It's not uncommon for cars that are in one way or another important for the automotive industry to pop up on the auction block from time to time. Whether they marked the beginning of an important chapter in the industry, were owned or raced by someone famous, or are very rare, these cars always turn heads around and pockets inside out. What we don't often get on the auction block is record-holding cars.
The interesting contraption you are looking at now may seem just that, interesting, and not much else. Yet it's a race car that holds no less than three speed records at some of America's most important venues.
The weird shape of the vehicle is owed to the task it was meant to perform. The car was put together back in 2010 as a 1950 Ford Flathead replica with a single goal in mind: to take part in the Vintage Oval Track class category races held by the Southern California Timing Association.
It's an open-wheel contraption with a narrow, streamlined body, a roll cage sticking out of the positively tiny cockpit, and engine components pushing out of its very long hood. The perfect description, then, for a purebred racer.
The visual appearance of the Ford, exciting as it may be, is fairly common in this particular world of racers, and it really doesn't do the engine under the hood any justice. As you'll see, a lot of work was put into the powertrain to make this car the one to beat on the track.
Now don't go thinking this thing hides some massive heart in there. No, the engine's displacement is a relatively decent 296ci V8, and it's tied to an equally unimpressive five-speed manual. But it's the engine’s components that steal the headlines.
Photo: Mecum
The powerplant was put together by builder Rick Schnell, and it comes bored and stroked (to 3.375 and 4.125, respectively). It wears nitro-forged pistons, forged rods, and a Mercury crankshaft. For breathing, a 1.75 intake and 1.50 exhaust have been included.
The hardware runs on both methanol and nitromethane, and works its magic through a manual five-speed Tremec transmission whose fifth gear was removed as to comply with regulations.
All of that impressive hardware is hidden beneath a bodywork that blends fiberglass on the nose, hood, cowl, and tail, with aluminum used on the side panels and belly pan. On the corners (if such a beautifully rounded design can have corners) sits a set of Mickey Thompson slicks meant for drag racing.
The vehicle is known among connoisseurs as the Salt Slider, a name that's prominently featured, along with the speed records it holds, on the bodywork.
The class records this thing presently holds have been set at the Bonneville Salt Flats (and that kind of explains its name) where it ran XF/VOT at 148 mph (238 kph), on the Arkansas Mile, where it hit 160 mph (257 kph), and the Ohio Mile.
On top of it all, the Ford also ran a quarter-mile sprint in just 11.06 seconds at the 2023 NHRA Nostalgia Nationals.
In case you're wondering why we are talking about this car now, know it is available on the open market, being scheduled by auction house Mecum to be sent under the hammer on May 15 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
The thing is selling not only with the above-mentioned pedigree but also with a lot of extras. First up, the fifth transmission gear that was removed to comply with regulations is included in the package. And even if the car is a racer true and true, it comes with a new Hilborn mechanical fuel injection system that was never used on the track.
Photo: Mecum
The list of extra parts that are offered with the ride include two sets of exhaust systems (both of them capable of supporting temperature readings), six land speed tires, and two (10-pound and 5-pound) halon fire extinguishers.
Then, the safety elements required for this kind of car (firesuit, helmet, HANS device, and seatbelts) have active SFI certifications.
The cherry on the cake, though, must be the Rance trailer thrown into the deal. Manufactured in 2010, the trailer is large enough at 17 feet (5.2 meters) to fit the Ford as it's being moved from track to track. The trailer itself is packed full of gear, from the floor jack and shelving to a winch and padlocks.
Mecum does not reveal how much the owner hopes to get for this incredible car and its accessories (if you think about it, there's enough in there for one to immediately start racing), but the important thing is the package is listed as going with no reserve.
It remains to be seen if that will turn out to be a wise decision or not once the hammer falls. If it makes a blast, rest assured we'll come back to this story to tell you all about it.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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