Inside Ford’s Time Machine: How This Secret Stash Will Help Shape Tomorrow’s Vehicles

Written By Ted Ryan

Mar 14, 2025

Ford revealed the Ford Heritage Fleet, a curated collection of nearly 500 vehicles, approximately 200 of which are in the U.S., that showcases the company's legacy of ingenuity, design evolution and engineering breakthroughs.

The story of Ford begins in a garage, with Henry Ford's creation of the Quadricycle at his Mack Avenue home in 1896. Legend has it that his first gasoline-powered car was too big to fit through the doors, which had to be widened to let Henry drive it out for its maiden spin.

Now, 128 years later, Ford is celebrating that legacy by showcasing for employees more than 50 vehicles from its Heritage Fleet of nearly 500 in a special display at the company's headquarters in Dearborn.

This helps document the history of the company, its employees, key innovations, design breakthroughs, racing milestones and role in popular culture. It also serves as an inspiration for our team when creating the next generation of Ford vehicles.

Ted Ryan

Ford Archives and Heritage Brand Manager

Founding of the fleet

Before 2024, Ford heritage vehicles, a collection the company owns and maintains, were scattered across the globe, lacking a centralized structure. At the request of Ford CEO Jim Farley, I began to search for heritage vehicles already in our possession to understand the breadth of our collection.

The Ford Heritage Fleet gives the company’s vehicle collection a centralized structure.

Individual collections existed in England, Australia and Germany, totaling more than 300 vehicles, but in North America, we had not historically preserved production vehicles.

Finding hidden gems

Media fleet vehicles used by journalists for auto reviews were generally sold after their practical use. The company had famously donated its vehicle collection to The Henry Ford Museum over the years. Most of the classic concept vehicles were sold at auction — with proceeds going to charity — by Christie’s as part of the Ford centennial celebration in 2003.

Ford has donated many vehicles to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation over the years, while many concept vehicles were auctioned for charity in 2003.

Where to start, then? The first thing we did — in boring Archives fashion — was work with our team to develop a policy to ensure a consistent rationale behind each car we would select or reject. Some of the criteria included “Ford First” innovations, cultural significance, long-running name plates, regional significance and racing heritage.

The collection includes several Ford GTs from the 2000s and 2010s.

Armed with a strategy, we began countless calls and meetings with colleagues across the company. We found vehicles that had either slipped through the cracks or had been safeguarded by engineers and program managers for specific reasons.

The 2004 Bronco Concept vehicle is one of the most recognized items in the Ford Heritage Fleet.

Two early finds included two F-150 Lightning trucks. The first was the prototype we used to demonstrate the capability of early electric pickups to tow more than 1 million pounds. The second was driven by President Joe Biden in impromptu fashion during a visit to Michigan.

What’s included

Similar stories emerged from each group we contacted. We amassed a very nice collection of vehicles; the best part is they were all saved because the teams recognized the historical significance of these cars.

A group of employees selected to attend a preview event at World Headquarters learned the inside story of how Ford assembled a Mustang on the roof of the Empire State Building to celebrate the Pony car’s 50th anniversary in 2014.

These cars will form the core of the Ford Heritage Fleet, serving as a valuable resource for designers and engineers to shape the future by drawing inspiration from the best of the company's past.

Highlights from the U.S. Heritage Fleet, showcasing Ford’s leadership throughout its 120-plus year history:

Archives Collection: Includes a 1914 Model T replica built for Ford’s 100th anniversary, a 1938 V-8 Ambulance, a 2000 Ranger EV pickup truck, and the Lightning driven by President Joe Biden.

Product Development Fleet: Features concept Broncos, the F-150 Atlas concept that paved the way for the aluminum 2014 F-150, and a Transit Connect Taxi concept.

Communications Fleet: Showcases Auto Show Vehicles, the Mustang that graced the top of the Empire State Building for the 50th anniversary, and the 10 millionth Mustang produced.

Ford Performance Fleet: Highlights iconic vehicles such as the 2004 and 2017 Ford GT, engineering bucks used in their development, and a selection of Mustang GT350s, GT500s, and King of the Roads.

Ultimately, the Ford Heritage Fleet stands as a tribute to the countless individuals who poured their hearts and souls into designing, engineering and building these remarkable vehicles. Their vision and commitment shaped Ford's history and will continue to inspire the company's future endeavors.

Ted Ryan is Heritage Brand Manager and Archivist at Ford.

Due to high employee interest in Heritage Fleet Tours, we're seeking enthusiastic volunteers!

Do you want to volunteer as a Heritage Fleet Guide for future events?

If so, your first opportunity to volunteer is at Bring Your Child to Work Day, happening April 24! Click here to volunteer as a guide! Being a Heritage Fleet Guide would require you to attend training on the history of the Fleet and certain key vehicles. As a volunteer tour guide, you may be called on to volunteer at future events outside of regular business hours.

TEAM MEMBER TESTIMONIALS

A select group of Ford team members were invited to attend a Ford Heritage Fleet kickoff event at World Headquarters where they got to see some of the vehicles on display. This is what some of them had to say:

“We don’t have a lot of opportunities to see a lot of the historical work that we’ve done. So looking back at our history and seeing it firsthand sparks some of the overall joy and uniqueness that the Ford brand has developed over the years and that’s why customers love our vehicles today.” – Sean Rosalez, Human Factors engineer

“Learning which vehicles work or what didn't work in the past is one thing, but also, Ford is 120 years old. We've done a lot. We can learn from the past and build a new road to the future.” – Alex Itice, product manager, Global Dealer Engagement

“It's really awesome to be able to see this blast from the past, as well as what the future could have been or still could be. … It's just beyond crazy. And it's amazing to see the different types of levels that Ford has reached.” – Farzana Fariha, software engineer

“It’s so cool to see that Ford really does have stuff like this tucked away. I've heard about V-10 Mustangs before and stuff like that is really is out there.” – Don Perlick, brake controls development engineer