Car enthusiasts were given a special treat Saturday when an iconic drag racer made its return to its original home. The ‘Wild Child’ was a legendary 1965 Ford Falcon B/FX (Factory Experimental) drag racer campaigned by London’s Rankin Ford dealership. Current owner Joe Germann brought the car to display at the East London Timing Association car show Saturday. “Ford of Canada decided to build some BFX race cars (in 1965),” said Germann. “They built three B/FX race cars with 289 HiPo (High Performance 89 cubic-inch, small-block V8) in them, nine-inch rear end, NASCAR top loader, fiberglass body parts and things of that nature of this date. One of them is completely gone and the other one is just the shell. So, this is the only car of those that were built up here to be race cars that is alive.” The car was acquired by Rankin Ford in May 1965 and driven by local racers Ev Rowse and John McIntyre at Canadian tracks like Grand Bend, Cayuga, and St. Thomas, as well as throughout the U.S. It piled up a string of victories in its successful debut in the NHRA’s B/FX class in 1965, running in the 11.50s at about 120 mph. “It was brand new and it was pretty damn exciting,” said Rowse of Dorchester. “It was a nice ride, and it could go like hell and make a lot of noise.” In 1965, Rankin Ford held a contest in the newspaper to name the vehicle. The winner received $25. “It was a local car that did well on the bigger screen,” said Dave Mathers, one of the few people who have owned the vehicle. “Some of the national events it went to, and it did well. It won a bunch of races, and it was good advertising for Rankin Ford at the time as well.” Mathers is one of six people who have owned the vehicle since 1965. “At the end of the 1967 season, Rankin decided they’d had enough, so they sold the car to Bob Jezquel from Woodstock,” said Mathers. “Bob kept it till 1993 when I bought it and I restored back to one of the original colours. A guy came in (to the showroom where Mathers displayed it) and offered me a lot of money for the car, so I sold it to him. He sold it to another guy, and then that guy sold it to Joe.” Germann is from Boston and has kept the car at both his home and in the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine. He had no idea the history of the car, when he bought it in auction in 2003. “I’d been looking for a ‘Cammer’ motor, (Overhead-Cam 427-cu.in. V-8 engine, also known as the SOHC),” said Germann. “I found the car, and I didn’t know the history. I found out about Ev Rowse, John McIntyre, some years later. I restored the car back to what it was originally. The only difference and a difference in the restoration was in ‘67, they put the stock motor in it and painted the car blue. I didn’t want the car blue. I wanted it the ‘Wild Child’ red. So, we painted it the (original) ‘Wild Child’ red.” Saturday, Rowse – a Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Famer- was able to see the car again. “I’m pretty proud of Joe,” said Rowse. “The work he’s done and the way this car looks today, it’s fantastic. It’s just gorgeous.” Germann brings has brought the car back to its original home a few times over the past 23 years. He often takes it out on the track but wasn’t able to this time because of the rain Friday. “We come back every few years, and it’s nice to come back and see our old friends,” said Germann.
