Algonquin, IL link to ford...

[compudude86]

http://www.oldalgonquin.net/HillClimbs/History.html

There is a really steep hill we have in town, called Huntington drive (intersects at Illinois 31). I have taken it many times, as I live in this town. Every year, or at least they used to, they would close down this road and have a hill climb festival. I was never sure of the meaning behind why they did this, but I stumbled across that link that explains it all, including the trophy on display in the Ford Museum. Weird to think about, that I drive my car on this hill all the time, and this hill goes waaay back in the cars ancestral bloodlines...

 

[whatv8]

Back in the day there were a lot of very low HP vehicles that couldn't make it up even moderate hills, as the article stated, it was a way for a manufacturer to show how well their products could perform in 'extreme' conditions. By today's standards, anything below 100hp virtually doesn't exist, but back then you had <20hp in some vehicles. Think about putting a small Briggs motor in your 'tour and seeing how well it moves up a hill...

Now they are getting some traction, pun intended, with the Meadowdale International Raceway Preservation Association to host a yearly car show in memory of the old track just down Rt 31 in West Dundee. The Fox Valley had various auto related history that is pretty neat.

 

[dukeofsho]

They have a really big one in Indiana. http://newporthillclimb.com/