How these vintage car enthusiasts keep the Ford Model A cruising into the future

GLEN ALLEN, Va. (InvestigateTV) - When it comes to automobile makers, it does not get much more American than Ford Motor Company.

The Model A was only produced for a limited time, but car clubs like the Old Dominion Model A Ford Club of Greater Richmond are helping to keep the iconic engines running.

Back in the day, a 1931 Ford Model A roadster would have cost you about $395.

Now it is worth anywhere from $15-25,000, but owners say the real value is in the joy it brings to others.

“Oh, it’s great, you know, to see the smile on the faces coming here today, some lady was hanging out the window just waving,” Dennis Stone, Old Dominion Model A Ford Club President, said.

Despite being almost 100-years-old, the Model A continues to be fun for kids of all ages.

“We get a lot of smiles per mile. People get excited. And then if we blow the ooga horn, they are ecstatic, especially kids,” Stew Wolfe, Vice President of Old Dominion Model A Ford Club, said.

Henry Ford created the Model A as an upgrade to the Model T.

“We’re looking at an advertisement that occurred in the newspaper in December of 1927, advertising the coming of the new Model A Ford,” Henry Nelson, Secretary of Old Dominion Model A Ford Club, said.

Between 1927 and 1931, Ford cranked out roughly 5 million of them, but only a fraction of the cars are still around.

“They were the cheapest cars on the market back then,” Stone said.

Despite being cheap, the Model A remained innovative. All coming standard with an electric start instead of a crank to get them going. Along with other bells and whistles.

“It had brakes on all four wheels. It had shock absorbers. It had a way to check your oil without having to get under the car. Had a dipstick. Also, it had gauges inside. You could tell how fast you were going,” Nelson said.

And Old Dominion Model A Ford Club of Greater Richmond is doing its part to keep the old cars cruising into the future.

The club is one of four in the state and the longest running.

If you want to find this group around town, you can visit their website here.