Model A owners have a drive for history

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

HOWLAND — Dale and Betty Smith didn’t mind taking longer than usual to travel mainly on Interstate 76 from their home in Wadsworth, Ohio, to the Avalon Inn.

After all, the 1931 Model A Ford Huckster they arrived in was built to travel considerably slower than 65 to 70 mph.

En route, the vehicle’s design and pickup bed made from oak wood — and perhaps the stained-glass rear window Dale Smith installed — caught the eyes of many passing motorists.

The wood body was built in Michigan. All the rest is from stray parts I put together into a car,” said Dale Smith, adding that he traveled 40 to 45 mph most of the way.

The Smiths’ vehicle was one of dozens of Model A cars that found their way to the Avalon Inn as part of today’s fall banquet and car show, sponsored by the Five Points chapter of Penn-Ohio Model A Ford Club Inc. Perfect weather greeted the few hundred people who attended the event, which also featured a vintage clothing contest in which many club members dressed in wardrobes from the 1920s.

For complete story, see Monday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.