Pre-1973 Fords prepare to roar into Volo Museum on Sunday

From the 5/31/07 Daily Herald:

For at least a little while on Sunday, forget about the threat of $4-a-gallon gas and step back to a day when the throaty rumble of a healthy V-8 engine was nirvana.

For many a collector of prime-era Shelbies, Fords and Cobras, that day has never perished. At least 300 of these collectors are expected to converge on the Volo Auto Museum show grounds at 27582 W. Volo Village Road, Volo. Some of the show cars will be for sale, said Cyndi Wyss, museum director.

Shelbies, pre-1973 Fords and Cobras are among the most legendary of cars counted among the muscle car ranks.

“Most of the Cobras pack 300 to 600 horsepower,” said museum proprietor Greg Grams. “When they go by, you’ll know it.”

Auto industry great Carroll Shelby gained fame as a record-breaking race car driver in the 1950s and went on to design sports cars including the Shelby Cobra, Shelby Mustangs and many more.

Owners of these fine automobiles aren’t shy about their love of Shelby’s penchant for cramming tremendously powerful engines into lightweight chassis.

Powerful pre-1973 Fords, both Shelbies and non-Shelbies, catapulted Ford forward with young auto buyers of the ’60s and early ’70s, before the oil embargo changed the automotive landscape and sent last century’s muscle car era into the history books.

Along with the Mustang, muscle and pre-muscle models included the Fairlane, Galaxie and Thunderbird.

From the elegant curves of the Cobra to the brawny stance of a Mustang fastback, hundreds of stunning cars will dot the grassy fields at Volo Auto on Sunday.

And the show is not exclusive to muscle only. Owners of all pre-1973 Fords were encouraged to register, so visitors should not be surprised to spy a 1931 Roadster or a Model T.

Among the hundreds pre-registered are a 1966 Ford Sunbeam Tiger, a 1971 DeTomaso Pantera and a 1966 Shelby GT 350.

Ford Fun Weekend, a Shelby-Ford-Cobra show and corral, will include music and awards. Food will be available for purchase. Also, artist Peter Secker of McHenry will display his oil classic car landscapes.

Those arriving in show cars will receive two free wristbands for museum admission.

Public museum admission will be $12 Sunday. Ford Fun Weekend will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and is one of more than 20 shows and events taking place at the Volo Auto Museum this season. For a listing, visit www.volocars.com.

For more information, or to inquire about having a gathering on Volo Auto Museum grounds, call (815) 385-3644.