Richmond club keeps 1927 Fords running with manual effort

The Old Dominion Model A Ford Club of Greater Richmond meets in Glen Allen, Virginia, to maintain vehicles that were built between 1927 and 1931. The group works to keep these nearly century-old cars operational for a new generation of drivers.

Dennis Stone, the club president, said he enjoys the reaction of passersby when the cars drive by. He noted that he sees smiles on the faces of people coming to events, and described one woman hanging out a window to wave at the vehicles.

Stew Wolfe, the vice president, said the cars generate excitement for people of all ages. He explained that the club gets a lot of smiles per mile. He added that when drivers use the horn, pedestrians become ecstatic, especially children.

Henry Nelson, the club secretary, pointed to a newspaper advertisement from December 1927. The ad promoted the arrival of the Model A, which Henry Ford designed as an upgrade to the Model T.

Ford produced approximately 5 million Model A vehicles during the production run, but only a small fraction remain today. Stone said the cars typically did not include radios, air conditioning, or power brakes.

Stone described the driving experience as bare bones, noting that the Model A was the cheapest car on the market at the time. However, the vehicle included features that were innovative for the era.

Nelson listed the standard equipment, which included brakes on all four wheels and shock absorbers. The cars also featured a dipstick to check oil levels without getting under the vehicle and gauges inside the cabin to display speed. The Model A came standard with an electric start instead of a hand crank.