Lincoln Help Needed
I know this may be off topic, but I have run out of places to search
I am researching the various Indy 500 Pace Cars, and have just started the 1946 Lincoln Continental. There seems to be a lot of misinformation on the car-as there is in so many other Pace Cars. In some old pre 1975 articles and documents I have there is specific info on the actual Pace car. It was Body #8, VIN H139428 built April 7, 1946 and shipped to Dearborn Labs the day of assembly. There was also noted a factory identification number H-6E-1 attached to the record card, denoting "1946 Experimental Car #1".The color was "Pace Car Yellow". One article talked about the pride the workers put into not only the new and yet to be introduced Lincoln Cabriolet but especially the pride in this particular car. It was said this particular car was an experimental prototype, with maroon leather interior and special white knobs and steering wheel. It was reported that this was the first public showing of the car. The winner of the race traditionally received the Pace Car after the race, but George Robson received a different Ford product and the Lincoln was sent back to Ford. (Robson was killed in a race crash later in the year). The car appeared in the 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Parade in Detroit celebrating 50 years of the automobile the same week and shipped back to Ford Company. The Ford family was known to have used the car after the company finished with it for awhile, and from there it was sold to 20th Century Fox Films on November 1947. That was the last it was seen. This was the only car supposedly originally painted this color in 1946, one of 251 Cabriolets made in model year 1946. Last known it was owned by William Polin of Westfield MA in 1973. The V12 was replaced by a Mercury V8 and it was painted grey. It should be noted the car had tan leather interior and no radio when originally built.
Sometime about 1975 an owner identified his car as the actual Pace Car, Body #9 VIN H138083 with body number tag H-6E-2. It had a green interior and no overdrive and was built April 22, 1946. The car was last known as owned by Jack Palmer of Costa Mesa, CA in 1976. It was said car #9 was the actual Pace Car, and car #8 was the back up car. Problem is there is zero evidence of a back-up Lincoln in 1946 (and many other year indy 500s around this time as well).
Also in 1975 a Samuel Landers of Cuyahoga Falls, OH owned what he thought was the actual Pace Car as the body tag 5EH 56-1 designated it as the very first official car built. It was not.
Then another car appeared: body #27, VIN H140916, assembled July 24, 1946 and shipped to Warner Bros on August 7, 1946. Though it was a movie studio car, the build date quickly eliminated this car as the actual Pace Car. Current location of this car is unknown.
Still another movie studio car, Body #30, VIN H141036 went to MGM. But the July 29, 1946 build date also eliminated this car of being an actual Pace Car. Coincidently, the car was last located in Sharon, MA, not far from Westfield.
Curiously, there were two other studio 1946 Lincoln Cabriolets: Body #100 VIN H143328 built on September 24, 1946 and sent to Columbia Pictures. And Body #161 VIN H147990 built on November 21, 1946 and owned by Jack Benny. Neither of these owners claimed the car was the Pace Car.
And one more car. VIN H141724 is currently advertised as the actual Pace Car. It has been restored to Gold-level status, although the door decals are not correct based on contemporary photos. The story with the car states Ford Motor Company did not have a car ready so the people at Indy got one at the local Lincoln Dealer. We already know this is not true, and also the dealers did not have one of these cars in their showroom as the Indy race was one of the first showings of the car. The story also states the car was presented to George Robson as the winner of the race and it was sold right after his death. It is also known Robson did not get the actual Pace Car. The car has been displayed at the Indy Speedway Museum, and driven on the track in the 2005 festivities, and this is considered as verifying the car as the real Pace Car. Is there any Body Numbers or Build info on this particular car?
Does anyone have more information on the actual Pace Car? Is there a registry of VINs somewhere? Is the location of the cars with Body #s 8 and 9 known? Are there other sources I can reference?
Thanks for the help.
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