Shelby Buildings -LAX- New 30.4.2023 -"Lost Movie" Footage from very early found

[Richstang]

Mr. Szabo:

Your investigation continues to be brilliant.

Two questions: Do we have a list of Ford executives that attended the press function?

Also have you searched the Petersen photo achives for images? I have to believe that an editor(s) from Hot Rod/Motor Trend/Sports Car Graphic was in attendance. Or not.

In addition, I enjoy looking for the everyday details, since like a historical excavation, these are details of daily SA jobs.

i look for help for the last Pic to get a good timecode, or a higher resolution to read the Numbers
on the Windshield Papers, maybe someone here who reads and want to help can share someting

In that photo of unfinished GT350s, there's three rows there's 54 cars I can see in the photo, although it might be 76 (26x3).
And in a observation that's unlikely to mean anything, in the second row, the second car has Le Mans stripes unlike the other 75. Why was it parked there? Another lost detail of SA historical minutiae.

I can't spear for Szabo, but every known stone had been turned over looking for LAX photos.
Stephan, myself, and a few others have looked repeatedly for anything we could find.

Pertersens' Archives has nothing for LAX such as the open house.
The Henry Ford Collection has some photos, but nothing was noted about who was there.
Revs Digital Library does not seem to cover the event either.
There is NO LIST of the Ford excutives who attended the open house on June 7th, 1965.
A few different books and magazines have some captions that note a few Ford Execs who were there.

There are a few photos of theFord execs watching CS give his presentaion.
Ony Henry Ford II, Leo Beebe, Ray Geddes, with the board of directors have been identified.

Henry Ford II was sitting in the prototype Ford GT roadster with Carroll Shelby.
It is not clear if they drove the car around.

[Side-Oilers]

Rich & Stephan: You guys (and several others on here) have done an amazing job of sleuthing!  But, I suspect there are still some unturned stones to be discovered.   

I recently had lunch with the man who was the Petersen Museum archivist. Super nice guy, and loves automotive history. He previously worked for me at MT. 

He told me that he and one assistant scanned something like 1.6 million images into the Museum's system.  But, about a year or so ago, the Museum decided that such a project is too expensive (his pay, and that of the assistant) and let them both go.

For now, the museum is calling that project done. There are still millions more images sitting in metal file drawers hoping to be scanned someday, maybe.

Never give up the search!

[68countrysedan]

Pertersens' Archives has nothing for LAX such as the open house.
The Henry Ford Collection has some photos, but nothing was noted about who was there.
Revs Digital Library does not seem to cover the event either.
There is NO LIST of the Ford excutives who attended the open house on June 7th, 1965.
A few different books and magazines have some captions that note a few Ford Execs who were there.

Thanks for the FYI and it illustrates that historical research can be messy. I'm surprised at the lack of photos. SA was just down the 405 from Petersen and an editor could have received a free lunch to boot.

I suspect there are still some unturned stones to be discovered.   

I recently had lunch with the man who was the Petersen Museum archivist. Super nice guy, and loves automotive history. He previously worked for me at MT.

He told me that he and one assistant scanned something like 1.6 million images into the Museum's system.  But, about a year or two ago, the Museum decided that such a project is too expensive (his pay, and that of the assistant) and let them both go.

For now, the museum is calling that project done. There are still millions more images sitting in metal file drawers hoping to be scanned someday, maybe.

Never give up the search!

I am inclined to agree with Mr. Side-Oilers. Not surprised at the cost cutting plus in historical research discoveries are often found in the last place you look. In this case metal file drawers that no one yet has a clue what's there.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Thanks for the FYI and it illustrates that historical research can be messy. I'm surprised at the lack of photos. SA was just down the 405 from Petersen and an editor could have received a free lunch to boot.

He told me that he and one assistant scanned something like 1.6 million images into the Museum's system.  But, about a year or two ago, the Museum decided that such a project is too expensive (his pay, and that of the assistant) and let them both go.

