Henry Ford (standing) and Barney Oldfield with the 1902 Ford 999 racecarThe Ford Motor Company as it's currently configured was, of course, founded by Henry Ford. But it wasn't his first go-round as an automaker. Back in 1901, the Henry Ford Company was created by Ford and his former colleagues at the Detroit Automobile Company, which Henry had joined as superintendent in 1899. The business fell apart shortly after, and the current Ford Motor Company's articles of association were filed in June 1903.Henry was eager to make his mark on motoring, and what better way to promote his new business than by setting a land-speed record? After all, there's a reason why "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" remains a powerful tactic even for today's automakers.At the time, the smooth, hard-packed sands of Daytona Beach, which later became a bona fide NASCAR beach-racing circuit, were just beginning to see an influx of gearheads, with Alexander Winton setting the beach's first land-speed record in 1903. Yet that would have been a 1,000-mile trip for Ford, one way, and not exactly practical. The Bonneville Salt Flats were nearly 1,800 miles away and wouldn't see their first land speed record attempt until 1914. With that in mind, Ford set his sights on Lake St. Clair, a few miles north-east of Detroit.Ford had to wait for wintery weather so the lake would freeze over, but on January 12, 1904, he fired up ol' "999" and was off, eventually hitting a world-record speed of 91.37 mph. True, the record would last barely two weeks, yet its importance lives as a key point in Ford history. The story of Ford's land-speed record setterFord 1902 999 racecar against an infinite backgroundFord and his racing machines had made news before then, with Henry driving his "Sweepstakes" racecar to victory in a much-publicized 1901 road battle with Alexander Winton. The first Ford "999" was introduced the next year and named for the Empire State Express No. 999, a railroad locomotive known for setting its own speed record (112.5 mph). Coincidentally, Ford's 999 would find its first fame competing against Winton as well. With Barney Oldfield at the wheel, the car outran Winton to claim the checkered flag in the 1902 Manufacturer's Challenge Cup.The Oldfield car seems to have been seriously damaged at some point in the following year, as was a second, essentially identical racecar, called the "Arrow," late in 1903. However, Ford rebuilt that second car and renamed it as the new "999" for luck — which it needed, since its driver, Frank Day, had been killed in the crash.Resurrected and ready, it was the second 999 car — about the length of a Mazda Miata — that set the speed record, backed by a massive 18.9-liter four-cylinder motor capable of making 80 horses (consider it a contender for our next list of huge engines with surprisingly low horsepower). Nor did the car make up for that output with a particularly low curb weight. The 999 tipped the scales at about 2,730 pounds, and that was the case despite it being essentially a stripped wooden chassis. It had no body to protect the driver and no hood to protect the motor, plus it lacked a suspension, windshield, and proper steering wheel. Henry had to use an old-school tiller to steer the machine, which can't have been easy on a frozen lake. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.