The newest member of the museum’s collection just arrived!

The sleek 1951 Fornaciari-Adams Lakester currently is currently on display in the Hercules Pavilion. The race car is a classic example of American ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of speed. Built for competition on salt flats, this streamlined racer represents the golden age of postwar hot rodding, when veterans and automotive enthusiasts transformed military surplus into record-setting machines. And, it reflects the close connection between aviation and motorsports.

Following World War II, surplus aircraft parts were plentiful, and creative racers discovered that the streamlined auxiliary fuel tanks carried beneath fighter aircraft, known as “drop tanks” or “belly tanks,” were nearly perfect foundations for land speed racers. Their lightweight aluminum construction and aerodynamic shape allowed builders to create vehicles capable of incredible speeds.

The Museum is grateful to the racer’s owner, Ed Godshalk, for placing it on loan here for the community to enjoy.