Bootleggers

In 1932, Henry Ford introduced the Ford V8, a mass produced, inexpensive, and very fast car for the masses. It replaced the four cylinder engine. Bootleggers adored this vehicle, as they did later models like our car the 1940 Ford Coupe with its large boot to store moonshine and a great pace for speedy getaways. That is why this vehicle continued to be popular with so-called “shiners” and why we have called our car SHINER.

Bonnie & Clyde

The V8-powered Model B was the getaway car insisted on by notorious bank robbers Bonnie & Clyde. This letter addressed to Henry Ford is allegedly written by Clyde (and on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan), A month later Bonnie and Clyde were dead, shot by police officers in the front seats of their beloved Ford V8.

See the original letter

Our car

The winners of the last two Peking to Paris rallies have been Chevrolets. With the age-old Chevy-Ford rivalry we thought it was high time there was a Ford challenger. We scoured the internet and by a stroke of luck we spotted a rolling shell for sale in Michigan, USA, in the hands of a gentleman by the name of Danny Ingram. We had found the perfect car!