HOT PURSUIT
One of the more fun stories I’ve tackled this year is the upcoming Model T International Tour of which is prominently featured in a special section in this week’s edition.
It has been fun because of the discoveries I have made along the way.
A few weeks ago, I had the delight of interviewing Shirley Schley of Owatonna. The ever lively “Short Shirley” as she’s affectionately referred to as just turned 102 years old last month. While marveling at the house she keeps up all by herself, I noticed a wall hanging. It was a framed piece of pencil art showcasing Shirley sitting on the hood of a Model T when she was 3 or 4. It was created from a photo taken almost a century ago.
The pencil art led me to the idea of featuring it on the front cover of the Model T section. I also was able to track down Sandy Dinse, the artist responsible for the pencil drawing. Her story is also featured in the special section.
The other big discovery I uncovered was Mark and Sheri Cameron’s Model T Haven outside of Owatonna. They don’t refer to it as a haven, that’s just a name I came up with after touring their shop with five Model Ts. In addition to managing their own fleet, Mark also repairs and restores Model Ts for other collectors.
For me, it was like a trip back in time to a life of simpler times. Model Ts came into existence in 1908 and by the time production ended 19 years later, 15 million of the vehicles had been created.
According to Mark, about 250,000 Model Ts survived and are still in existence in some shape or fashion. He estimates 1,000 of them are in Minnesota, perhaps as many as 100 in Steele County.
“For every Model T we know about, there are four we don’t know about,” Mark said, noting many have been shoved into barns and sheds and essentially forgotten about. He added that when many people stopped driving them, they would be used for other things like hay racks and silos.
Mark said the Model Ts refurbished 30 or 40 years ago are now reappearing and need to be restored a second time.
He says the legend of them being “tough as nails and very reliable cars” accurately describes the vehicle that changed the world. “They are extremely fun to ride and easy and fun to drive,” Mark said, adding that when he drives his Model Ts he always evokes some sort of reaction from people.
“We’ve had people come up to us in wheelchairs and suddenly they bolt out and they are jumping into the backseat,” Mark said. “Model Ts are supposed to be fun.”
He appreciates when people come up to them to share their Model T stories. “This makes us more approachable,” he said.
If you see a Model T cruising around the Owatonna area throughout the summer months, chances are it’s Mark or Sheri. He said they try to drive them every day weather permitting. They log on up to 3,000 miles each summer.
He noted how most Model Ts are capable of going up to 50 mph, though he said you don’t want to drive that fast. “The best is going 30 to 40 mph,” he said.
Contrary to popular belief, not all Model Ts are black. The Camerons have a red one among their collection.
In the 1920s, the cost of Model Ts ranged from $260 to $1,000. Mark said they were half the price of a regular vehicle at the time. “They couldn’t build enough of them to supply the demand,” he said.
Locally, Model Ts were sold at what is now The Kitchen restaurant in downtown Owatonna, Mark said.
The demographics of Model T collectors are older people, though the Camerons have found it’s shifting quickly. They are part of a statewide Model T group which has picked up about 20 new members this year. “It’s starting to rebound,” Mark said. “There is a support system for these cars. It’s a very affordable hobby.”
I hope you get a chance to go in hot pursuit of seeing something special that changed the world during next week’s tour.