Shelby Buildings -LAX- New 10.02.24 - 4 new colored Pics May 65 w. Comparsion

[98SVT - was 06GT]

You link to the Henry Ford. So is that where you could research photos? I wasn't aware if it was available from the Henry Ford. Are you saying I could go there and search photos? I get emails all the time from this site  https://fordimages.com/
  Since I am a member of the Henry Ford I would sure like to be able to search for what isn't online from them or Fordimages.

The Benson Ford Research Center archives are at the Henry Ford but it's actually a public library. Anything they have collected that is paper or film is there.
20900 Oakwood Blvd. Dearborn, MI 48120
United States
313-982-6020  research.center@thehenryford.org

The Benson Ford Research Center is part of The Henry Ford, America's Greatest History Attraction, which includes the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. The Research Center's holdings include the historical records of Ford Motor Company and The Henry Ford, and other archival collections, books, periodicals, and trade catalogs relating to the automotive, industrial, social and cultural history of America.

The Benson Ford Research Center is free and open to the public. Members of the general public cannot check out books, but are welcome to visit the reading room to access the library and archival collections.

[shelbymann1970]

You link to the Henry Ford. So is that where you could research photos? I wasn't aware if it was available from the Henry Ford. Are you saying I could go there and search photos? I get emails all the time from this site  https://fordimages.com/
  Since I am a member of the Henry Ford I would sure like to be able to search for what isn't online from them or Fordimages.

The Benson Ford Research Center archives are at the Henry Ford but it's actually a public library. Anything they have collected that is paper or film is there.
20900 Oakwood Blvd. Dearborn, MI 48120
United States
313-982-6020  research.center@thehenryford.org

The Benson Ford Research Center is part of The Henry Ford, America's Greatest History Attraction, which includes the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. The Research Center's holdings include the historical records of Ford Motor Company and The Henry Ford, and other archival collections, books, periodicals, and trade catalogs relating to the automotive, industrial, social and cultural history of America.

The Benson Ford Research Center is free and open to the public. Members of the general public cannot check out books, but are welcome to visit the reading room to access the library and archival collections.

Thanks. Since I know The Henry Ford well-or so I thought- a google maps search of that address puts the library where ticket sales are actually. I'm sure it is near by. I'll check it out next time we visit the Village. Every year for over a decade I have put one of my Shelbys in the Motor Muster at Greenfield Village. The only time My Shelbys have ever sat outside over night. I do it every Father's Day weekend(Friday-Sunday). Great show.

[Coralsnake]

Heres my experience with the Benson

Its not like an archive in a typical sense. A public library is more descriptive in my opinion. Things are filed under "collections" so if Joe Cool worked for Ford as an illustrator for twenty years, he may have donated his collection of work. Joes early years might include one drawing of a Mustang and a hundred drawings of other projects. Things like a Thunderbird taillight from 1982.

Heres the issue if you dont specifically what Joe donated, you are going to potentially handed a box with a 10 of his drawings and never see the Mustang. If you dont know who Joe is...you will be shooting in the dark.

I did see some very cool stuff spending a couple days there, but my experience was not filled with success.

I dont think they are going to you hand a box marked "green hornet project -Shelby American"

[shelbymann1970]

Heres my experience with the Benson

Its not like an archive in a typical sense. A public library is more descriptive in my opinion. Things are filed under "collections" so if Joe Cool worked for Ford as an illustrator for twenty years, he may have donated his collection of work. Joes early years might include one drawing of a Mustang and a hundred drawings of other projects. Things like a Thunderbird taillight from 1982.

Heres the issue if you dont specifically what Joe donated, you are going to potentially handed a box with a 10 of his drawings and never see the Mustang. If you dont know who Joe is...you will be shooting in the dark.

I did see some very cool stuff spending a couple days there, but my experience was not filled with success.

I dont think they are going to you hand a box marked "green hornet project -Shelby American"

Do you remember where it was located? I know decades ago Ed used to go through the Henry Ford centennial library looking for Ford docs.  on Mich avenue in Dearborn IIRC. https://dearbornlibrary.org/

[Coralsnake]

In Greenfield Village I believe

[6R07mi]

I too am a member of The Henry Ford and contacted the Benson Ford Research center regarding research.
Since Whuan COVID they have been closed to the public and refer you to online staff for inquiries.

