We Found Ford’s Extraordinary Turbine-Powered Semi-Truck ‘Big Red’ That is Been Lost for Many years

The restoration concerned a large amount of research—the proprietor states he “made some fantastic contacts with Ford Motor Company” to get information—repairs to wiring, and other smaller fixes to ensure it was as primary and useful as probable. The get the job done took two years to full. But at the finish of it, Big Red was back—running, driving, completely restored to World’s Fair affliction. It was moved to a objective-developed garage created with the help of the owner’s father, where by it truly is remained considering that.

“The Large Purple task was undertaken in excess of 35 many years in the past. I relished bringing an old truck back again to lifetime,” the owner explained to us. “I loved the problem of acquiring the sections I needed. It was just 1 of quite a few assignments I have performed throughout the many years.”

Even now Missing: The Trailers

While we have managed to locate the tractor, Massive Red’s tandem trailers have by no means been observed. We’re however not sure of their fate following an intense sum of searching—it’s completely feasible they have lengthy given that been wrecked. At the time of its sale, Lee Holman instructed the operator that “a single went to the Bardahl race workforce…. [and] the second trailer… went to Monthly bill Stroppe Racing in Lengthy Seaside, California.” 

We know the initially component of that story is correct due to the fact there is certainly a solitary photo of this trailer in Bardahl’s livery, observed previously mentioned. The second section of the tale is considerably less clear. Bill Stroppe was a famous determine in American motorsports, recognized specially for his Baja 1000-crushing Ford Broncos. On the other hand, the Stroppe tale has been stated by other resources with out considerably evidence supporting it. The existing owner is skeptical as very well.

“Willie Thompson, a supercharger pioneer and staff for Monthly bill Stroppe and later on an personnel for Holman and Moody in Charlotte, place me in contact with a gentleman who worked for Monthly bill Stroppe. According to this gentleman, a trailer like that was by no means there.” he explained. So its final fate stays a mystery—so significantly. 

The bogie connecting the two trailers, having said that, was provided with the sale, and the proprietor even now has it. If they do at any time resurface, the trailers will be able to be reattached to the truck. But their return is just not possible. After they were separated from the famous truck, it would be difficult to distinguish them from any other trailer. In the conclude, they’re just functional implements, and it really is most likely they have been worked until eventually their valuable assistance life ended, and then scrapped or left to rot somewhere. 

Significant Red’s Gray Regions

“I cannot keep in mind exactly where we went with the rig,” Charlie Henry explained to us, “The a single point I vividly recall is tying that huge-ass rope to the pickup and Large Pink on the shoulder of the Interstate.”

Henry, who lived near Detroit in the late 1960s, contacted us immediately after the preliminary story was released to support fill in a blank spot in Major Red’s timeline—the gap in between its cross state tour and its roadside rescue by Holman-Moody. During this time period, Significant Red’s helpful life was obviously nearing—if not already at—its conclusion. The get together was in excess of. Ford was far too occupied attempting to prevail over hurdles with its new 707 turbine software to go back again and care for this singular concept motor vehicle. The automaker clearly didn’t know what to do with it any more, and even just a couple of several years following its conception, the pretty concept of a groundbreaking, futuristic truck like Major Pink was commencing to appear a little preposterous. As a end result, it was remaining to acquire dust though conventional-hunting Ford tractors took more than the obligations of highway-screening turbines.

A single day, an acquaintance of Henry named Andy Hotton mentioned he essential his aid to move Huge Pink, along with Bill Stroppe. Henry does not try to remember exactly why he was recruited for the occupation, but it boiled down to receiving the truck from Hotton’s shop in Belleville, Michigan to Dearborn, where he speculates it was to be transported somewhere—exactly where by, he doesn’t know.

“The truck designed it out to I-94 under its possess power,” he mentioned. “At any price, it acquired about 5 miles from the store and broke down on I-94. Andy arrived back to the store in Bill’s rental vehicle, grabbed me and a significant rope, and we drove back out to Purple in the shop pickup truck. We tied the pickup truck to Large Purple and towed it to Dearborn on I-94. I believe [Stroppe] steered Large Crimson, Andy drove the pickup and I drove the rental vehicle.”

Big Red’s latest proprietor wasn’t aware of this little bit of its historical past when we passed alongside the story, but he did not doubt it really is genuine. According to him, just steering Large Purple with a non-practical motor would be hard, to put it lightly.

“Making an attempt to steer Large Pink with out electric power steering would be a beast,” the operator reported. “The truck has a 20-gallon reserve air tank. Without having at least 80-85 lbs . of air stress, the air brakes would lock up. You can use your air provide up in a brief period of time.”

The owner also states that it makes sense the truck wouldn’t continue to be managing for Stroppe thanks to a prior mechanical failure that happened although the truck was continue to in Ford’s palms. According to John Stopa, the authentic caretaker at Ford in the ‘60s, the turbine engine’s heat exchanger split because of to fatigue sometime following the first cross-place publicity blitz. Exhaust from the turbine was flowing directly into its ingestion, which signifies it would either have a lot of problems functioning or would not run at all. In fact, the automobile was to be hauled out and pushed in Detroit’s Xmas parade someday in the late 1960s—but because of to the faulty recuperator, it missed the celebration. (“John stated he tried out everything he could consider of, but the turbine would not hearth,” the owner told us.)

This hazy time period of half a 10 years will very likely never ever be totally stuffed in for quite a few reasons. We requested Ford if the firm’s saved any history of the truck at this time, and it hasn’t—not astonishing taking into consideration automakers very rapidly shed desire in idea cars and trucks the moment the vivid lights fade absent. Unfortunately, lots of of the most important resources who would’ve been acquainted with this interval of the truck’s everyday living have now handed absent as nicely. There are features of Massive Red’s previous that are possible lost to time forever—but as with our initial installment, we hope this stick to-up sparks more memories and delivers us closer to unlocking the complete story.

The Truck Nowadays

Nowadays, the truck is continue to in near-ideal condition and sits in its tailor made-constructed garage, being frequented once in a while by the proprietor and his family members. The owner says that even though it may well be a minor dusty, it has not deteriorated at all throughout its time in storage. The phrase “ran when parked” would implement here—it will certainly even now roll, and while booting up a a long time-outdated turbine motor would be a sensitive procedure, the proprietor states the truck is in fantastic plenty of shape to fireplace suitable back again up with a tiny TLC. The final time it was pushed was about the 12 months 2000.

There is certainly one important matter even now left to tackle, even though: new photographs. Although the owner has been gracious plenty of to communicate with us and share a ton of info as effectively as the photographs from the restoration we’ve published in this article, he’s so much declined to supply extra latest shots. Based mostly on the response to our initial story, Major Red is still an item of fascination for tens of countless numbers of persons out there, even 60 years afterwards. We know you want to see it as it stands these days. We do, way too.

What we can say is the owner’s indicated he might be inclined to get new shots of the truck later on in the spring, and we’re crossing our fingers. He mentioned no new photos of the truck have been taken for practically two many years, so a small much more time put in waiting around is not heading to hurt any individual.