The Petersen Automotive Museum and Hotrod & Restoration has announced that the Ford family will be honored with the 2007 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award. Part of the ninth annual Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show – held March 1-3, 2007 at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, the award presentation will take place during the “Breakfast of Champions” co-sponsored by Meguiar’s, at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 2, 2007. The award will be accepted on behalf of the Ford family by Edsel B. Ford II.
“This is the first time the award has honored an entire family instead of an individual. There couldn’t be a more fitting family member to represent the Ford family than Edsel B.Ford II,” states Dick Messer, director of the The Petersen Automotive Museum. “His grandfather, Edsel B. Ford [son of Henry Ford, oversaw the design of the 1932 Ford coupes and roadster, now nicknamed the “deuce.” Those vehicles are the roots upon which the hot rod niche market has been built.”
Robert E. Petersen states, “Next year marks the 75th Anniversary of Ford’s breakthrough 1932 vehicles. The most popular models, the three and five window coupes and the roadster, have become true hot rod icons. An entire industry, all represented at the business to business level at the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show, has grown from the personalization of those vehicles.” Petersen continues, “There couldn’t be a more appropriate time or a more appropriate place to honor the Ford family. The 1932 Ford roadster remains the most popular body style among hot rodders and has long been recognized as America’s quintessential hot rod. These vehicles formed the foundation for the hot rod movement.”
Edsel B. Ford II, accepting the award on behalf of the Ford family, is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company. His grandfather is Edsel B. Ford, company president from 1919 to 1943. His late father, Henry Ford II, was president of the company from 1945 to 1960 and chairman from 1960 to 1980.
Edsel B. Ford II is a member of the board of directors of Ford Motor Company. As a consultant to the company, Ford is active in company affairs and corporate dealer relations.
About The Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award Launched in 2002 at the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show, the inaugural “Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award” has previously been awarded to NHRA founder Wally Parks, and automotive legends Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Vic Edelbrock and Andy Granatelli. Petersen selects the annual recipient based upon their contributions to the business and sport of hot rodding and restoration. A perpetual trophy displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, the award is a beautifully executed bronze sculpture by automotive artist Steve Posson, aptly titled “Running At The Lakes.”
About Hot Rod & Restoration
Based in Fullerton, California, Hotrod & Restoration produces the world’s largest hot rod and restoration trade show. The company, also, publishes Hotrod & Restoration, a monthly trade magazine dedicated to promoting professionalism and growth in the hot rod and restoration industry. Known as the “Voice to the Hot Rod & Restoration Marketplace”, nobody connects the industry’s volume buyers and key suppliers like Hot Rod & Restoration. For more information log on to www.hotrodshow.com or call 714-680-4592.
About The Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, a pioneer in automotive education, and one of the nation’s largest and preeminent automotive museums. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles. Admission prices are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are admitted free. Covered parking is available for $6.00 per car. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For general Museum information, call (323) 930-CARS or visit the Museum’s web site address at www.petersen.org