cover photo via 3 Dog Garage

Welcome to Part 2 of our coverage of Honored Collector Ross Myers’ display that will be featured at Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival 42. Continuing from our introduction to this exciting five-day celebration honoring Ford and its monumental contributions to automotive history, we now turn our spotlight to the extraordinary collection of vehicles that will grace the event. (Read Part 1 here)

Myers, a distinguished competitor in Historic Trans-Am and a cherished figure at Lime Rock Park, is generously bringing 16 rare Ford-powered cars from his Boyertown, Pennsylvania-based 3 Dog Garage Museum. These masterpieces will be on display throughout the weekend and during the special Sunday event, The Park. Throughout Historic Festival 42, attendees will have the unique opportunity to admire these exceptional vehicles up close, learn about their histories and appreciate the craftsmanship that has made Ford a beloved marque among car enthusiasts worldwide.

Here’s a closer look at some of the remarkable vehicles you can expect to see:

1922 Ford Kookie Kar
This car was built in 1955 by 22-year-old Norm Grabowski of Sunland, Calif. It was based on a cut-down 1922 Ford Model T roadster mounted on an altered 1931 Ford Model A frame. It appeared on the cover of the April 1957 issue of Car Craft, and was a regular in the television show “77 Sunset Strip,” where it was driven by “Kookie” Kookson, played by teen-age heart throb Edd Byrnes.

1932 Ford Ricky Nelson Roadster
This 1932 Ford was built by Californian Ray De Fillipi in 1951. The floorpan of the body sat lower on the frame rains than a stock body, for both style and yielding higher top speeds in dry lakes speed competition. A Corvette V-8 was added in 1956, with the car appearing in the popular television series, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” with their sons Dave and Rick Nelson seen in the car in various episodes.

photo via RM Auctions

1932 Ford Pinin Farina
This is believed to be the only classic Ford built with custom coachwork by Pinin Farina. The car was commissioned by Ford Motor Company from the Italian coachbuilder as a styling study when they were considering options for their production 1933 models. The car was located after more than 50 years and restored to its current condition.

photo via 3 Dog Garage

1932 Golden Rod
This is a totally original, unrestored example of a mid-fifties East Coast street rod. It was built by Jack Lentz, an Army veteran of Korea and Japan as a radio operator prior to starting his auto body shop in Belford, N.J. The car was featured in several hot rod enthusiast magazines, a reminder that California was not the only place when great people built great cars.

photo via 3 Dog Garage

1936 Ford Ed Pink Coupe
California native Ed Pink is one of the legendary, prolific, successful and respected race car engine builders from the late 1940s to the present day. He built his own hot rod in 1949, this 1936 Ford. With a Ford flathead V-8, the car ran 137 mph at El Mirage and 141 at Bonneville. He sold the car before being shipped by the Army to Korea. The car was finally tracked down by Ross Myers in 2013 and restored to its original condition.

photo via 3 Dog Garage

1993 Bud Moore Thunderbird #15 Motorcraft
When Geoff Bodine drove this Motorcraft Ford Thunderbird to victory at Sears Point Raceway in 1993, it proved to be the final victory in the storied career of Bud Moore Engineering. Moore was a beloved World War II hero and a champion in both NASCAR and Trans-Am, delivering on his promises with dedication, hard work and humility. This car represents and protects his legacy for the next generations of motorsports enthusiasts.

photo via 3 Dog Garage

Crawford Daytona Prototype PD03-004
This car competed as the Spark of Georgia Tech in 2004, driven by Chris Hall and Larry Huang. Paul Newman rented the car for the 2005 Daytona 24 Hours to promote the upcoming Pixar/Disney Film, Cars. The car carried No. 79, Newman’s age. Newman garnered national headlines when the car had a small fire in pre-event testing. Newman and Michael Brockman drove in the race along with Newman’s championship-winning drivers, Cristiano da Matta and Sebastien Bourdais, but failed to finish. Howard-Boss Motorsports fielded the car in 2006-07, primarily for the father-son team of Rob and Chris Dyson.

photo via 3 Dog Garage

2006 Saleen S7R
This was one of 18 S7R endurance race cars developed by American engineer/racer Steve Saleen, and one of four built in the U.S. at Saleen’s production facility in Irvine, Calif. ORECA campaigned this No. 55 Matmut-sponsored Fords, racing in the 2006 LeMans Series (winning at Spa) and taking the 2007 French GT Series with three victories. It also finished fifth in GT1 in the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours, with a lineup including Jean-Philippe Belloc and Nicolas Prost.

Historic Festival 42 Details
Lime Rock Historic Festival 42 launches into action over Labor Day weekend with a 17-mile tour through the area on Thurs., Aug. 29 with the Historic Festival Parade presented by NBT Bank. Friday, Saturday and Monday feature non-stop, on-track competition across a diverse set of historic racing classes. On Sunday (Sept. 1), the Lime Rock Concours and Gathering of the Marques will display nearly 1,000 enthusiast cars and motorcycles arranged around the Lime Rock circuit for Sunday in The Park. Learn more & get tickets at https://limerock.com/events/historic-festival-42/