Meet NASCAR legend Curtis Turner as he introduces the Total Performance 1964 Ford lineup in this original factory sales film.

Curtis Turner (1924-1970) was one of the most colorful characters in the history of NASCAR, but you might never know it from his steady delivery in this 1964 Ford dealer film. Of course, here he’s carefully reading from a script, when Turner’s own life was anything but scripted. Early on in his NASCAR career he demonstrated he could drive anything and win, wheeling a Nash to victory in 1950, and that he could win anywhere, racking up an incredible 25 wins in a single season in 1956. Later, he was the first NASCAR driver to qualify at more than 180 mph driving Smokey Yunick’s slick 1966 Chevelle at Daytona. (Read about the infamous Chevelle here.) Meanwhile, Turner’s enthusiasm for the night life was equally legendary. When things got a little too quiet for his liking, he was known to declare, “Let’s go start a brand new party!”

You’ll notice there’s no specific mention of NASCAR in this ’64 film. At the time, NASCAR boss Bill France had banned Turner for life for attempting to bring the Teamsters Union into the sport (in return for funding Turner’s effort to build Charlotte Motor Speedway, a story for another time). France eventually relented and allowed Turner to return in 1965, but in the meantime, Turner raced stock cars up North on the USAC and MARC/ARCA circuits. Here he’s shown driving Holman Moody-prepared Galaxies for Ed Martin Ford of Indianapolis, while explaining how Ford’s commitment to racing produces better cars for the consumer, too. Video below.