By Michael Collins, FCN
Bill Vicary has been fascinated by Henry Ford all his life, and he has the collection to prove it. From toys to antique cars to artifacts, Vicary's memorabilia spans the 102 year history of the Ford Motor Company.
Taking up an entire commercial building in a Detroit suburb, Vicary's collection was inspired by a chance meeting with Ford over 60 years ago. It also explains the bicycles scattered throughout the rooms.
"The first time I saw Henry Ford, he was riding a bike," Vicary said. I was nine years old and folding papers for my paper route. He drove by and waved and I felt like we were equals because we were both on bikes."
Since then, Vicary has been fascinated by everything Ford; the man, his family, and the company that bears his name. His first Ford -related acquisition was the 1932 Model-A he bought in high school and still owns.
"I bought it in 1950 for 80 bucks," he said. "When I went into the army I sold it. When I got out, I bought it back for 150 bucks."
Vicary retired after a 47-year career at Ford supplier Howard Ternes Packaging in 1998. Now he spends much of his time traveling the country in search of rare Ford-related items and organizing his Vicary Museum.
His collection includes an original Ford Mustang pedal car from 1965 and a model of the 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept car, which became the inspiration for Hollywood's Batmobile of the 60's.
"I'm an impulse buyer when it comes to toys," he said. "They fascinate me and are very much a part of Ford's history."
Prior to 1990 when Ford opened a licensing office to register the use of its trademarks, toy companies produced millions of toys bearing the Ford logo, without the company's permission.
"The prevailing feeling back then was that it was good publicity," said Jon Dickie, vice president of the Beanstalk Group, Ford's agency for licensing. "We've never been able to quantify whether those toys helped sell cars, but they certainly helped to make the country aware of Ford in the early years."
Other items in the museum reflect Ford's diverse history of manufacturing. At one time there was Ford Tomato Juice, made from the yield from Ford Farms; Ford Fertilizer, Ford Charcoal and Ford Cement. A box of Ford Cigars was probably from a dealership promotion, guessed Dickie.
Along the walls pictures of the Ford Rotunda, and Henry Ford and his descendants are prominently displayed. Edsel B. Ford II visited the collection during Ford's Centennial celebration in 2003.
"This is about a love of Ford," said Vicary. "It was a real privilege to have him here."
Other eye-catchers in the collection include the complete dining room table adorned with china and silverware from the Ford Rotunda, the 75th-and 100th-anniversary scale Model T cars, and the ticket to Henry and Clara Ford's 50th wedding anniversary celebration in 1932.
"Of all the car companies, Ford has the most history," said Vicary. "This has honestly been a labor of love."
I think Dan and I, when we finally get out of the condo into a home, we'll be dedicating a room to our Focus Collection. It's quite impressive at this point. 4 years of collecting and still going.
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
