digitizing a collection acquired last year of spindizzies, a type of model race car. Spindizzies were popular in the 1930s and 1940s, incorporating model airplane engines powered by gasoline.

One of the gems to be found in The Henry Ford’s archives is the Dave Friedman auto racing collection, particularly covering racing from the 1960s through 1990s.

Scotsman Jim Clark won the Indianapolis 500 with this rear-engine car in 1965. After his victory, a traditional front-engine car never won that race again. The Lotus-Ford combined a European Formula One-inspired lightweight chassis with a big Ford V-8 engine. The Lotus-Ford's success effectively killed the traditional Indy roadster and established a new design for American race cars.

Scotsman Jim Clark won the Indianapolis 500 with this rear-engine car in 1965. After his victory, a traditional front-engine car never won that race again. The Lotus-Ford combined a European Formula One-inspired lightweight chassis with a big Ford V-8 engine. The Lotus-Ford's success effectively killed the traditional Indy roadster and established a new design for American race cars.

Take a fascinating look at the machines that move us with Curator of Transportation Matt Anderson. Explore some of the more unusual automobile engines in The Henry Ford’s collection, like Franklin’s air-cooled crosshead of 1905 or Chrysler’s experimental gas turbine of 1963. The heart of any car is its engine, and through the evolution of engine design and technology, we discover the importance of how innovation and diversity shape the automotive landscape.

David "Salt" Walther's 1973 crash is still considered one of the worst in Indy 500 history. See the remains of his McLaren M16A on exhibit in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, and learn more about the safety innovations sparked by the crash.