Driving history: Members of Model T club share love of Ford’s early vehicles

When Henry Ford watched the first Model T’s roll off the production line in 1908, he couldn’t have imagined those “Tin Lizzies” would still be on the road 117 years later.

But on Thursday, folks in Spokane Valley were treated to the sight of a line of those vintage vehicles, as members of the Spokane Model T club drove to Dairy Queen for ice cream.

Formed in 1972, the 70-member club boasts a combined 136 Model T’s among them.

Before the ice cream run, several members gathered at Nan Robison’s home to chat about their shared passion.

“It’s been nearly a century since the last Model Ts were built in 1927. We do what we can to share the history of our cars and ensure that they aren’t forgotten,” said club president Larry Mann. “Over 15 million were built. Many are still available at reasonable prices and are easy to work on, which makes them popular cars to drive and collect.”

He purchased his 1926 touring car in 2007, but his interest in the vehicles began much earlier.

“Rick (Carnegie) got a Model, T and I’d see him driving it around his parents’ pasture,” Mann said.

Carnegie, a charter member of the club, discovered his 1925 Ford Runabout as a teen.

“I went down to Fairfield to help a buddy overhaul a tractor, and I saw this Model T in a barn covered with lumber,” he said. “I thought, I have to have it!”

It took him a while to persuade the owner to sell it, but in 1972, he finally bought it.

Carnegie’s passion proved contagious; his sister, Nan Robison, named her canary yellow 1925 Model T Tweety Bird. One wasn’t enough for her.

“I have three,” she said.

Bill Barr only has one, but it’s a beauty. He used a modest inheritance to purchase a 1927 red touring car.

“One is all my wife will let me have,” he said.

His car represents the end of the Model T line, as it was the last version Ford produced.

Rodney Waltz’s 1915 version also represents the end of an era.

“It’s got a brass radiator – it’s the last of the brass,” Waltz said. “I live 8 miles or so from Deer Park, and I drive into town a couple of times a week.”

His black Model T attracts attention.

He grinned and said, “It’s like being a movie star!”

Roger and Glenda Repp drove their 1925 lemon-colored car.

“I bought it in 1970 and I took a lot of crap for painting it yellow,” said Roger Repp.

After purchasing another Model T, they became members of the club in 1973.

“You join a club because people have parts and knowledge,” he said.

They also have fun.

Spokane Model T Club members participate in rides, displays and activities. The club regularly hosts a driving school, teaching novices how to operate the vintage cars.

A Model T Ford lacks an accelerator pedal; instead, it features a throttle lever on the right side of the steering column. The left-most pedal on the floor operates the clutch, the middle pedal is for reverse, and the right pedal engages the transmission brake.

Some, like Mark Hutchinson’s green 1926 touring car, come with a MotoMeter affixed to the hood. The thermometer displays the radiator temperature. Model T’s don’t have a temperature gauge on the dashboard or a sealed cooling system, and the radiator can easily overheat.

Hutchinson said he enjoys the experience of driving the antique auto.

“You have to slow down and take your time,” he said. “You get to enjoy the scenery.”

The love of the old Fords runs in the family.

“I grew up with these,” said Hutchinson’s son, Erick. “My first car was a 1923 Model T touring car.”

On Thursday, Myron Richardson drove his 1923 sedan. He owns four Model Ts.

“They’re like rabbits,” he said. “You get one and pretty soon they multiply!”

Like Mark Hutchinson, Richardson said being behind the wheel of a Model T offers an unmatched experience.

“I like to tell people that today’s cars drive you, but you drive a Model T.”

Spokane Model T Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Friday of each month except January, July and August at Opportunity Presbyterian Church, 202 North Pines Road, Spokane Valley.

For more information about Spokane Model T Club visit spokanemodeltclub.com.