Selected cars have been stored and protected by individuals ever since cars were invented, but the practice burgeoned during and shortly after World War II. Cars became scarcer during the war; new ones were non-existent. Older cars were repaired and pressed into service. One rugged car, the Model A Ford (produced from 1928 through 1931) was a good choice. A "forever" car like its predecessor, the Model T, the "A" was, because a large number were produced, available and relatively cheap.
After the war, Willard Kidd still drove his 1931 "A" roadster to his job as bridgetender on Washington, D.C.'s Memorial Bridge (at that time a drawbridge). Other Model A owners noticed his parked car and stopped to get acquainted. A club of seven members was formed in 1949 as the Model A Club of America.
Another club formed in 1957 in Glendale, California, a split-off from the earlier Model A Restorers Club (MARC). Their fine glossy history and restoration magazine, The Restorer, became very popular overnight and the sponsors, the new Model A Ford Club of America (MAFCA) began to accept the other clubs as chapters. In 1958, the Model A Club of America became the third club to join MAFCA as the Potomac Chapter (Potomac, MD), MAFCA.
In 1963, a number of Potomac Chapter members joined with Model A owners in the Fairfax, Virginia area to form our current club, the George Washington Chapter of MAFCA. We are also the Mount Vernon Region of the Model A Restorers Club.
We have now grown to about 275 members, hosted a national meet in 1978, and we host the largest Washington, D.C. area car show each June. The show is held at Historic Sully on Route 28 in Chantilly, VA. Club activities are many and varied, but the Model A Ford is always the center of activity.
This ageless car was built from 28 different alloy steels, when alloy steels were little used in the industry. It stood up to the elements, a quality not shared by the competition. With 40 h.p., weight of about 2,400 lbs., and top speed of 70 m.p.h., the Model A keeps up with modern traffic. Its mechanical brakes are quite adequate, when properly restored. Driving an "A" is great fun, because an "A" has firm characteristics that endear it to its owner, such as the unmistakable exhaust note, and that of its "AH OOOGA" horn, and the sense that it "fits like a glove." Enthusiasts say "every man or woman should own an "A Model." The Model A Ford truly is an automobile worthy of all this attention.
The Model A has been the backbone of the antique car hobby for many years. Many members of our fine club, in addition to being members of MAFCA and MARC, are also members of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) with includes all "marques."
This article has been condensed from "A
History of the Mount Vernon Region, Model A Restorers Club - George
Washington Chapter, Model A Ford Club of America",
1986, by Charles H. Zierdt.