Residents of Stark County and other counties in Ohio along historic Lincoln Highway will not miss the iconic spectacle and sound of the 1924 Ford Model T.
Today the Model T will travel across the country through Minerva, Canton, Massillon, and Worcester.
The century-old car is showcased as part of the 19-day Sea to Sea in a Model T event organized by the Museum of American Speed.
The event began on Sunday in New York and will conclude in San Francisco on June 20.
The touring Model T, a replica of the original 10-millionth unit, will depart from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to Mansfield on Tuesday. Its route will pass through Canton, where it will arrive on Tuscarawas Street.
Sea to Sea Model T will pass through Canton
To see the car, Bruce Doxstadner plans to come to Stark.
"Not everyone drives a Model T every day, and even fewer people say they're driving a Model T from New York to San Francisco," says Doxstadner. "They also have a very specific sound, when I hear it, I know that a Model T is nearby."
Doxstadner, a 77-year-old resident of Kent and car enthusiast, is a member of the Greater Akron Model T Club. He is driving to Canton in his own Model T, a 1918 sedan. Doxstadner's grandfather bought the car in 1920, after returning from service in World War I, and he drove it until it broke down in 1926, after which it was stored in the family barn. Doxstadner restored the vehicle in 1964.
"I’ve been interested in old cars since I was old enough to take the key from the barn and sit in that car," says Doxstadner. "Now I drive it all over the world."
Doxstadner is retired but says that working on cars keeps him busy. In his free time, he built a fire truck and a pickup from scrap materials. According to Doxstadner, restoring old cars brings more satisfaction than just looking at them.
"I like cars, and in the Model T Club, there are many people who love to drive them," says Doxstadner. "We don’t have show cars, we have cars for driving."
Doxstadner said that members of the Model T Club will gather at the bus station on Tuscarawas Street in Canton around 11:00 a.m. Tuesday to wait for the arrival of the Model T.
"This is an exciting story," says Kelsey Bedjo, the company’s public relations and content marketing manager at Speedway Motors and the press relations officer during the event. "Traveling from coast to coast in a Model T is something special."
Model T — the legendary Ford heritage
The Model T was invented by Henry Ford with the aim of creating a universal car accessible to all American families. It was first introduced in 1908 and became one of the first mass-produced cars thanks to Ford’s assembly line, which produced the Model T until manufacturing ended in 1927. Over 15 million Model T cars were sold during this time, according to Ford’s website.
In 1924, in honor of the production of the 10-millionth Ford Model T, a journey across rugged terrain was organized with the Model T. This year's jubilee rally follows the same route along Lincoln Highway.
The 1924 Ford Model T was a gift to the Museum of American Speed from the family of the late Dr. Alan Hathaway. The Hathaway family made this trip twice, celebrating the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the same division.
Ford's Model T reflects a long history of automotive innovation, embodying principles that, according to Doxstadner, remain a hallmark of American driving style.
"When I drive my old car down the road and look at modern cars, they are bigger and have more horsepower, but the main components are the same," he says. "Ultimately, you have an engine that transmits rotation to the wheels, which makes the car move."
