This slick 1964 film from Ford Motor Company tells the story of the legendary Mercury Comet 100,000-mile record run at Daytona. We weren’t there to see the spectacle, unfortunately, but here’s the next best thing. 

It’s a shame the Motor City automakers don’t do insane, wonderful stunts like this anymore. This one was cooked up by the late Fran Hernandez, a pioneering hot rodder, Ford racing guru, and head of the Lincoln-Mercury division’s performance program. The plan: Assemble a team of specially prepared 1964 Mercury Comets, and then run them around the high-banked oval at Daytona for days and weeks on end, setting a whole slew of international speed and distance records.

Wheeled by a stellar lineup of race drivers including Iggy Katona, Buddy Baker, Danny Byrd, and dozens more veterans, the four Caliente hardtops ran their laps at 112 mph day and night for 40 straight days, pausing only for pit stops and driver changes. At around 76,000 miles, the 289 CID V8 in one of the Comets suffered a valve spring failure, but the car was quickly repaired and sent back out to complete its 100,000 miles. There’s much more to the story, naturally, and this slickly produced film does a fine job of telling it. Please enjoy.