Ford officially unveiled its U.S. Heritage Fleet collection back in March, which consists of a few dozen historically significant models from Blue Oval history – including a 1999 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning, as well as several Ford Bronco concepts. That specially curated collection debuted at Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, exclusively for workers to check out in person, but was later opened up to the public via a special cars and coffee event in May. Recently, it was also opened up for a very special guest, too.
That guest is Bill McCubbin of McCubbin Ford in Madison, Indiana, one of the oldest Blue Oval dealers in that state that originally opened in 1961, though it was sold by his son back in 2021. The 102-year-old World War II veteran still has Blue Oval in his blood, however, and was treated to a special tour of the Ford Heritage Collection recently at the automaker’s headquarters, which enabled him to relive some of his fondest Ford-related memories.
The idea came about when McCubbin’s daughter, Anne Gernet, first heard about the U.S. Heritage Fleet and proceeded to contact Ted Ryan, Ford archives and heritage brand manager. Ryan was fascinated by McCubbin’s story, and invited the family out for a special tour, a group that consisted of a son, three daughters, three sons-in-law, and a grandson. His Ford story actually began after he graduated high school in 1941, when McCubbin wound up working at the Willow Run plant, driving rivets through Plexiglass during the production of B-24 Liberator bombers before heading off to war.
“I was very honored to come through here today; it was a real treat,” McCubbin said, wearing a Ford baseball cap while sitting among the Heritage Fleet. “When my brother came home from Detroit in 1930 in a Ford roadster, and remember, I was seven years old and impressionable, I knew I had to have something like that. I’ve loved Ford ever since.”
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