New England Hill Climb Puts Vintage Racers to the Test
Recreation of 1908 race in Massachusetts draws a field of prewar race cars, Model T speedsters, sports cars, and more
05/16/2024
In This Article
Category:
Events
In the early days of motoring, hills presented a real challenge. To prove the superiority of their machines, manufacturers would hold timed hill climbs, one of the earliest forms of motorsports. The first recorded hill climb took place in 1897 in France; four years later, the first known event took place in the U.S., in New Jersey. Wilbraham, Massachusetts, was among the pioneers, holding its first hill climb in 1908, eight years before Colorado's famed Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
The Wilbraham event took place on Monson Road, a notoriously difficult stretch that boasts a grade of 23 percent and an elevation increase of around 700 feet. That first race attracted 72 competitors, with New England manufacturers like Stevens-Duryea, Knox, Stanley, Pope-Hartford, Cameron, Bailey, and Atlas represented. The fastest time of the day was set by a Knox, which covered the one-mile course in 1 minute, 8 seconds, a speed of 52.9 mph.
An Annual Event
This unrestored 1931 Bugatti Type 37 is no stranger to the world of vintage racing, nor is its owner, Sandy Leith. Known as "The Scrambling Egg" from its prewar racing days as part of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), it's a mainstay of Veteran Sports Car Club of America events. The original Bugatti engine was replaced by a Ford Model B four-cylinder in 1935.
Photo: David LaChance
The Wilbraham Hill Climb was revived in 2013, as part of the town's 250th anniversary, by local automotive collector George Holman and the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA). The success of the event led Holman to continue it on a semi-annual basis. The Covid pandemic and other complications left the hill climb in limbo until 2022, when Holman approached Jeff DeMarey, who had helped in the past. With DeMarey as chairman, and under the auspices of the Springfield to Boston Education Foundation, the hill climb was revived last year as an annual event.
Buick-Powered Ford Sets Fastest Time
Taking first place with a fastest run of 48.40 seconds was this 1932 Ford five-window coupe, driven by James Maloney. The Ford is powered by a Buick "nailhead" V-8.
Photo: David LaChance
The hill climb is open to pre-1959 vehicles. For this year's event, held May 11, there were 21 participants, ranging in age from a 1912 Ford Model T to a 1956 Porsche 356A coupe, with sports cars, vintage race cars, and unmodified sedans all competing. The fastest ascent of the day, 48.40 seconds, was set by a Buick-powered 1932 Ford five-window coupe driven by James Maloney, with second taken by "The Old Gray Mare," a 1935 Reuter Ford V-8 Special driven by Ben Bragg IV, with a fastest run of 50.55 seconds (shown in first photo). The '32 coupe was as it had been built in the 1950s.
To Benefit Automotive Education
Among the many crowd-pleasers was a 1912 Mercer Raceabout, entered by the Heritage Museums & Gardens of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and driven by Jon Elmendorf, the museum's auto collection manager.
Photo: David LaChance
The hill climb benefits the Springfield to Boston Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to educate students on all levels about antique transportation. Jeff, a director of the organization as well as chair of the event, told Hemmings that the hill climb and its associated car show, craft show, plant sale, food vendors, and DJ drew an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 people to downtown Wilbraham.
The 2025 event is scheduled for May 10. "Come and have fun, bring the family, support small businesses, and see the cars move," Jeff said. The event is sponsored by the LUSO Federal Credit Union, Genesis of Northampton, WARE Radio, the Valenti Auto Group, and Stonewall Insurance Group.
From Model Ts to Porsches
Photo: David LaChance
Another celebrated ARCA veteran, this Ford-powered 1935 Amilcar was entered by Tom Ellsworth.
From Your Site Articles
- 1932 Ford Model B Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Hemmings ›
- The AWOL Egg - 1931 Bugatti T-37 - Hemmings ›
- 1929 Chrysler 75 Dual Cowl Phaeton East Palatka, Florida ... ›
- 2024 Wilbraham Hill Climb - Hemmings ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Recent
Boosted Powertrain
At the heart of this SVT Lightning is its iron-block 5.4-liter SOHC, 16-valve V8 with a supercharger and an intercooler. The blower helped it deliver 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, up some 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft from the ’99 and 2000 models. The Eaton supercharged engine delivered peak boost of 8.0 psi and the engine featured an 8.4:1 static compression ratio, down from the standard 5.4 V8’s 9.0:1, which was rated at 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
Power reached the rear 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels via a four-speed automatic, an aluminum driveshaft and a beefy 9.75-inch, limited-slip rear axle with an acceleration-friendly 3.73:1 final-drive ratio, another upgrade for 2001. Car and Driver magazine reported a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in an E.T. of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph—impressive numbers for a 4,600-pound truck. Top speed was a drag-limited 142 mph.
A Truly Sporting Truck
Trucks generally require a suspension that can handle a full load in its bed while also providing competent driving while empty. But if you fancy one designed to a sports-car standard, then something has to give. In the case of the second-gen Lightning, Ford dropped its payload capacity to a mere 800 pounds. A standard 2001 F-150 Styleside carried a 3,180-pound payload rating, while an F-150 Flareside was rated at 2,005 pounds, some two-and-a-half times the Lightning, which featured the short-bed Flareside body. Towing capacity, likewise, was reduced from 8,800 pounds to 5,000 in the Lightning. But the Lightning’s strengths were never its payload or towing capacities, but it’s ability to perform like a sports car.
As a 21st century performance vehicle, however, the second-gen Lightning was also equipped to handle. A half-inch drop at the front was accompanied by SVT-specific coil springs and Bilstein shocks along with an exclusive 31-mm solid anti-roll bar. SVT’s influence continued at the rear with Lightning-specific five-leaf springs and a 23-mm solid anti-roll bar. The Bilstein setup at the rear included the right-rear shock staggered toward the front of the truck to reduce axle hop under heavy acceleration. The four-wheel antilock disc brakes were cribbed from the three-quarter-ton F-250, with 12.1-inch front rotors at the front and 13.1-inch discs at the rear.
As the years go on, fewer and fewer clean, unmolested low-mileage examples are out there, which is why this 2001 Ford SVT F150 Lightning now on Hemmings Auctions caught our attention. Showing just 5,525.5 miles on its odometer at the time of submission, it is said to be in “mint” condition and have an “immaculate” finish in the seller’s words. No modifications are noted to any part of the vehicle. The 18-inch factory alloys don’t appear to have any curb rash, though the Goodyear performance tires may be original. About the only deviations from stock are the tinted windows.
The latest electric-only F-150 Lightning is certainly a quick vehicle in its own right, but this 2001 edition from the engineers at SVT was built for excitement, not range. It was made with an old-school muscle-car vibe along with modern handling and braking. Which Lightning would you look good behind the wheel of?
Take a look at this second-gen Lightning on Hemmings Auctions before the bidding ends.
Interested in a new or late model used car?
Trending
╳