(NAPSA)—Throughoutits history, the automobile has gone far beyond merely a mode of transportation—it has had the unique ability to thrill, inspire and sometimes generate fierce loyalty. And although automotive history is filled with enough memorable makes and modelsto fill even the largest parking lot, one vehicle stands alone without equal. Simply put, the Model T is the most famous automobile ever built. Henry Ford’s dream to build a rugged, simple car at a price low enough for everyone to afford was realized with the Ford Model T’s debut in 1908. The Model T ultimately sold for as low as $260, with an averageprice of $400. By the time Model T production ceased in 1927, more than 15 mil- lion Model T’s were built. The mass production of the Model T created social and industrial revolutions that changed Americaforever. Considering the rich history of the ModelT, it is only appropriate that Joss Sanderson, a retired junior high school history teacher from Tucson, Ariz., and an avid Model T enthusiast is about to make somehistory of his own. Along with his wife Susan, Sanderson, 55, is leading a cara- van of 43 classic Ford Model T’s on a 19-day, 3,000-mile trek from Lancaster, Calif., to Dearborn, Mich., where the cars will co-star in Ford Motor Company’s five-day Centennial celebration. The group’s journey will begin on May 25 and conclude on June 12. Looking for a special way to commemorate Ford’s 100th anniversary, Sanderson first thought of the cross-country Model T journey two years ago. He posted his plan on the Internet and within days had heard from Joss and Susan Sanderson will lead a caravan of 43 classic Ford Model T’s on a 3,000-mile trek from California to Michigan to celebrate Ford’s centennial in June ’03. more than 200 Ford classic car enthusiasts from the United States, Germany and Australia. The group will slowly make their way through the West and Midwest, stopping along the way for pancake breakfasts in their honor, rides for charity, dealership events and nursing homevisits designed to return residents to their youth for a couple of miles in the back seat of a classic ModelT. About half the vehicles on the tour will be Model T’s with brass radiators built prior to 1915, while the rest are “black cars” (classic 1920s models). Many of the Model T’s on thetrip were formerly rusted relics and acquired for as little as $15, or even less. “Our themeis ‘Fords last for- ever, and we aim to prove that,” said Lee Chase, 73, a 1914 Touring Car owner from Los Angeles. To learn more about the crosscountry trek the 43 Model T’s will be making, visit the group’s Web site at www.modeltford.net. For more information about Ford Motor Company’s Centennialcelebration, visit www.ford.com.
