The St. Bernard Rod Knockers, a local car club in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, make their first cruise stop each year in the city of Arabi, located only six miles from the New Orleans French Quarter. What draws them here? An old Ford assembly plant from the 1920’s.
Henry Ford had the building designed by the most famous architect of that time, Albert Kahn, and chose Arabi as the location for rail access and its close proximity to the Mississippi River for exporting.
Model T’s were produced at the plant in record numbers because when costs came down, Ford passed the money on to his customers, so more people could afford the vehicles. He also raised his employees’ salaries, so they could purchase the cars they were making.
In this episode of Driven, building owner Sydney Torres gives host Tom Gregory a look at this important piece of automobile history:
Next, Driven’s Rick DeBruhl interviews stunt drivers that brought history to the big screen in Ford v Ferrari. The producers of the film wanted more than just stunt drivers; they chose accredited drivers who are real-life racers.
Learn about the preciseness involved with filming the movie’s driving scenes:
More and more kids are becoming car lovers these days too. See new generation car enthusiasts enjoy time at the annual Concours in the Hills event, benefiting the Phoenix Children’s Hospital:
Speaking of car enthusiasts, do you know exactly how Start/Stop Technology works? ASE Certified Master Mechanic Adrian LeBlanc explains how buying a car with this feature is highly beneficial:
So…what will happen to the old Arabi Ford plant we visited earlier in the show? Torres plans to turn it into a hub where artists can thrive and where the spirit of hard-working, creative Henry Ford can live on:
