History

History of The Early Ford V8 Club of America

The Early Ford V8 Club of America, Inc., was started in August 1963, after three men, Bob Lenz, Larree Phelan and Robert Mah, met through their mutual admiration of and nostaligia for one of Henry Ford’s finest triumphs – the Ford “flathead V8” engine. Their meeting was one of those typical examples of vintage V8’s passing on the street. They stopped, introduced themselves, chatted about the cars and vowed to “get together” sometime. With lots of tire kicking and running board sitting, the first glimmer of an organization was conceived.

So it came to pass in August 1963, that Bob Lenz called the first meeting to order in the sheet metal shop of San Leandro High School in San Leandro, California. It was slow going at first, but soon the word began to circulate. By 1966, sufficient interest had been aroused and it was decided to incorporate and go nationwide.

Today, the EFV8CA has long since outgrown the sheet metal shop at San Leandro High School. Now there are over 130 regional groups throughout the United Sates and around the world with over 6,000 members. The Club’s official bi-monthly publication, the V8 TIMES, is circulated all over the world and is acclaimed as one of the best auto club magazines anywhere. The little idea, born in the minds of three men on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, has become a reality and a rallying cry for Ford V8 enthusiasts everywhere.