They probably weren't invited. Yes an "open" house but a very elite guest list and probably very high level deals going on in the background. Henry would have flown out on his plane with 3-4 of the inner circle - those who hung onto his coat tails during the event. The rest of the VPs would have come commercial - they would have been from any group that CS was involved with for parts or development - engines - styling - PR/racing - etc.

I remember the old guy that worked the archives at Petersen. When they started to thin the storage they piled the studio floor with stacks of magazines. We went in and grabbed off all the old Sports Car Graphics and a fair amount of MT and Hot Rod and specials. I don't know if they scanned them or just decided they needed the room. Still have a couple boxes of them.

[Szabo]

Hello all together ...

thanks for the very kindly answers, and your interest
in our work.

I personally always have the most interest in the LAX Pics and History, maybe because i liked
the 65 and 66 GT350 (and 427 Cobra, GT40) for my all time favourite.

I have a lot of luck that mostly Rich is willing and able to have Emailcontact and he can always
bring one more thing on the table i searched hours, days, weeks befor with no success.

I tryed several time to get a lot more deeper in the rabbit hole with people that have more access to
Shelby-Files, Pics or something else.

Sometimes i get help but often i get even no email back.

The Petersen Archiv is such a site where i never recieved a answer on my request.
But i will totally believe this was after the nice Person was fired from the job.

it would be my kind of dream to have such boxes to scan and describ, to the new old pics and find
the stories within.
Boy, i would do it for free for a while :-D

Whenever i get a database like the Henry Ford, Petersen and such other i try to find all which is interest for me,
my bad luck is that i often have new themes and look over hours the same files again, again and again.

The Petersen was very helpfull to find totally new stuff, please they that "nice Man" a mega huge Thank you, show am
my work which is based on his work and could never be done without him...

It was very,very helpfull for the early GT350 production inside the Carter Ave. Building

and for LAX it have this files which also must be very early befor the production or even 1 other Car was standing
on LAX, one of the "unturned Stones" Timecodes






For the hole "OPEN HOUSE" Event i worked nearly 2 years (with brakes) to get a full story with a
lot of backround information on it... it is unfinised at the moment.

They where a lot of people invited, but i suggest more for Re Sale the Cars, the other day for some family public
and the other day only for the ford executives. Some newspaper bring articels a few days later...

No "Big Magazin" i know bring anything from the open house event, but the Edition from Petersen have
always a really good access in all the Cars which is more important to do a test drive or a articel about.

Let i say befor, i worked on this and hopefully can bring it on the table here...

i have no list for Executive Members, i only realize about 5-10 People when i see it on pics,
a big lack on research then often the sons or family of the SAI Members keep the legacy alive with
great information and pics.

Thanks again for your replys

Stephan

[JessC]

Have you talked Jim Marietta he worked for Shelby he states  he might have some info

[Richstang]

Mr. Szabo:

Your investigation continues to be brilliant.

Two questions: Do we have a list of Ford executives that attended the press function?

Also have you searched the Petersen photo achives for images? I have to believe that an editor(s) from Hot Rod/Motor Trend/Sports Car Graphic was in attendance. Or not.

In addition, I enjoy looking for the everyday details, since like a historical excavation, these are details of daily SA jobs.

i look for help for the last Pic to get a good timecode, or a higher resolution to read the Numbers
on the Windshield Papers, maybe someone here who reads and want to help can share someting

In that photo of unfinished GT350s, there's three rows there's 54 cars I can see in the photo, although it might be 76 (26x3).
And in a observation that's unlikely to mean anything, in the second row, the second car has Le Mans stripes unlike the other 75. Why was it parked there? Another lost detail of SA historical minutiae.

Not quite a list of FORD antendees, but...

I found a list of the FORD Board of directors in July 1965 with a photo

[Side-Oilers]

Iacocca is probably plotting in his mind:
"Next year at this time, I'll be one of the guys who gets a chair!"

[68countrysedan]

Not quite a list of FORD antendees, but...

I found a list of the FORD Board of directors in July 1965 with a photo

Good catch. It helps present a potential list of SA attendee suspects.

