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“WE WANT IT BACK.” Ford Searches to Find Henry's Racing Trophy
DEARBORN, Mich. – The Stanley Cup. The Heisman Trophy. The Lombardi Trophy. The Vanderbilt Cup. A cut-glass punch bowl.
One may think that a simple, cut-glass punch bowl doesn’t seem to fit in with these other famous sporting trophies, but to Ford Motor Company, it’s a very significant piece of the company’s auto racing history that has been lost, and now is the subject of a nationwide search.
This punch bowl was one of Henry Ford’s most cherished possessions, given to him following his one and only racing victory on October 10, 1901. It was that single win that kicked off Ford’s highly-successful worldwide racing program, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with a series of special events and programs.
Ford was a decided underdog that day against Alexander Winton, the country’s foremost auto racer, in a 10-mile race in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
Ford had never raced against another car, and his racer – nicknamed Sweepstakes -- was seriously out-powered. The other race cars of the day normally had more than 40 horsepower, and Winton's car had 70 horsepower. The Ford racer had two-cylinders and produced 26 horsepower.
Henry Ford was trying to prove something more to the public. He believed an efficient, lightweight vehicle could out perform the big cars. Not coincidentally, the family car he eventually produced for worldwide use, the Model T, also had 26 horsepower.
Winton led seven of the 10 laps, before his engine started sputtering. Ford passed him in front of the 8,000 people in the grandstands that day and went on to win with an average speed of 45 mph.
The victory was worth $1,000 and the cut-glass punch bowl.
More importantly, the unlikely victory caught the eye of several financial investors that day who helped Ford start what became the Ford Motor Company in June 1903.
"The race promoters, in fact, were so certain that Winton would win that they picked out a beautiful cut glass punch bowl set as the trophy," said Edsel B. Ford II, the great-grandson of Henry Ford and a member of the Ford Motor Company board of directors. "They figured it would look well in the bay window of the Winton home."
Instead, the punch bowl occupied a prominent position in Ford’s Fairlane Estate home in Dearborn, Michigan, until after his death in 1947. Following Clara Ford’s (Henry’s wife) death in 1950, many of the possessions of Henry and Clara were auctioned off – including the prize punch bowl.
"A footnote to history is that sometimes it gets away from us," said Edsel Ford. "The trophy Henry Ford won that day was in his home until after he died in 1947.
"By then, nobody seemed to know the importance of that cut-glass punch bowl. It went to an art gallery in New York, then was sold to a private collector. Nobody has seen it since.
"We did recently find "Sweepstakes," and now we're completely restoring the original car. As for the punch bowl trophy - - well, we're looking to see if we can engage the public to help us find our first of so many, racing trophies.
"We want it back. It’s more than just a piece of history to us – it’s a symbol of our heritage."
Persons who may know information about the location of the Henry Ford punch bowl trophy are asked to send an e-mail to fordracing@campbellco.com, or mail information to Ford Racing Communications, P.O. Box 490, Dearborn, Michigan, 48121.
Known facts about the Henry Ford punch bowl trophy:
Description:
It was described in the Henry Ford estate sale auction booklet in this way: "CUT GLASS PUNCH BOWL. Deep valanced bowl with diamante-cut panels and fern motives, on conforming spreading stand; small imperfections. Together with a punch ladle. [Lot] Diameter 15 inches"
Specific Auction:
Was part of first-day, first-session auction on Wednesday afternoon, October 17th, 1951. Item No. 20. Auction hosted by Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York City (now owned by Sotheby Auctions).
Ford Estate Auction:
Public Auction took place Oct. 17-20, 1951. Hosted by Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc. in New York City. Described as the "Property of the Estate of the Late Mrs. Henry Ford"
Photograph:
Only one known photograph of the punch bowl is in existence. The photo was taken in 1930.