Car of the Week: 1935 Ford Indy Pace Car

Legendary aviator Amelia Earhart served as the honorary referee for the 1935 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (aka Indy 500). She was the latest celebrity to appear at the Indy 500 as celebrity appearances had already been a long-standing tradition at the annual race. Then and now, actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and automotive industry leaders played various ceremonial roles in the race’s festivities.

Amelia Earhart had gained her celebrity in 1928 as the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Just two years later, she set a speed record (181 mph) for a woman in flight. In her role as the honorary referee for the 1935 Indy 500, Earhart became the first woman to receive an official position at the famous race.

Just two years after serving as honorary referee at the Indy 500 race, at the young age of 39, the pioneer aviator disappeared with her navigator, Fred Noonan. Earhart was attempting to fly the Lockheed Electra 10E twin-engine airplane around the world when the duo disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937, while flying from New Guinea to the Howland Islands. Nearly nine decades later, the details of Earhart and Noonan’s disappearance and the exact location of their crash site remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.

Pacing the race

The Indy 500 auto race has used a pace car every year since 1911. Carl G. Fisher, the founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is credited with the concept of the “rolling start” led by a pace car, which was done in the interest of safety. Nearly all other races at the time utilized a standing start.

The pace car is primarily used to lead the assembled starting grid around the track and later for warm-up laps until the officials release the field to start the race. Secondly, during “yellow flag” caution periods, the pace car re-enters the track and picks up the leader, bunching up the field at a reduced speed until the race is resumed. Pace laps and caution period rules have been modified over the years to also include the use of the pace car.

Since the early days of the Indy 500, auto manufacturers have been invited to provide a pace car. It is a great marketing opportunity to showcase a company’s latest model in front of more than 100,000 spectators in the stands and the millions watching on screens. The official “on track” pace cars are generally modified from their street-legal counterparts, and as race car speeds have increased, so have the number of modifications. These modifications have come to include safety and performance updates such as strobe lights, multi-point harnesses and roll bars, as well as engine, suspension and tire modifications.

Ford Motor Co. provided its first Indianapolis 500 pace car in 1932. That year, the company provided a 1932 Lincoln KB powered by a 150-hp V-12 displacing 448 cubic inches. This powerful luxury car featured convertible coupe coachwork by the Walter M. Murphy Co., making it one of the most beautiful prewar Lincolns ever built.

Invitations to drive the pace cars at the Indianapolis 500 race are extended to notable figures in the automobile industry and in auto racing, as well as former winners of the race. For 1932, Edsel Ford was given the honor of driving the 1932 Lincoln KB.

Ford Motor Co. again provided a pace car in 1935 and provided a new Ford Model 48-740 convertible sedan—a new body style for Ford—with a 221-cid flathead V-8 rated at 85 hp. It had Ford’s three-speed transmission with an optional Columbia two-speed rear axle. As a convertible sedan, the pace car represented the most expensive Ford passenger car body type available that year. Ford executive Harry Mack drove the 1935 Ford pace car, but honorary referee Amelia Earhart was also photographed while seated in the car and likely nabbed most of the headlines. Incidentally, the 1935 Ford convertible sedan paced four Miller-Ford V-8 Indy Specials entered in the 1935 race.

A new Ford for 1935

For 1935, the new and visibly more modern Ford bodies grew wider and their fenders became more bulbous and skirted, but there was definitely a family resemblance to their 1934 predecessors. Ford claimed “Greater Beauty, Greater Comfort, and Greater Safety” for 1935. The radiator grille lost its sharp Vee shape in favor of a wider but less deeply Veed shape, and four horizontal grille bars helped accentuate the 1935 model’s new lower and more streamlined appearance. The fender outlines were much more rounded, and the side hood louvers received three horizontal bright stripes. In profile, the Ford windshield was more sharply sloped back than before. The grille was also pushed forward on the 1935 Ford, so even though the car had the same 112-inch wheelbase as in 1934, overall it looked longer, and actually it was by 6 inches. The parking lamps became integrated within the headlamps, and the headlamp shells were painted body color for a more modern look. For the first time, Ford made available versions of its Tudor and Fordor models with built-in trunks, and all Fords had front-hinged doors front and rear.

Ford’s transverse leaf spring suspension remained for 1935, but the front spring was relocated ahead of the axle to allow more interior volume, as noted in its “Greater Comfort” marketing. The body was lowered and new “Center-Poise” seating improved comfort.

Deluxe Fords had a set of horizontal bars running down the center section of the instrument panel. External distinctions included bright windshield and grille trim work on the Deluxe models, and twin chromed horns with dual rear taillamps. The Victoria body type was discontinued for 1935 while the convertible sedan was new.

All Ford passenger cars rode on a 112-inch wheelbase with 6.00 x 16 tires. The sliding-gear, manual-floor-shift transmission was standard on the ’35s.

Wire wheels could wear optional whitewall tires. Other options included a radio, antenna, heater, cigar lighter, clock, seat covers, spotlight, dual windshield wipers, greyhound radiator ornament, luggage rack and a banjo-type steering wheel.

Ford was the nation’s top-selling car maker for 1935 and offered five different Standard body styles and 10 different Deluxe body types. The new convertible sedan was only available in the Deluxe line, and with just 4,234 having been sold at a base price of $ 750, it was the rarest body style of the 819,795 Ford passenger cars built for the model year, partly due to it being the most expensive Ford car body type.

