Ernest Pfenning of Chicago (above) became Ford’s first car owner – 23 July 1903.

On July 15, 1903, the newly formed Ford Motor Company took its
first order from Chicago dentist Ernst Pfenning: an $850 two-
cylinder Model A automobile with a tonneau (or backseat). The car, produced at Ford’s plant on Mack Street (now Mack Avenue) in
Detroit, was delivered to Dr. Pfenning just over a week later.

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947)

On June 28, 1953, workers at a Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, assembled
the first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that would become an American
icon. The first completed production car rolled off the assembly line two
days later, one of just 300 Corvettes made that year.

The idea for the vehicle originated with General Motors’ pioneering designer Harley J. Earl, who in 1951 began developing plans for a
low-cost American sports car that could compete with Europe’s
MGs, Jaguars and Ferraris.

On June 8, 1948, a hand-built aluminum prototype labeled “No. 1″ became
the first vehicle to bear the name of one of the world’s leading luxury car
manufacturers: Porsche.

The Austrian automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche debuted his
first design at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900. The electric vehicle
set several Austrian land-speed records, reaching more than 35 mph
and earning international acclaim for the young engineer.

Ferdinand Porsche
(September 3, 1875 – January 30, 1951)

On May 30, 1911, Ray Harroun (above) dove his single-seater
Marmon Wasp to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500,
now one of the world’s most famous motor racing events.

The Indiana automobile dealer Carl Fisher first proposed
building a private auto testing facility in 1906, in order to
address car manufacturers’ inability to test potential top
speeds of new cars due to the poorly developed state of
the public roadways. The result, the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, built on 328 acres of farmland five miles
northwest of downtown Indianapolis.

Ray Harroun (January 12, 1879 – January 19, 1968)

Harroun’s original Marmon “Wasp” on display at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Museum.

(FoxNews) – The first all-new 2021 Ford Bronco (VIN 001) was sold
at a charity auction in March for $1,075,000, but an old one just
blew that price away.

A 1969 Bronco crossed the block at the Mecum Auctions event in Indianapolis on Friday and went for $1,870,000.

It wasn’t just any old Bronco, but a custom racing truck driven by
Parnelli Jones (below) to victory in the Baja 1000 in 1971 and 1972
and at several other off-road races.

The famed Bronco is known as “Big Oly” thanks to its Olympia
beer sponsorship and one of the most iconic American racing
vehicles of all time. Jones has owned it all these years and often
loaned it out for displays and events.

Parnelli Jones during his racing
days.

Rufus Parnell “Parnelli” Jones will turn 88 this August.