Inside Ford's New Vault: 125 Legends, From the 1966 Le Mans Sweep to Hollywood Mustangs and a 1938 Ambulance

For more than a century, Ford has built the cars and trucks that carried American families to church, to work and to the beach. Now the company is opening the doors to the place where it keeps the best of that history. Ford's new Vault in Romulus, Michigan, holds 125 historic vehicles and is opening to select members of the public and employees this weekend, the Associated Press reported ^[1].

The Vault sits inside a former Amazon fulfillment center in Romulus, a Detroit suburb, and covers 79,000 square feet, CBS Detroit reported ^[2]. Where packages once moved along conveyor belts, rows of concept cars, race winners and movie stars on four wheels now wait under the lights.

What's inside

The collection reads like a tour of American life. According to the AP, visitors will find rare concept cars, Hollywood Mustangs, historic police cruisers and even a 1938 ambulance ^[1]. The AP also reported that the Vault holds the first three cars to cross the finish line at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, the famous one-two-three sweep that stands among the proudest moments in American racing ^[1].

There are surprises, too. The AP reported that comedian and car collector Jay Leno's 1934 Flathead Ford pickup truck is part of the display ^[1]. Reports from the opening also describe a never-before-displayed concept car tied to Johnny Cash and a 1973 Mustang convertible used in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ^[1][2].

Ted Ryan, Ford's archives and heritage brand manager, told CBS Detroit that the collection shows the many ways the company has shaped American culture and the auto industry over nearly 125 years ^[2].

A working archive, not just a showroom

The Vault is more than a museum. The AP reported that Ford designers, engineers and other employees will have access to the collection so they can study earlier designs and draw inspiration for future vehicles ^[1]. Transport Topics, the trucking industry publication, likewise reported that the building will serve as a working archive for the company's own people ^[5].

The new building gives a permanent home to Ford's U.S. Heritage Fleet, which Ford Authority reported was getting a dedicated storage facility ^[3]. Earlier this month, Ford Authority reported that the fleet's brand manager said the company was ready to show off more than 120 historic and significant vehicles, with the full collection to be revealed this month ^[4]. Ford Authority's earlier count put the fleet at more than 122 vehicles drawn from concepts, prototypes and factory builds ^[3].

Can the public visit?

For now, access is limited. The AP said this weekend's opening is for select members of the public and employees, and that Ford plans future public showings ^[1]. CBS Detroit reported that Ford eventually plans to open the space to the public, but that access is currently reserved for employees outside of special events ^[2]. Car lovers hoping to plan a trip should watch for Ford to announce dates.

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Frank Kowalski's take

I have spent a lot of my career writing about recalls, price hikes and the next electric-vehicle mandate out of Washington. It is a pleasure to write about something that simply makes you proud.

There is something fitting about this collection landing in a former Amazon warehouse. For years, the story of American industry has been one of factories turning into distribution centers and jobs moving overseas. Here, a building built to move other people's goods now houses the work of American designers, engineers and line workers going back generations ^[2].

Those three cars from Le Mans in 1966 tell a story every American kid should know: a Detroit company set out to beat the best in the world on their own turf, and did it with American grit and engineering ^[1]. The police cruisers and the old ambulance tell a quieter story, about the vehicles that carried the people who keep our neighborhoods safe and rushed the sick and injured to help ^[1].

Ford is right to keep that history close and to put it in front of the young engineers who will design what comes next ^[1]. A company that remembers what it built, and who it built it for, is more likely to build well in the future. When the doors open to the public, I will be first in line.