Restoring a convertible sedan

In 1974, Don Rogers started looking for a 1935 Ford that could accommodate six passengers, and although his interest was in roadsters, he was deterred from purchasing one due to safety concerns with the car’s open design. His intent was to drive the car and enjoy it with his family, and the safety of its occupants—including his two daughters—came first. As a compromise, he began to look for a convertible sedan and found one near Tulsa, Okla., in 1976.

In November of that year, Don and his friend, Jon Anderson, drove Jon’s truck and trailer from Philadelphia to Tulsa to pick up the car and transport it to its new home. Upon arriving, disappointment overtook them when they first laid eyes on the 1935 Ford. The engine, seats and convertible top were not with the car, and the steel floor board had light showing through the open rust holes. The wood frame that gave the Ford’s body its structural integrity was gone. Time spent in the Oklahoma elements had taken a severe toll on the old Ford. However, the exterior metal body panels were in decent shape. Although things looked bleak, Don knew with some planning and skilled craftsmen, the ’35 Ford could be salvaged and made to look new again. After thoroughly looking the car over, he knew it had never been taken apart. The disassembly would require a methodical approach in order to ensure every part was carefully identified for its reinstallation. If the original part couldn’t be refurbished, a correct, new replacement was acquired with the original part being using to verify the new part’s correctness.

An Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum member, Don spent nearly 15 years extensively researching the 1935 Ford Model 48-740 convertible sedan using every known available resource to gather accurate documents regarding Ford’s first-year convertible sedan body type. His original plan was to restore his 1935 Ford Model 48-740 convertible sedan to look just as it would have looked when it arrived at the Ford dealership where it would have been originally sold. In his research, he learned a 1935 Ford convertible sedan much like the one he acquired had served as the official Indy 500 pace car in 1935. After giving it some thought, the project shifted gears and Don decided to use his 1935 Ford convertible sedan to recreate the 1935 Ford Indy 500 pace car.

“The original car went missing and has not been found or surfaced,” he thought. “Recreating one like the original would be good for the car hobby and serve to teach people about the 1935 Ford and its role at the Indianapolis 500, with the added bonus being the car’s connection to aviator Amelia Earhart and her legacy.”

Regarded as an authority on 1934 and 1935 Fords, Don used his expertise to create an identical twin to the original 1935 Ford Indy 500 pace car. With the help of Larry Slocum, no stone was left unturned and only the best parts and materials were found and used during the project. Larry was a highly skilled body and paint applications expert with knowledge about wood working. Fortunately, he had prior experience restoring a similar automobile that needed extensive woodwork completed to its structure. Don says Larry’s expertise was essential to the project. His ability to remove and properly replace all of the 1935 Ford’s wood allowed the car to regain its structural integrity, which served as a foundation for the rest of the restoration. Larry also applied a primer coat to the exposed steel during his work.

Don eventually relocated to St. Louis, Mo., years after buying the car. While at his home in St. Louis, he hired a contractor to expand the garage in which he was storing the 1935 Ford. During construction, a temporary tarp was installed on the garage roof. Unknown at the time, rain bypassed the tarp and moisture found its way to the car and started to gnaw on its steel body panels. When Don later took a close look at the project, he discovered the rust and decided it was time to get serious about restoring the old Ford.

After locating a correct 221-cid engine and drivetrain, Don handed them off to an expert for a professional rebuild and cosmetic detail. His focus then pivoted to the chassis and body sheet metal. Making the chassis and body factory-correct in functionality and appearance was paramount to him. Completion of the interior was challenging due to the need to reconstruct the convertible sedan’s seats. A station wagon was purchased at an AACA fall meet at Hershey, Pa., to replace many of the missing interior parts, and with a little TLC, the restored station wagon parts found their way on the convertible sedan.

Don reached out to LeBaron Bonney for the car’s convertible top and interior upholstery. Fitting the windows and trim was a tedious task and consumed a great amount of time, Don says. Before installing them, he completed a great amount of research to ensure they were properly installed. With a network of talented craftsmen and companies that produce great products, the Ford’s restoration wrapped up in 1989.

In 1992, Don and his 1935 Ford convertible sedan were invited by the Indiana Region of the Early Ford V-8 Club of America to take part in an event at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the event, Don had the good fortune to take his ’35 Ford around the track for a two-lap drive; it was the very same place where the original 1935 Ford Indy pace car had completed its race-day task decades earlier.

The whereabouts of the original Ford that paced the Indianapolis 500 race in 1935 is not known. Starting in 1936, Indy pace cars were usually given to the race winner. Since that tradition didn’t start until the year after the 1935 Ford paced the race, the original 1935 Ford pace car likely resumed a typical motoring life following the race, and after serving its purpose, it probably ended up in a junk yard and then crushed like many other automobiles from its generation. However, there’s still a small chance it’s stowed away in pristine condition within a secretive collector’s garage.

Currently, Don’s 1935 Ford Model 48-740 convertible sedan is on loan to the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum in Auburn, Ind., where it’s proudly displayed alongside his 1935 Ford panel delivery.

The author and Old Cars wish to thank to Nate Fluke, collections coordinator at the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum, for preparing the 1935 Ford Model 48-740 convertible sedan and delivering it to the photo-shoot location. We also appreciate Fluke’s help with the tedious task of positioning the car during the photo-shoot.

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