Under warm sunny skies Sunday, the “Fabulous Fords Forever” group held its 30th annual gathering at Knott’s Berry Farm from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The weather was perfect for the nearly 1,800 Ford owner-participants to show-off their vintage vehicles and for the nearly 40,000 spectators to wander throughout the myriad rows of vehicles to view “Fords” from an earlier era of 1903 to 2015.
Under warm sunny skies Sunday, the “Fabulous Fords Forever” group held its 30th annual gathering at Knott’s Berry Farm from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The weather was perfect for the nearly 1,800 Ford owner-participants to show-off their vintage vehicles and for the nearly 40,000 spectators to wander throughout the myriad rows of vehicles to view “Fords” from an earlier era of 1903 to 2015.
There were all kinds of Fords at the show, as far as the eye could see along La Palma and Stanton avenues – and as car talk goes – “one car leads to another.”
Although there were Fords from Model A and Model T, to current Fords, the top number of participants had to be in the “Mustang” category with 1,002 Mustangs on display, more than the older Fords.
In the center, in the “grassy area,” milestone cars that were 25 or 50 years old, were on special display; some of those included 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbirds (the cute little ones – just before Ford came out with the larger “touring” cars in 1958 and 59) in red and vanilla colors, even a 1957 convertible.
Darrell Peters from Yorba Linda had his 1932 black Ford, with green wire rims on display; courtesy of the J.W. Whitney auto parts and accessory company. Peters is a retired firefighter from the Lynwood area.
Peter Hoffman from Hermosa Beach had his black 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II on display in the grassy area; this is Hoffman’s first year to show the car.
“My parents bought it new,” said Hoffman. “I rode in the car coming home from the car dealership,” he said.
Malcolm McFarland of Buena Park had his 1947 Lincoln Continental also displayed in the center grassy area; participants had to be invited to park in that area and so this was his first time displaying his Continental on the grass, even though he’s displayed the car 10 other times.
“I bought the car in 1952, when I saw an ad in the Glendale News,” said McFarland. “As we drove away in the car, the former owner cried,” McFarland remembered.
McFarland’s milestone car originally sold for $4,600 – a lot of money at that time – but McFarland said he only paid $1,700 five years later.
“The mileage was 241,000,” he said. “There were 831 coupes built in 1947 and other than an improvement in the starter drive gear and generator, a change of hubcap design and an altered hood ornament (late in the year), there was little change in the 1947’s for more than 46 years,” McFarland explained.
His Continental is a 3-speed manual car, with an original showroom sticker price of $4,662.
The Fabulous Fords Forever is one of the largest one-day car shows in America, a longstanding partnership with Knott’s Berry Farm, it’s presented by the Ford Car Club Council that is comprised of 45 member-clubs, with support from the Ford Motor Company.
Onsite Sunday, there were 240 club member volunteers to help in various areas, including parking all of those vehicles.
Four milestones were being celebrated over the weekend; they included: 50 years of Shelby Mustang, 55 years of Falcon, 60 years of Thunderbird and 75 years of Continental.
Between Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles, 1,815 were registered for display, ranging in size from Fiesta and Focus ST’s to commercial trucks and exhibitors attending from 11 states that included of course California, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and the State of Washington.
In addition to the 1,002 Mustangs, there were 120 Broncos, 77 Thunderbirds, 52 Lincolns, 43 Falcons, 41 Crown Victoria’s, 41 1949-59 Fords, 41 F-Series trucks and 40 Raptor/Lightning trucks.
Two annual perpetual trophies are awarded each year; they include The Johna Pepper Award for “best car” and The Bill Stroppe Award for “best truck.”
The Johna Pepper Award is named for the show’s founder and former Ford executive, the late Johna Pepper and the Bill Stroppe Award is named for the late former chairman of the Ford Car Club Council and owner of the first production 1955 Thunderbird.
For Ford Club information, contact Promoting Director Glenn Eldridge at AutoAdix.com or Glenn@AutoAdix.com.
