Old Fords and Friends Picnic on Vancouver Island

Filed in archive As We See Things , Auto Shows , Ford , Fun Events on July 29, 2010

You have to know that any gathering of old Fords will bring out some beautiful and fascinating automobiles. And so it was last weekend when the annual Fords and Friends Picnic was held just a few miles from my Sidney, BC home. The site is a heritage park that acts as a museum of farming history, with old farm buildings and a collection of vintage farm machinery, most of which I didn't recognise.

Getting back to the Fords which, thankfully I can identify, my attention was immediately drawn to a row of mid-50's, as seen in the photo above. For this writer, 1950s cars are the most interesting among post-war classics, not because they're great automobiles but because they exhibit uninhibited flair, romance, and a let's-have-fun attitude. I'd like to have seen an entire field of cars from that era.



Not so incidentally, the organising club invites owners of other makes to its Ford gathering, thus adding a little spice to the mix. None more unusual, though, than this 1938 "Spirit of Tomorrow" (above) built by a Victoria, BC, man named H.B. "Barney" Oldfield. What? The fabled early-century racer? Sorry, no. The Victoria Oldfield simply acquired the nickname. His car consists of an aluminum skin stretched over a wood body built on a 1939 Dodge car frame, modeled after Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion vehicle. It originally had a flat-head Ford V8 but that was replaced by a modern 289 Ford when Oldfield restored the vehicle in 1967. The engine is situated ahead of the rear wheels for better handling.






In the late 1930s Ford cars were influenced by the aerodynamic streamlining that predominated in other forms of transport, including trains, ships and aircraft. Add a little art deco to the mix and you had some delightful designs, much influenced by the tastes of Edsel Ford, the most artistically talented of the Ford family. Two cars from that period appeared at the Ford picnic and although they weren't parked side-by-side they should have been, for they represent design progress over two years. The photo on top shows a 1936 Ford sedan, the photo underneath is of a 1937 Ford coupe. Both are quite lovely but the coupe epitomises the blend of streamlining with art deco. Only the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr did it better.



And while we're paying homage to Edsel Ford, it seems appropriate to honor him with a Lincoln Continental, arguably the most attractive of the post-war line. The car above was almost overshadowed by the Skyliner convertible next door, with its magical roof in suspended animation. Another, similar, Continental had been parked elsewhere in the grounds. Opportunity missed: If I had just one bit of advice for the organisers of shows like this it would be to plan them so that related vehicles are parked together, preferably in model year sequence.



Finally, just because I like Model A's, I hope you enjoy this photo of an early (1929) Model A pickup as it might have been used by a John Deere farm equipment dealer. Appropriate to the farm heritage location, colorful and charming, it's a reminder of why we all love old Fords.

[Photos: Philip Powell]