Story of the Week

Remembering the Legacy of Race Car Driver Paula Murphy

by Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher

Paula Murphy (June 16, 1928 - December 21, 2023) was a great race car driver. Some people called her the fastest woman on wheels.

Unfortunately, Murphy passed away just before Christmas at the age of 95. She leaves behind a great legacy of being a competitive and skillful race car driver.

Murphy was born in Ohio and earned her degree in Physical Education from Bowling Green State University. Later, she would relocate to the state of California in 1956.

Murphy’s trailblazing racing career began during the 1960s when she set records for women in both drag racing and stock car racing. She was the first female to drive a jet-engine vehicle on the salt flats and the first female to operate a fuel funny car with a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). 

To learn more about Murphy's career and see more images, click below.

This Week's Story

This Week in Auto Heritage

On January 18, 1918, with German U-Boats taking a terrible toll on American and international shipping during World War I, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels telegraphed Henry Ford with a government order to build 100 submarine hunters called Eagle Boats.

Ultimately, due to difficulties converting Ford's mass production techniques from Model Ts to boats, only 7 Eagle Boats were completed in 1918. The end of the war prompted the order to be cut to 60, and the balance of the boats were commissioned in 1919.

Events Coming to the MotorCities

Sunday: Presentation of "Henry and Friends" at the Detroit Public Library

This Sunday at 2 p.m., immerse yourself in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship with a look into the lives, achievements, and friendships of three legendary figures: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone. Discover the stories behind these inventors and the friendships that shaped their success with the help of local professional reenactors from the MotorCities National Heritage Area!

This program will be presented by Russ Dore, a member of MotorCities' speakers bureau, and will take place within the Galleria in the Main Detroit Public Library on Woodward Avenue (across from the Detroit Institute of Arts)!

For more information, click here.

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