Fans of Henry Ford’s humble yet esteemed Model T are congregating in historic Cochrane in early July.
It’s part of the Model T Ford Club of America’s 50th anniversary tour, called the . The club has been around since 1965, and has several, smaller international clubs under its umbrella.
It’s the local (Calgary) Foothills Model T Ford Club hosting the rally in Cochrane.
“We’re into touring and running our cars,” said club spokesperson Harry Lillo. He continued, “We’ve hosted a number of other tours over the years, including ones in 1988, 1995, 2005 and 2011.
The last one was held in Pincher Creek, and this is our fifth major national tour.”
From July 12 to 17, club members will be based in Cochrane, just west of Calgary, at the Ramada Cochrane and several other hotels/motels in the area. Some members will also stay at the Bow RiversEdge Campground.
As of this writing, there are over 221 people set to participate. There are 21 cars coming from Canada, and 81 from the U.S. There are members arriving from New Zealand and Great Britain – they are without Model Ts, but some will tag along in modern cars while others catch rides from other T owners.
July 12 is registration day, and on July 13, the first day of the tour (Monday), the Model Ts will be off to Banff to visit the Banff Springs Hotel – some will go on to visit Lake Louise.
The second day (Tuesday) will see the cars heading to Pioneer Acres at Irricana.
For the third day (Wednesday), participants and their Model Ts will visit a local private museum, The Museum of Making, which is just west of Cochrane. That afternoon, the Model T Fords will be on display in downtown Cochrane from 3 p.m. until just after the supper hour.
“That would be the best day for anyone interested to come out and see the cars,” Lillo said. “On the fourth day (Thursday), we’re traveling some 200 miles as we go down to Longview, and then back up and over the Highwood Pass. On the last day (Friday), we’re taking a short drive to Water Valley, and then we come back and prepare for our banquet dinner at the Glenn Eagles Golf and Country Club.”
Lillo and his wife Rosalie will be driving a 1922 Ford Model T ‘depot hack’, an early kind of station wagon. In that era, depot hacks were used to transport train passengers from a station to a hotel.
“We have some friends coming up from Texas to take this in, and they’ll be riding along with us,” Lillo said.
Over the last winter, most of the members who are driving their Model Ts in the tour will have gone through the vehicle front to back, ensuring safety by inspecting wheel bearings, front end components and fixing oil leaks.
“Everyone must complete a safety check list and submit it with their registration paperwork,” Lillo said. “Those who tour with their Ts are usually on top of all that’s necessary to keep a car on the road.”
In answer to the two most commonly asked questions about Model Ts: how fast do they go, and how are they for fuel economy, Lillo said, “We typically tour in the 35 to 45 mile per hour range.
Many of the cars are capable of traveling faster, but that’s a comfortable speed range for a tour.
“And, a bone-stock Model T will get about 20 miles to the gallon.”
Should one of the Ts break down, there will be three trouble trucks with trailers following the group, carrying air, fuel and oil. If the car can’t be fixed at the side of the road it will be towed back to the hotel.
“I’ve seen head gaskets replaced on the side of the road,” Lillo said. “If it is more serious, it’ll come back and quite often a parking lot rebuild takes place, with many hands pitching in to help try and get the T back on the road for the next day’s drive.”
What’s Next:
July 11: Westiva, a Ford Festiva and Aspire (and other econobox cars, such as Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift) meet and greet at Wedge Pond in Kananaskis Country, about an hour’s drive from Calgary’s western city limits. Meet at the pond by 10 a.m. After a picnic lunch, drivers depart for an afternoon cruise for ice cream at Boulton Creek Store, and then to the Upper Kananaskis Lake. For more information contact Ian at 403-869-7311 or email ian.cassley@gmail.com.
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067, gregwilliams@shaw.ca, or visit gregwilliams.ca.
