Topic: 1967 red side marker lights

[ceswert]

I heard an interesting description of my 67 Shelby's red side scoop markers. This guy, who races, recognized them as recognition lights for endurance races. This made sense to me as races like Lemans, I believe, require cars to have side marker lights for night driving. This may explain why my markers light up only when my headlights are on. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting tidbit and wanted to share. 

[Bob Gaines]

I heard an interesting description of my 67 Shelby's red side scoop markers. This guy, who races, recognized them as recognition lights for endurance races. This made sense to me as races like Lemans, I believe, require cars to have side marker lights for night driving. This may explain why my markers light up only when my headlights are on. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting tidbit and wanted to share.

No definitive answer on the lights. When the 67's were introduced the GT40's and other Ford race machines used a white light to illuminate the numbers on the sides of the cars. That similarity most likely inspired the scoop light design even though the lens were red instead of clear. They were wired both as running lights as well as turn signal/brake lights depending on the car, the day and which way the planets were aligned  . This theory has been the most widely accepted for the past 25 +years and seems to be the most plausibly until something better one comes along.