William Clay Ford Sr. Got This 1939 Midget Racer for His 14th Birthday
When you’re Henry Ford’s grandchild, your birthday gifts are much cooler than the average pair of socks.
For most kids, turning 14 isn’t really a big deal. You’re still a year or two away from being able to drive legally, and you’ve already been a teenager for a while. You probably aren’t getting very cool gifts, either, maybe a new bike if you’re lucky. But when you’re the last surviving grandchild of a guy named Henry Ford, your gifts are, well, a little cooler than most.
William Clay Ford Sr. turned 14 back in 1939. It just so happened that back then, 14 years of age was all it took to get a driver’s license, and what else would the father of the automobile gift his beloved grand kid, besides a car? Because Henry Ford was probably the coolest grandfather ever, he didn’t just give him a lame, under-powered, stock go kart. He gifted the young man a freaking Midget Racer.
Unlike the overprotective parenting we see today, William Clay didn’t have to abide by a strict set of guidelines, as he’s admitted to driving his Midget Racer around Ford’s Dearborn test track at speeds over 100 mph. Ah, the good old days!
For those of us that weren’t lucky enough to be Henry Ford’s grand child, the Midget Racer was recently moved to the residence at Stahls Automotive Museum in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. The foundation was able to acquire both the tiny racer, and a 1925 Renault Model 45 to add to its collection.
The two special cars join dozens of other rare and historic vehicles on display at the museum, and that group includes a great number of cool Fords. If you’re in or around the Macomb County area in the next few weeks, be sure to drop in and check them out. Say we sent ya!
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Photos via: [StahlsAuto]