Plus an interesting source, the Walter P. Ruther Library. It illustrates looking around other tangential automotive collections because you never know what photo/scan/pr release/ newsletter that someone has archived. 

I still remain bemused that it seems, thus far, to appear that someone from Ford PR didn't cover the event showing Ford executives more closely since this was the Total Performance era that Ford was promoting full time.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

The Petersen Archiv is such a site where i never recieved a answer on my request.
But i will totally believe this was after the nice Person was fired from the job.

it would be my kind of dream to have such boxes to scan and describ, to the new old pics and find
the stories within.
Boy, i would do it for free for a while :-D

Given the massive size of the records collection it will take many years to go through it. Depending on how things were moved/stored some may not be located for many years. There was a minimum of 1 roll of B&W for each article. Something like Car of the year there would be multiple photographers and probably 1000 B&W and 100 color shots plus the studio 2 1/4 or 4x5 cover shots. Multiply that by the numbers of articles per magazine, the number of magazines each month and the specials and you'll get a number well into the millions not thousands.

[Szabo]

Hello,

i will try to bring some life in this thread...

This time we find a solution from one question Richstang and i was looking for, we had some shots from the follow pics
but wasnt able to find the video/movie these pics was shown ...

By pur coincedence i look a 4 part video on youtube and find exactly these pics from very early time on LAX

The video showes about 3 sequence for LAX, i will show the Pics and give some explanation for each set of pics.

Any thought or comment is welcome, hope you have fun...

First set of Pics

clearly LA Airport  with the look over the Blast Wall on Planes and the Theme Building



then it shows the Caravan with the big COBRA Letters on it, standing under the roof of the later Show/Race Hangar,
please note that only one paint booth was finished at this point ... 2 two Cobras and 1 Mustang Hardtop standing



one important thing for a later Timecode, at the end of the Caravan you can see for less then 1 second some
bare Cobras standing, this means that the first of later 427 Racecobras was already here


The next set/sequence shows some / first / early GT350 standing on the "Finished GT350 Parking Lot" Area,
i can see that at the End of the row, 1 GT350 is on one side jacked up,
i count 15 GT350, with about 7 has Top Stripes ...




Maybe some thoughts from me to this Pics ...

I think that these Movie was made after this Pic, where no Paint Booth was installed


and befor this one, you can see a lot more of finished GT350 ... and the bare Cobras of course


more Pics from the Footage coming soon ...

[crossboss]

Hello,

i will try to bring some life in this thread...

This time we find a solution from one question Richstang and i was looking for, we had some shots from the follow pics
but wasnt able to find the video/movie these pics was shown ...

By pur coincedence i look a 4 part video on youtube and find exactly these pics from very early time on LAX

The video showes about 3 sequence for LAX, i will show the Pics and give some explanation for each set of pics.

Any thought or comment is welcome, hope you have fun...

First set of Pics

clearly LA Airport  with the look over the Blast Wall on Planes and the Theme Building



then it shows the Caravan with the big COBRA Letters on it, standing under the roof of the later Show/Race Hangar,
please note that only one paint booth was finished at this point ... 2 two Cobras and 1 Mustang Hardtop standing



one important thing for a later Timecode, at the end of the Caravan you can see for less then 1 second some
bare Cobras standing, this means that the first of later 427 Racecobras was already here


The next set/sequence shows some / first / early GT350 standing on the "Finished GT350 Parking Lot" Area,
i can see that at the End of the row, 1 GT350 is on one side jacked up,
i count 15 GT350, with about 7 has Top Stripes ...




Maybe some thoughts from me to this Pics ...

I think that these Movie was made after this Pic, where no Paint Booth was installed


and befor this one, you can see a lot more of finished GT350 ... and the bare Cobras of course


more Pics from the Footage coming soon ...

FWIW,
The first few frames (with the scratches) are stills from 16mm (or maybe Super 8mm) prints. The scratches (from a projection print) and the big giveaway is the fog in the upper right of the frames. This was caused by the camera's film gate not seating correctly. The clear, sharp images are done on 35mm negatives.