Here’s a nice little video put together by the Henry Ford Museum people that features one of their most prized possessions: the 999 racer. 

Henry Ford’s 999 racer of 1902-03 is not just one of the most important race cars in history; it’s one of the most fascinating. Its four cylinders displace 289 cubic inches—each, that is, for a total of 1156 CID. The bore is 7.25 inches, the stroke is 7.00 inches, and the flywheel weighs 270 lbs. There’s no transmission, only a simple wooden-faced clutch.

As with many engines of the period, there are no valve covers; the valvetrain runs totally exposed. However, 999 has no oil pan, either. The giant crankshaft and connecting rods pound the air. The ring and pinion are also totally exposed and there is no differential, no rear suspension. The frame is timber and the steering is a direct-acting tiller bar. Even for 1902, the 999 is astonishingly primitive.

Ford named the 999 racer (actually there were two cars, but we’ll not even attempt to unravel all that here) after the Empire State Express No. 999 steam locomotive that had run 112.5 mph in 1893. Ford built his car for essentially one purpose: to be the fastest road vehicle in the world—which it indeed was.

In this video, curator of transportation Matt Anderson says, “999 is about brute force.” That pretty much nails it. In the car’s amazing crudeness you see Ford’s supreme confidence and talent at work. This is no show horse, it’s a money racer. He knew what he needed to get the job done and he built it.

If you want to learn more about the 999 saga and this critical point in Ford’s career, one superb source is Ford: The Times, The Man, The Company by Allan Nevins and Frank Hill. In the meantime, press play.