Vintage car takes one back to a different place and time

(Matt, a Stittsville resident, stands with his 1930 Model A Ford Coupe. We caught up with him off of Stittsville Main Street after glimpsing the car previously. Photos: Stittsville Central)

We were travelling down Stittsville Main a few weeks ago and caught a glimpse of a pristine 1930 Model A Ford Coupe travelling our streets. How often do you see a sight like this on Stittsville’s streets? Vintage cars are the modern relics of when life went slower – they bear witness to a bygone era that was full of hope, innovation, and preservation. Upon viewing a vintage vehicle, their beautiful craftsmanship takes a person back to a different place and time.

We finally caught up with the owner a day later when he had pulled over by St. Thomas Anglican Church. Matt, a Stittsville resident, was delighted to ‘show and tell’ us about his 1930 Model A Coupe.

Matt told us, “when I bought the car it needed some restoration. I spent three years restoring the vehicle to its current condition. A lot of work, but worth it. It had the original engine parts and upholstery still intact – even in the rumble seat.” After all the work, the car certainly is in impeccable shape and just think of all the stories it could tell about its 95 years of operation.

“I had registered it to be in Stittsville’s Canada Day car show, but with rain in the forecast, well I don’t take it out when there is a chance of rain, so I’m glad you caught up with me on a good weather day to share some photos and history of the Model A,” said Matt as we walked around the car taking photos.

Matt shared, “I’m also a member of the Canada’s Capital A’s, the Ottawa Model A Ford Club. We travel around the area not only for pleasure drives, but for car shows at museums and other venues in the small towns and at special events. There are a number of us in the Ottawa area who own Model A’s and other vintage vehicles and we are always happy to share our stories.”

The 1930 Ford Model A is a classic car known for its iconic design and historical significance as the successor to the Model T. Henry and Clara Ford were avid bird watchers, so the Model As featured the optional at a cost famed “Flying Quail” hood ornament that was also the radiator cap. There were a variety of body styles from coupes to trucks, an impressive four-cylinder engine that could top 65mph, a polished radiator shell, it also offered advancements like safety glass in the windshield and a more conventional set of driver controls. Although not practical for winter driving with the lack of heaters, heaters were considered an ‘option’ added to the cost when purchasing the car and could be installed. The styling was also rejuvenated from that of the Model T with new fenders, new radiator, smaller wheels, and a longer hood. Albeit Ford believed the Model T was the ‘bees-knees of cars’, the Model A was a crucial model that helped him to transition from the Model T era and maintain the company’s dominance in the automotive market.

Antique cars are the oldest of old car models, dating back to the dawn of the automotive industry in the early 1900s and often referred to as the “horseless carriage”.

Vintage cars were manufactured between 1919 and 1930. Although you may catch vintage cars on the road today, many of these highly coveted pieces of automotive history are precious vehicles that come with a hefty price tag. The highest selling price of a 1930 Ford Model A at auction over the last three years was $110,000, but most are in the $20,000 range with the first model costing $850.00.

In 1908, Henry Ford began producing the Ford Model T, nicknamed “Tin Lizzie”. The Model T model was the first truly mass-produced car and topped speeds of 45 miles per hour. It became accessible to the general population at a reasonable price and changed the car industry forever. There are still Ford Model T cars of this era – ‘the car that put America on wheels’ – still operating today.

Matt is a member of the Canada’s Capital A’s, the Ottawa Model A Ford Club that has members from Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. If you want to discover more visit their website at this link. They are proud to say that the Ottawa Club is now a ‘Sister Club’ with the Model A Ford Club in Victoria, Australia.

The Canadian Automotive Museum at 99 Simcoe Street in Oshawa, Ontario also showcases a number of significant Canadian-built and Canadian-owned antique and classic cars.