Story of the Week

Lincoln: When Luxury Ruled the Road

by A. Wayne Ferens

After the Mexican section of the Pan-American Highway was completed in 1950, a nine-stage, six-day race across the country was organized by the Mexican government to celebrate its achievement and to attract tourism and international business. The Carrera Pan Americana road race ran for five years from 1950 to 1954 along the new highway which crossed the country from north to south for a total distance of 2,096 miles. Running on open roads, the event was similar to the Targa Florio (Sicily) and Mille Miglia run in Italy. Entries left the starting line at one-minute intervals.

Initially, the event consisted mainly of auto enthusiasts not affiliated with any vehicle manufacturer and with limited financial support. The winner of the 1950 race was American Herschel McGriff, who drove an Oldsmobile 88 that he and his partners had invested only $1,900.

Mexico worked closely with the American Automobile Association (AAA) and other groups in the U.S. to organize and promote the event, which was limited to stock sedans; however, that was soon to change. 

To learn more about the history of the race and how Lincoln came to dominate it, click below.

This Week's Story

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MotorCities On The Road Returns February 23 at the Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society

The next installment of our popular MotorCities On The Road program series takes place Sunday, February 23 at 2 p.m. at the Michigan Military Technical and Historical Society, located at 16600 Stephens Road in Eastpointe.

The museum is dedicated to preserving the stories of Michigan citizens who served and sacrificed, here and abroad, from World War I to the present. The 11,000 square foot museum exhibits the actual equipment, vehicles, weapons, uniforms and other artifacts from American conflicts.

Tickets are only $3 and include admission to the museum, a presentation on the museum's history and collections by Chris Causley, and a tour. Reserve your spot by clicking here.

This Week in Auto Heritage

On February 7, 1938, Harvey Samuel Firestone, founder of the American tire company that bore his name, died at 69 in Miami Beach, Florida.

In 1911, the winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 auto race, Ray Harroun, drove a Marmon Wasp equipped with Firestone Tires. Fifteen years later, Firestone was manufacturing more than 10 million tires each year, about a quarter of U.S. total tire output.

Harvey Firestone retired in 1932. In 1988, the Firestone company was acquired by Japan-based Bridgestone Tires, a leading global manufacturer founded in 1931.

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City Tour Detroit's Karin Risko Dies

Karin Risko, Detroit historian, author and owner of City Tour Detroit -- a MotorCities tour operator partner since 2019 -- died Monday after a long illness.

A Detroit native, Risko founded Hometown History Tours in 2009 and renamed her business City Tour Detroit when it became her full-time passion. Later, she opened a gift and souvenir shop in downtown Detroit's Guardian Building.

Risko was a former history teacher and earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a major in history from Central Michigan University. She was the author of "A History Lover's Guide to Detroit" and co-author of "Michigan Civil War Landmarks," both from the History Press.

MotorCities extends its condolences to Risko's family, friends and colleagues.

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