he Origins of IPT and the Sam Posey Tribute Car

As a young boy, IPT founder and president Jon Marshall developed an early obsession with cars. He had a paper route and avidly read magazines like Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Popular Mechanics, learning all he could about racing and race cars. This passion was ignited further one day while delivering papers in Connecticut. Jon, sporting a shirt with a hot rod logo, was offered four VIP tickets to Lime Rock Park by a neighbor.

At the racetrack, when the announcer said, “It’s time to shake the dew off the lilies,” Jon wondered what it meant. His question was answered when the Trans Am cars roared onto the track. With his nose pressed to the fence, he watched in awe as Sam Posey, a Trans Am hero, thundered by in his Mustang. Jon later discovered that it was Sam Posey’s family to whom he had been delivering papers. This unforgettable experience was one of the key moments that fueled Jon’s entry into the automotive world.

When Jon found a 1969 Mustang fastback race car shell, he knew exactly what to do—build a Sam Posey Trans Am Tribute car. The IPT crew brought this vision to life. Jon remarked, “It’s as close to a real Sam Posey TA clone as possible, but the biggest mistake I made was using ’69 quarter panels instead of the ’70 panels that were actually used on the 1969 Boss 302 cars.”

The car features a high-winding 302W engine instead of a Boss 302. The Windsor engine produces more power, is more affordable with today’s technology, and is incredibly reliable. It also boasts the same earth-shattering sound as the Boss 302, making it a perfect fit.

The Sam Posey Mustang currently resides at the Mustang Owners Museum in Concord, NC, but occasionally participates in parades, serves as a pace car at local races, and is showcased at events. Keep an eye out for this iconic car, as we have more exciting plans for it in the future.

More build photos can be found on our FlickR page Here