Ford is preparing to open the doors of its new Heritage Vault this weekend, offering selected members of the public and company employees an opportunity to explore 125 historically significant vehicles from the automaker's 123-year history. The collection includes rare concept cars, famous racing vehicles, Hollywood automobiles, historic police cruisers and even a 1938 ambulance.
The special opening is scheduled for Saturday at the Ford Vault in Romulus, Michigan. Tickets were quickly claimed, but Ford Motor Co. says it intends to organize additional public showings in the future so more automotive enthusiasts can experience the collection.
Ted Ryan, Ford's Archives and Heritage Brand Manager, said the company wants to make the facility accessible to Michigan's automotive community rather than keep the collection hidden from visitors.
“You don't create an experience like this and a space like this and then hide it away,” Ryan said, adding that Ford would look for ways to make the collection available to the public again.
A New Home for Ford's Automotive Heritage
Ford's historic vehicle collection was previously housed at the company's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, and at several other locations. The new facility brings the collection together under one roof inside a former Amazon fulfillment center in Romulus, a Detroit-area suburb.
The building covers approximately 79,000 square feet, or 7,339 square meters, and provides a dedicated environment for preserving and displaying the automaker's historic vehicles. Ryan joked that navigating the enormous facility had become part of his daily routine, saying he was averaging approximately 20,000 steps a day after working there for a few weeks.
Ford Archives Manager Ciera Casteel said the facility gives the company a purpose-built space for its vehicles and reflects the importance of its automotive history. The Heritage Fleet includes race cars, experimental designs and vehicles associated with popular culture.
Rather than functioning solely as a traditional exhibition space, the Vault has been designed as a working archive where designers and engineers can study earlier vehicles, technologies and experiments while developing future products.
Rare Concept Cars and Historic Racing Vehicles
Among the collection's notable exhibits is a 2005 Mustang GT proof-of-concept vehicle that helped pave the way for the Shelby GT350. Engineers nicknamed the car “Johnny Cash,” referencing the singer's song “One Piece at a Time,” which tells the story of an automobile worker assembling a vehicle from mismatched parts.
The experimental Mustang received various modifications over the years, with components added and attached as engineers continued working on it. Ryan compared its unusual construction to Frankenstein and said this was the first time the vehicle had been displayed publicly.
Another major attraction is the group of the first three cars to cross the finish line at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. That historic race became widely known to modern audiences through the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari, starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
The vehicles represent an important chapter in Ford's motorsport history and highlight the company's success in one of endurance racing's most famous competitions.
Vintage Model T and Hollywood Mustang Join the Collection
The Vault also features a 1910 right-hand-drive Model T originally built in the United Kingdom. The vehicle remained there for more than a century before joining Ford's Heritage Fleet in 2025, adding an international dimension to the collection.
Another notable exhibit is a 1973 Mustang convertible that appeared in the television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The car was sold in 1974 and remained in private ownership until Ford purchased it last year.
Although the Mustang's body underwent restoration in 1999, its interior remains original. Its television connection makes it one of the collection's most recognizable examples of Ford vehicles appearing in popular culture.
A Working Archive for Future Ford Designers
Ford created the Vault not only to preserve its automotive history but also to provide a resource for the company's current and future engineering and design teams. By bringing together vehicles that represent different stages of development, the facility allows employees to examine past ideas, prototypes and technical experiments.
The company sees its historical collection as a source of inspiration for future vehicle development. Designers and engineers can study how earlier generations approached performance, styling and technology while considering new directions for the brand.
Ryan described the building as containing moments of surprise and discovery throughout its exhibition areas, reflecting the variety of vehicles and stories preserved inside.
With 125 rare vehicles now gathered in one location, Ford's new Heritage Vault offers a closer look at the company's evolution, from early Model T production to motorsport achievements, experimental Mustangs and vehicles that became part of television and film history. The planned future public openings are expected to give more enthusiasts an opportunity to explore the collection.
