DEARBORN, Mich. — The 65th annual Fall Classic Old Car Festival rolled into Greenfield Village over the weekend of September 12 and 13, 2015. We saw an interesting array of historical vehicles from the late 1800’s to 1932.
What was most interesting to me, and is also my favorite vehicle, was the red 1915 Ford T owned by Michael Brady from Hell, Michigan. It had a red anti-theft device that went over the front tire (something I’ve never seen before). Brady noted that this vehicle was a Speedster, which is another name for hot rod. This 1915 model included electric headlights, which was first introduced that year.
“To start the vehicle, you turn the electrical switch on, then push the starter button which is located on the floor,” says Brady. The horn, which sounds like a train whistle, is also on the floor. There is also a bulb horn located on the side of the car. “It has a gas engine and gets to the low 20’s in miles per gallon,” he added. I noticed there was a manual gas gauge made of wood and looks like a ruler, that you stick in the gas tank, and measures the amount of gas you have left.
The 1915 Ford T has two spare tires sitting side by side next to the driver’s seat. There are two different size tires, two smaller ones in the front and two larger ones in the back. No speedometer comes with the car. This vehicle runs on a six-volt battery and uses Shell Rotella diesel oil. Brady told me that he owned the vehicle for eight years.
The camping display was also one of my favorites. Daniel Hershberger, a collector of Vintage Motor Camping Equipment, was on hand and explained the exciting world of motor camping. “Motor Camping became popular in 1908 and went all the way through the 1920’s. Since there were no hotels, motels or fast food restaurants, people brought their housing, kitchens and food with them,” says Hershberger. Tents long ago were made of canvas and were heavy. Now they are made of nylon which is lightweight and also waterproof.
“The first camp stove was made in 1918 by American Gas Machine Company under the American Kampkook brand. Then in 1921, Coleman began making camp stoves. Their camp stoves sold for $9 with a high stand for $2.50 extra. Coleman’s main advantage over American Kampkook was that the air pump was built right into the stove. Kampkook’s was a separate unit so if you lost the air pump, you couldn’t cook,” added Hershberger.
The Coleman gasoline lantern also began with the air pump separate, but later built it into the product. The lantern was powered by 300 candle power. By 1927, this was the end of the popular Model T motor vehicle production. Cars were bigger and had more power. Hotels came into being and hard-sided trailers became popular. So by 1930, motor camping started to decline.
Jerry’s favorite vehicle was the 1930 Ford Model A Tour Sedan. The color was black and Ford maroon, as they called it. Louie Wueller from Toledo, Ohio has owned this vehicle for 25 years. What we noticed was the rear-view mirror is mounted on top of the spare tire. All four tires are 19 inches and made by Firestone.
Another interesting feature is the cigarette holder and lighter. “What you do is, put a half a pack of individual cigarettes in the holder and flip down the bottom, then a cigarette falls down and lights the cigarette for you. A six-volt burner lights the cigarette,” says Wueller. Wueller challenged me to a test, “if you can find another car here with this feature, I’ll give you $20.”
This 1930 Ford Model A has the original 14,419 miles on it and has a Model A engine which is 85 years old. It was rebuilt eight years ago. The gas tank holds ten gallons and gets 22 miles per gallon. Also the back seat holds two or three people with a middle arm rest. The chassis was built in Dearborn, Michigan by Ford and the body was built by Murray Body Company in Detroit, Michigan.
The Old Car Festival was a feast for historic car lovers. There were demonstrations of Model T assembly, “kitchen sink” engine demonstrations, bicycle races and car competitions in early motoring skills. Music and entertainment by the Village Strings and the Village Trio. There were Model T rides and carousel rides for everyone to enjoy. Eagle Tavern, A Taste of History and Mrs. Fisher Southern Cooking restaurants were open for your dining pleasure, along with sweet shops, a beer hall and carousel confections.
Dubbed the longest running antique car show in the country, tickets are $25 for adults, $18.75 for youth (5-12), free for children (4 and under). Seniors (62+) are $22.50. Buying online saves you ten percent. Parking is $6 per vehicle for non-members and free for members. Greenfield Village is located at 20900 Oakwood Blvd. in Dearborn, Michigan.
