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May, 2007

2100 Walnut Street

Kansas City, MO 64108

Local Chapter of MAFCA and MARC

NEWS

‘A’

LETTER

Heart of America Model A Ford Club

“

Certificate of M erit” 2006

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A ward of

Continuing Excellence” 2005

ADVENTURE STORIES FROM THE ROAD

In recent years, I’ve developed a passion for reading travel logs or what the major bookstores classify as travel narra-

tives. To me, there is something compelling about people who strike out on their own to experience a traveling adventure

and facing the unknown. So, I visit the major bookstores on a fairly regular basis, seeking to find these special stories.

Recently, I’ve become very disappointed that bookstores have a limited selection of travel narratives. There are probably

several reasons for this situation. Among these reasons is the fact that the adventure of traveling and facing the chal-

lenges of the unknown, has been taken out of the traveling experience. Today, it is increasingly popular to book a tour

whereby the travel agency and tour guides provide for their client’s every need. Another reason is the popularity of fic-

tion. Next time you visit a Border’s or Barnes & Noble Bookstore, look at the size of the Fiction section compared to the

Travel Narrative section that is if you can find the Travel Narrative section. The difference in size is like comparing the

size of an insect with the size of an elephant. You get the picture. The bottom line is this; many people would rather read

about fictional adventure instead of living a real adventure. However, driving a Model A is real adventure because the

“A” has a mind of its own.

The Model A was a very reliable vehicle for its time. However, these cars are now almost eighty years old. This is why

driving a Model A is real adventure because you never know what challenges wait on the open road. Some Model A

owners make technical improvements on their cars with the hope of increased reliability. However, there are adventure

stories where people break down because a modern modification has failed. The “A” has a mind of its own. I’ve heard

adventure stories from people who carried a variety of spare parts for long road trips. Their well-planned road trip turns

into a real adventure because the part that breaks is not included in their inventory of spare parts. The “A” has a mind of

its own. I’ve heard adventure stories where people have given their car a meticulous inspection, fixing all potential prob-

lems before a major tour. While on that tour, something mysterious happens, like a clevis pin pops out of a brake rod

causing problems. The “A” has a mind of its own. Conquering these problems is not the only source of Model A adven-

ture.

There are many adventure stories from people who drive their “A” to places they have never been before. Their journey

of discovery is made even more meaningful because the vehicle that took them on their adventure is the venerable Model

A Ford.

Sometimes these wonderful stories of adventure are lost just like real adventure stories are lost among a sea of fiction in

a bookstore, and sometimes these adventure stories suffer the fate of a story that is never told. This is a sad situation be-

cause sharing adventure stories from the road is part of the unique fun in being involved in the Model A hobby. So, what

can be done about this situation?

We can include time in our monthly meetings for people to share their adventure stories. However, there is something

else that can be done to insure our stories are told. We can collect stories and publish them in a book. How many travel

narratives have you seen or read that are about adventures in the Model A Ford. If there are any books out there, I’m not

aware of them. So, why not tackle this as a club project? I plan to bring this project up to the board at our next meeting,

and I’ll leave time for discussion at our next membership meeting.

Chris Launer, President