Celebration of an American classic at the Ford Falcon national meet in Hot Springs July 11 – 13
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A celebration of an American motoring landmark is taking place Thursday through Saturday in Hot Springs.
For its first time back in Arkansas in 44 years, the National Ford Falcon Club is holding its national meet in Hot Springs from July 11 to 13.
The meeting is a celebration by fans of the Ford Falcon, the first compact car built by Detroit’s Big Three automakers marking a turning point in American motoring.
The Ford Falcon and its fans have a long relationship with Arkansas.
This is the organization's first show in Arkansas since the club was formed in Cabot in 1979 by Falcon aficionado Ray Sword, club member number 1. Ray held the first Falcon Nationals in Jacksonville’s Dupree Park in 1980.
Ray’s son Mark continued the Falcon preservation tradition and was club member number 1,000.
Today, Mark’s son Mark Sword Jr. is member number 10,000 and the proud owner of a restored 1965 Falcon with a late model V-8 engine and other modifications is one of the key organizers of this weekend's meeting, billed as “Back where it all began.”
Sword Jr.’s car, with a flawless red paint job, even has its own social media page. As a third-generation Falcon fan, supporting the marque is more than an idle hobby for him.
“My grandpa had such a love for the cars,” Sword Jr. said. “I grew up working on them. It’s like being part of one big family.”
The tradition continues as Sword’s 9-year-old son is now a member of the club, number 100, a number willed to him by Sword Jr.’s great uncle.
“People just come around, they talk, and they want to be a part of it,” he said. “We still have members who sold their Falcons years ago but want to continue as part of the family.”
Sword Jr. said the club has had over 18,000 members from all over the world since its founding, with over 500 members expected for the meet, some flying in from overseas and 250 cars driving into Hot Springs from all over the country.
Ford produced Falcons from 1960 through 1970. They came at a time when America was moving away from the behemoth chrome-and-fins cars of the post-war era and wanted something more practical and less expensive to operate, often as a family’s second car. At a $1,380 base price in 1960, the Falcon fit that slot nicely.
Falcons were available in different configurations, including a convertible, station wagon, two-door, four-door, and even a pickup truck bed model.
Originally, in the interest of economy, side mirrors for a Falcon were optional, as was an automatic transmission.
The economy-focused design of an earlier era has the advantage of a simple car that is relatively easy to work on, making it popular for restoration projects, what Hemmings calls “some of the finest collector cars for someone wanting an easy old car to own and drive.”
Phillip Nelson is driving his restored 1962 wood-paneled station wagon model into Hot Springs from Kansas for the weekend, restored as a labor of love for his family after bringing it home five years ago.
“It was supposed to have been completely restored, so my wife and I flew to Connecticut to drive it home to Kansas,” Nelson said. “Minutes into our drive, I started counting things that needed to be fixed, but we have been enjoying driving it ever since.”
Later, when Ford had an idea for a youth-appeal sports car called the Mustang, it used the mechanical components of its Falcon to provide the foundation for its new car model.
Additional information on the club’s Hot Spring Nationals, including planned events, is available at FalconClub.com/Events.
from KARK https://ift.tt/RSC2qet
0 Response to "Celebration of an American classic at the Ford Falcon national meet in Hot Springs July 11 – 13"
Post a Comment