I requested any documents from the 1963~1967 Total Performance programs and was informed "they don't have much material or documents from 1962 and up, most of their material is pre 1960".
FWIW

jim p

[gt350shelb]

 I have spent a week at Benson  and   https://detroitpubliclibrary.org/locations/skillman.

Benson was hit or miss for 60s stuff / but well organized but the process was slow to view items. no cameras or phones allowed.
We spent 3 days here ( 3 people) and made over 1000 pages of copies of information. but likely looked thru 20000 pages and photos. 

  The detroit public library had this location that was Mostly automotive https://detroitpubliclibrary.org/locations/skillman.

it is temporarily closed at the moment.

This was a very disorganized collection, but it sometimes yielded gold finds. And the staff was much more willing to work with you. many of the collections that  benson had no interest in ended up here .

[Szabo]

Reviving an old thread.  I came across this photo on ebay and thought it would be valuable here.  The photo is a slide taken in 1965.

HEY,

thank you very much for posting these Pics and put a little life in these thread

I looked on ebay also and found some more, wonderfull colored, Pics
the seller noted these as MAY 1965 and i believe this,
i hope to can make some compartments for better understanding.

These Pic shows the End of the Blast Wall, the Cobras are all here and some GT350 Competition Models are
waiting, Nr. "36" should be 5R001


the Second Pic show the closed Front Gate with the very nice big round Cobra Logo, note
the 289 Cobras, must be the last one for delievering


the third Pic shows the other End of the Blast Wall, very less 65 GT350 standing.

[Coralsnake]

Szabo, I have said it before, great job

[Szabo]

I tried a little comparsion to proof the Time Code and
look closer to the Pics and details



First look was about the Details and i started with the Pic by the Race Hangar

Yellow Line shows the the End of the Blast Wall
Note the pure unfinished Cobras are standing in a row
the purple Circle shows some "Construction" Material or wooden ramps, you can see it on both Pics

a Difference is the Number of the Competition GT350, on the Black/White Pic it seems to be less then on the colored Pic.

Second Look was on the front Gate

The Red Line shows the passage thruw the Blast Wall, the blue cirlce shows a Car Hauler
the green Circle shows the 289 Cobras standing - a total new Detail for me, never noticed this on the black/white Pic

Third Pic shows a difference

The Pink line shows on both Pics the Building on the End of Blast Wall
The Blue Circle show a big difference in the number of the finished GT350 ...
the black/white Pic shows 3 Rows with a lot more cars

i made another Comparsion from a other view



Here cou you can see the orange Line shows the Building,
and the Pink Circle shows the same sort of many many material or whatever cubes standing on the end
of the Production Hangar
Again you can see that on the back/white Pic are a lot more finished GT350 are showed

[silverton_ford]

Awesome work!

I was flipping back and forth with the aerial photos and doing the same thing - lining up the shots.  Thank you for making a professional photo showing each angle and where they are.

The No. 36 car is 5R002.  You can see the fixed side door glass.

[Szabo]

Thank you for your answers...

i tryed to confirm the Timecode from May 1965

I base myself on the number of the Street GT350 in the pictures and compare
it with others that I can narrow down in time

1965 04 23
in the Backround of the Robbins Twins are no GT350 visible,
so the GT350´s didnt stand in the rows


1965 05 ??
the finished parking lot is not full with GT350


1965 05 ??
finished parking lot is filled with GT350,
but not in straight rows


1965 05 20 or closley after
the finished parking lot is full with GT350, standing nicely in rows
from this Date the finished parking lot was always full with rows of cars


Would you agree to the timeline ?

[silverton_ford]

Szabo,

This photo was recently posted on Facebook by Les Taylor on the "POWERED BY FORD - TOTAL PERFORMANCE ERA" page - Link: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10233098270020278&set=gm.803911747969039&idorvanity=757929885900559

Some amazing stuff here.  Notice "Little Red" (almost dark Red??), an R-model with a white wall tire, Cobras with black windshield frames, several 1967 GT350/GT500 models, is that CSX2430 with the number 13 on the door?

[Hipo-Fred]

What a great thread this is ... awesome picture Brian, thanks for sharing.   

Fred

[Coralsnake]

Interesting indeed. It would appear lil Red has a side stripe treatment previously unseen?

What's up with the large group of white cars in the right, background?