Information provided by Glenn Wildman with the Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club.
The Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club, in conjunction with Tiffany Ford, will celebrate their 50th annual Endurance Run and Lowland Tour in Hollister again this year. The car ride will take place on Sunday, June 9 and will feature pre-1927 race cars and an accompanying tour of pre-1940 automobiles.
Tiffany Ford will have two of the Speedsters on display in their showroom starting Friday, May 24. Car #55 is a 105-year-old 1914 Ford Model T speedster. Car #56 is of special interest: it is a 1923 Ford Model T Speedster build by Henry M. Gunn High School auto shop students in Palo Alto.
The re-creation of the early 1900’s endurance runs and automobile races was started 50 years ago by the Santa Clara Model T Ford Club and has has become an event sponsored by clubs throughout the United States. These early 20th century events were held to show the public the reliability, speed and endurance of the automobile compared to the horse. Many of the early races featured production automobiles, as well as factory race cars. Soon a new racing industry developed as the mechanically inclined were buying used cars, stripping them down to racing weight, building their own body or buying early pre-manufactured race bodies and adding speed equipment to them.
The event begins Saturday, June 8 with cars arriving at Tiffany Ford. On Sunday, June 9 the cars will leave from Fifth Street and San Benito Street at 8:30 a.m. after the playing of the National Anthem and the announcer says “GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES!” Soon after, the green flag drops and they are off. Cars should start crossing the finish line at Tiffany Ford for a BBQ and awards around 1:30-2 p.m. As of now we have over 30 Speedsters registered. The public is welcome to come see the cars or be at the starting line Sunday morning to see them off.
For registration forms or more information, visit the Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club website or contact Tour Chairman Larry Johnson at (408) 354-1261 (larrypj@earthlink.net) or Registrar Allan Greenberg at (408) 997-0879 (allang@pacbell.net).
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