History of Tether Car Racing | The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation

On this segment of The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, Mo Rocca meets with Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford, to learn more about tether car racing.
Related video: History of Early Automobile Racing in America • History of Early Autom...
Explore a selection of spindizzies and related artifacts in our digital collections: bit.ly/3vDc7Zb
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[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

Interesting. I inherited from my great uncle's estate a tether car that he built and raced during or shortly after WWII. I can remember watching him race it on track in a park in Dallas Oak Cliff, probably in 1948. Although he converted the car's engine to glow plug ignition at some point, I still have the spark ignition assembly that was originally installed. Spark ignition systems allowed the car to be stopped mid-race if the operator desired. Notice that some of the antiques in the video have a stiff wire protruding from the top of the car. These wires were connected to a crude switch that disabled the ignition when somebody just outside of the track bravely held a bundled rag or some such device just above the car's path and triggered the switch as it passed by. Glow plug engines will only be stopped by brute force or fuel exhaustion.

[@avidlisner8748]

Thank you so much for this wonderful and fantastic exhibit!! 🏁👍

[@LeeLand-SqueeTis]

I second that thought, very cool indeed.

[@MorfBeeX]

@@LeeLand-SqueeTis very interesting & kind of wild!

[@fabrizioviscardi40]

Very interesting movie! Cheers Fabrizio - like 3

[@YouTubepromoter155]

wow, Very interesting

[@mrfitz96]

Is this Museum named after Henry Ford the influential anti-semite conspiracy theorist who published "The International Jew: The World's Foremost Problem" . The guy that Adolf Hitler praised in Mein Kamp, later saying "I regard Henry Ford as my inspiration,". Wow, what a great guy. You must be very proud to be associated with him.

[@QuattroSG]

Ohhh Ive seen these running before, people still do this actually but the newer ones are way way faster. Look it up

[@ThePatente]

What is a "Miles an hour" ? Evolve guys, please, evolve on that!!! 🤣🤣😁

[@SoonGone]

1930's! I would've thought that $100 would have bought you a house.

[@misters2837]

1930's a Ford Model A was like $600-$1200 (Depending on Model and Options)

[@anon556]

​​@@misters2837$650 in 1930 dollars is equivalent to $11,918 today. Never again will cars be so cheap.

[@readd]

Worst documentation.