After Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow died in a hail of bullets in May 1934, the V8 Ford they were driving became an instant tourist attraction — and it still draws crowds to this day.
Public DomainBonnie and Clyde’s car was riddled with nearly 120 bullet holes during the ambush that killed the criminal duo.
On May 23, 1934, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were driving through northern Louisiana when police ambushed them, killing the notorious duo and bringing an end to their 21-month crime spree. But Bonnie and Clyde’s car lived on.
Crowds immediately flocked to the scene to see the bullet-riddled V8 Ford with the bodies of two of America’s most wanted criminals inside. Some onlookers even tried to swipe slivers of the shattered glass windows as macabre souvenirs. Soon, offers for the vehicle came pouring in.
The car was returned to the Kansas couple from whom Bonnie and Clyde had stolen it a month before their demise, and they ultimately sold it for a tidy profit. From there, the Ford made the rounds at state fairs and amusement parks across the country, where curious onlookers took photos with it. In the 1970s, visitors at a Nevada race track could even pay a dollar to sit inside the vehicle.
Today, the “Bonnie and Clyde Death Car” is on display at a casino in Primm, Nevada, as a grisly reminder of a bloody chapter of American history.
Who Were Bonnie And Clyde?
The story of Bonnie and Clyde’s car begins with the criminals themselves.
Bonnie Parker was born on Oct. 1, 1910, in central Texas. She was a bright student who enjoyed reading and writing poetry, but she dropped out of high school and married Roy Thornton when she was just 15. Their marriage was tumultuous, and they separated less than three years later, though they never divorced. After their split, Bonnie began working as a waitress in the Dallas area, but she longed for adventure — and it finally came in the form of Clyde Barrow in 1930.
Clyde was born on March 24, 1909, in a small town outside of Dallas. He grew up in poverty, and at one point, he and his family even lived under their wagon because they couldn’t afford a tent. Clyde was exposed to crime from a young age because of his older brother, and he was first arrested when he was 17 for failing to return a rental car.
Bonnie and Clyde met through a mutual friend in January 1930, when Bonnie was 19 and Clyde was 20. They quickly hit it off and began a brief romance, but Clyde was sent to prison for car theft three months into their relationship. Bonnie smuggled him a weapon so he could escape, but he was soon recaptured.
Public DomainClyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker circa 1933.
He faced abuse and sexual assault behind bars, and he ultimately killed his attacker with a pipe, marking his first murder of many. Indeed, some historians believe that Clyde Barrow’s later offenses were his way of seeking revenge against the Texas justice system.
Clyde was released from prison on Feb. 2, 1932 — and he and Bonnie quickly set out on the crime spree that made them infamous. Joined by friends and family members, including Clyde’s brother Buck Barrow and sister-in-law Blanche Barrow, they began robbing stores and gas stations, and they didn’t hesitate to kill anyone who got in their way. According to the FBI, Bonnie and Clyde were involved in at least 13 murders in total.
They were also involved in auto theft, and they used the vehicles they snatched to travel around the central U.S. and flee from authorities. In April 1934, the duo stole what would become known as the Bonnie and Clyde Death Car.
The Final Ride Of The Notorious Criminal Couple
Clyde Barrow had a fondness for Ford cars. He even allegedly wrote a letter to Henry Ford himself on April 10, 1934, expressing his thanks for the company’s vehicles.
The Henry Ford Museum has since made the letter public. It read:
Dear Sir: —
While I still have got breath in my lungs I will tell you what a dandy car you make. I have drove Fords exclusively when I could get away with one. For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got every other car skinned and even if my business hasn’t been strictly legal it don’t hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8.
Yours truly,
Clyde Champion Barrow
On April 29, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde stole their final car from the driveway of Jesse and Ruth Warren in Topeka, Kansas. It was a 1934 Ford Model 40B DeLuxe Fordor sedan with a flathead V8 engine. Shortly after, they headed to Louisiana, where they were planning to visit the family of one of their gang members, Henry Methvin. What they didn’t know was that Methvin had agreed to work with the police to bring them down.
Public DomainTwo police officers stand at the site of Bonnie and Clyde’s ambush on Louisiana State Highway 154 near Sailes.
On May 23, 1934, a group of lawmen headed by retired Texas Ranger Frank Hamer concealed themselves along Louisiana State Highway 154, as they believed Bonnie and Clyde would be traveling on the road on their way to see Methvin’s mother, Ivy.
When the officers saw Bonnie and Clyde’s car, they opened fire. One of the first shots hit Clyde in the head, likely killing him instantly. The men continued to shoot, firing about 130 rounds in total and leaving Bonnie dead, as well. By the end of the ambush, the Bonnie and Clyde Death Car was riddled with nearly 120 bullet holes.
Public DomainBonnie and Clyde’s car immediately following the deadly ambush.
So, what happened to Bonnie and Clyde’s car in the aftermath of their deaths?
Where Is The Bonnie And Clyde Death Car Today?
The news of Bonnie and Clyde’s deaths spread like wildfire, and soon crowds of people surrounded the car to take souvenirs. Police eventually towed the Ford to a local funeral parlor before putting it in the possession of Bienville Parish Sheriff Henderson Jordan, who had been a member of the ambush party.
Jordan reportedly tried to keep Bonnie and Clyde’s car for himself, but the Warrens — as the rightful owners — sued him for its return. When they did get the vehicle back in August 1934, it was still covered in blood and tissue. Jesse Warren’s sister told the Topeka Capital-Journal in 1984, “It was a bloody mess.”
Al Pavangkanan/Wikimedia CommonsBonnie and Clyde’s car on display in Primm, Nevada.
In the decades following the deaths of Bonnie and Clyde, their final car went on tour, making appearances at carnivals, amusement parks, and state fairs. It swapped hands several times, but in 1973, a Nevada casino operator named Peter Simon bought it at auction for $175,000 — the equivalent of a quarter of a million dollars today.
In 1988, Primm Valley Resorts purchased the V8 Ford, and it’s been on display at associated casinos ever since. Today, the car is located at Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino in Primm, a small town on the border of Nevada and California. There, visitors can see both Clyde’s torn shirt and the car where America’s most infamous criminal couple met their end.
After reading about Bonnie and Clyde’s car, dive into the story of Hoovervilles, the shanty towns of the Great Depression. Then, read the story of John Dillinger, America’s “Public Enemy Number One” in the early 1930s.
