Ford Motor Company has just unlatched their new global online database, the Ford Heritage Vault, on the 17th of June 2022, the brand’s 119th anniversary.
This would have come in handy for Clyde Champion Barrow and his partner in crime, Bonnie Parker, because on the 13th of April 1934 a letter believed to have been penned by the boastful and publicity-seeking Barrow arrived at Ford HQ addressed to Mr. Henry Ford himself. In this letter Barrow sang the praises of Ford vehicles stating that “While I still have got breath in my lungs I will tell you what a dandy car you make. I have drove Fords exclusively when I could get away with one. For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got ever other car skinned and even if my business hasen’t been strickly legal it don’t hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8.”
The infamous bank robbers would’ve had free access to the American automotive industry’s most comprehensive online database with 5 000 high-resolution photographs and product brochures of Ford and Lincoln brands from the brand’s first 100 years between 1903 and 2003, so picking their best V8 would’ve been even more fun.
Ford, Lincoln and possibly Mercury (in the not-too-distant future) fans, journalists and car enthusiasts are allowed to download historical assets for personal use. Although their focus will initially be on Ford USA with popular searches including the Ford Fairlane, Galaxy, Model A and even defunct marques like the Edsel, it will soon include 50 000 images from other markets too. Motorsports and rally images will also appear in due course. Boet would have been impressed to see that our 1980s Ford Bantam also appeared during the archive team’s launch demonstration.
The website is easy to navigate and the search functionality lets users tailor their searches. One can select the make and model but also the colour of the specific model. You can also download a collection as well as individual images at the same time. The online vault also allows you to search for specific information within documents. There has been an overwhelming interest in the Ford Heritage Vault since its recent launch.
According to Ted Ryan, Ford archive and heritage brand manager “Our archives were established 70 years ago, and for the first time, we’re opening the vault for the public to see. This is just a first step for all that will come in the future.” Mr. Ryan also happened to mention that we should keep an eye on the upcoming centenary of Le Mans at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Words: Thys de Beer