Ever wonder what the gearheads who design and build Fords have at home in their own garages? Here’s a tour of the annual employee car show in Dearborn. Enjoy.
In the inside lingo of the Ford Motor Company, the initials PDC stand for the Product Development Center, the sprawling complex in Dearborn directly across the street from the Henry Ford Museum and the original Ford Proving Grounds, which once upon a time was Ford Airport. (Click the links for features on these historic places.) New Ford cars and trucks are conceived and developed at the PDC, one of three such extensive Ford facilities around the world.
With a wide variety of employee-owned and invited vehicles, the annual employee car show at the PDC each summer is a favorite show for us. A heavy rain early in the morning attempted to paint a frown on this year’s event, and probably held down the attendance a bit. But by mid-morning the venue dried out nicely, permitting another great show. Memorable sights for 2015:
+ A strong assortment of historic Ford of Canada vehicles, including some rare heavy-duty Mercury-branded trucks.
+ An equally impressive number of 1958 through 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark III through Mark V models, giving us an opportunity to inspect and compare these unusual animals.
+ While the Blue Oval brand dominates the event, naturally, we also spotted some stellar non-Ford vehicles, including a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk and an Alfa Romeo Montreal.
See all these great vehicles and more in the gallery below.
Too bad people woosed-out because of the rain. It’s only water.
Was the black pickup an Australian Ford or is it custom? I don’t remember seeing a Ranchero-type vehicle in any American line-up before the Fifties. And is that a golf-bag door on the side?
What is that other black thing with the oversized greenhouse? It looks like a ’54 Lincoln Capri but…that’s not a good look on you.
The Ford is Australian Ute. Henry Ford II had the ’52 Lincoln built for his mom, Mrs. Edsel Ford, because she liked tall formal cars and large hats.
Hey McG you should do a spotter guide on 58-50 Lincolns and Continentals. That would be fun.
> Henry Ford II had the ’52 Lincoln built for his mom
If that’s a ’52 it has ’54 taillights and bumpers. But that’s not important, you answered my question.
All those nice and interesting cars,, and a Landrover. Was it on display or just broke down there!
The Mercury Cyclone is interesting, I had heard of them but never seen one. Obviously a 70 Mustang in drag though I would like to know more.