SPENCER ó The N.C. Transportation Museum, with support from Ford Motor Co., hosted dozens of Ford vehicles, from early Model Ts to the latest in Ford technology, during its annual All Ford Show on Saturday. This year’s theme was “A Celebration of Lincolns.”
This year’s Best Of Show award winner was a 1916 Model T Depot Hack owned by Phil Brooks. Also on display were a Ford Fairlane with the Skyliner convertible hard top, a number of Model A Fords, many from the Piedmont Model A Club, Model T Fords, and a replica of the Gran Torino driven in the 1970s Starsky & Hutch television series.
Last year’s All Ford Show was “100 Years of the Model T.” This year’s show spotlighted Lincoln automobiles in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The connection to the nation’s 16th President and Lincoln automobiles is not as tentative as one might think. According to Edmunds Automotive Group, the company was founded in 1917 by Henry Leland. One of the godfathers of the Cadillac brand, Leland named the new company after his boyhood hero, Abraham Lincoln.
Purchased by Ford Motor Co. in 1922, Lincoln became the luxury arm of Ford. The Zephyr was Lincoln’s first major success. In 1939, the first Lincoln Continental rolled off the assembly line. At the time, Ford Motor Co. President Edsel Ford had asked designers to come up with a car that was “strictly continental.” Designers came through and no other name was even considered.
The N.C. Transportation Museum’s own 1948 Lincoln Continental appeared as part of the show. Weighing nearly two tons, the ’48 Continental originally cost more than $4,600 and was equipped with power windows, push-button door handles and a V12 engine.
Other Ford vehicles in the Transportation Museum’s automotive collection include a 1907 Model R, 1913 Model T Depot Hack, 1914 Model T “Touring” Car, 1927 Model TT truck, 1935 Model A Highway Patrol car, 1959 Edsel Corsair and a 1964 Mustang. Many of these vehicles were part of the All Ford Show while the rest remained on display in the museum’s Bumper To Bumper exhibit.
Best of Show 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies were awarded. The Best Featured Vehicle trophy was awarded to a Lincoln on display.