When your car was new

J

jeep44

Senior Member
As I was looking at that photo of the Rouge plant, I noticed a car like mine,and wondered if it could really be mine. Does anyone here have a photo of their car when it was brand-new,in '28-31? Not a photo of a model like yours,of course, but the same exact car 80+ years ago?
 
I don't but I hope some guys will. I love it when the history is passed along with the life of an old car or bike. Especially when it has remained in the same family.
 
I agree- history of the vehicle adds to it's value. (not $- unless it was owned by someone famous)

I was talking to a local mechanic, and he was telling me one of the professors at a local university here TRADED his Great Grandfather's (who bought the car new) 1890's something Stanley Steamer for a 1950's T-bird.

The history of the car-and family heritage outweighs the what ever he can get for that T-Brid.
 
My 68A in 1930 or '31:

29cabrlain30-vi.jpg


It was purchased in the fall of '29 by my dad, and of course, that is my father in the photo. (when he was about 1/3 of my age)

In Nov. 2011:
IMG_2351-vi.jpg

I hope to have it back on the road within the next couple years.
 
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I have Dr. David C. Gilkeson's Model A. I sent a letter to his widow but never got a response back. I guess they were the second owners and owned it for 50+ years. I would love to know more but I don't want to make a pest out of myself, maybe I'll wait a while and try another letter. The history is very interesting to me, does anyone here know more? He was a longtime member of the Twin Cities MAFCA chapter I guess??? The car in in amazing condition, obviously has been VERY well cared for and loved... our family will do the same.
 
I am reasonably sure I have a poor picture of Sleeping beauty when she was new!

Some of you will remember a few years back when I bought the barn fresh slant in South Dakota and drove it almost 1000 miles back to Illinois. Shelly was running the old Ford Barn then and I faxed her my daily diary and she posted the story on the barn.

Before I left South Dakota, I drove to the town of Canistota SD where the car was sold new. While there I had lunch with the son of the dealer that sold the car new and with the 3rd owner that had received the car from his grandfather.

While in Canistota I borrowed the town "history book" and found the picture and the story of Dawson Motors, the dealer. The locals were sure this was the car in the picture. The car was ordered by the towns leading merchant as the deluxe town sedan with twin sidemounts and a trunk

The complete story is on Vince Falters web site and was published in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of the MARC magazine.

Rainmaker Ron
 

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eagle said:
I have Dr. David C. Gilkeson's Model A. I sent a letter to his widow but never got a response back. I guess they were the second owners and owned it for 50+ years. I would love to know more but I don't want to make a pest out of myself, maybe I'll wait a while and try another letter. The history is very interesting to me, does anyone here know more? He was a longtime member of the Twin Cities MAFCA chapter I guess??? The car in in amazing condition, obviously has been VERY well cared for and loved... our family will do the same.
Click to expand...

I think it would be fun to show up in the Gilkeson driveway...in the A of course! Bet that might get the conversation going with the Mrs. :)
 
I have a picture of my grandfather standing in front of a row of cars, at the dealership he worked at in the late 20's. I've always wondered if any of those cars still existed...I'll have to find it, and scan it.
 
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