NEW YORK—A caravan of old-fashioned Model T cars chugged down the West Side Highway in Manhattan on Sunday, beginning their 4,000-mile trek across the U.S.
The slow-moving bunch is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Ocean to Ocean Endurance Run. Among their sputtering ranks are 50 cars representing the U.S. states, and another five representing countries including Sweden, Australia, and Canada.
Their final destination will be in Seattle on July 12.
“Hopefully, we will make it there on time,” said Edna (who did not give her last name), who is on the journey from her home in Virginia with her husband, Jim. A bumper sticker on the back of their Model T reads, “Model Ts don’t leak, they mark their territory”.
The slow-moving bunch is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Ocean to Ocean Endurance Run. Among their sputtering ranks are 50 cars representing the U.S. states, and another five representing countries including Sweden, Australia, and Canada.
Their final destination will be in Seattle on July 12.
“Hopefully, we will make it there on time,” said Edna (who did not give her last name), who is on the journey from her home in Virginia with her husband, Jim. A bumper sticker on the back of their Model T reads, “Model Ts don’t leak, they mark their territory”.
The first of the races began in 1909. It was sponsored as a publicity campaign for old-time millionaire Robert Guggenheim.
Accompanied by a handy mechanic, the drivers (and their cars) who partook in the event endured nearly every road hazard imaginable on the 22-day adventure. Cars stuck in quicksand, fires, and deep mud were just a few of the obstacles found on the roads of the early 20th century.
In a grand moment on July 22, 1909, a Model T Ford crossed the finish line, marking its victory against a lineup of cars including the Stearns, Acme, Shawmut, and the Itala.
In the newest page in the history of the race, modern drivers will follow what is left of the roads their predecessors followed, making nightly stops in the same towns, and driving the same type of cars.
Accompanied by a handy mechanic, the drivers (and their cars) who partook in the event endured nearly every road hazard imaginable on the 22-day adventure. Cars stuck in quicksand, fires, and deep mud were just a few of the obstacles found on the roads of the early 20th century.
In a grand moment on July 22, 1909, a Model T Ford crossed the finish line, marking its victory against a lineup of cars including the Stearns, Acme, Shawmut, and the Itala.
In the newest page in the history of the race, modern drivers will follow what is left of the roads their predecessors followed, making nightly stops in the same towns, and driving the same type of cars.
