Kristina Knudsen has always wanted an old car, but not just any old car. For as long as she can remember, she’s wanted a car straight from the era of the roaring Great Gatsby 1920s. Earlier this month she finally got it: a 1928 Model A Ford Tudor.
Since then she has been enjoying driving it around the Valley (top speed is 6o kms/hr so don’t be afraid to pass on by!) and having a great time behind the wheel.
“I think if I had a past life I must have been in the 1920s,” she said. “I’ve always loved everything about that era, so when we came across this car I knew it was the one.”
Knudsen had looked online off and on for years for a 1920s vehicle but hadn’t had any luck until recently when she and her husband spotted this one on Kijiji. After a few phone calls back and forth with the owner they were convinced and left town with their cargo trailer bound for Alberta. They loaded her up, Knudsen affectionately calls her Daisy, and brought her home.
The 1928 Model A Ford was was the Ford Motor Company’s second market success, after its predecessor, the Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but not introduced until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been produced for 18 years. The Model A was the first Ford to use the standard set of driver controls with conventional clutch and brake pedals, throttle, and gearshift. It was designated a 1928 model and was available in four standard colors.
Knudsen’s is a creamy beige/yellow, but the Model A also came in blue, green, gray and black. By February 4, 1929, one million Model As had been sold, and by July 24, two million. The range of body styles ran from the Tudor at US$500 (in grey, green, or black) to the town car with a dual cowl at US$1,200.
In March 1930, Model A sales hit three million, and there were nine body styles available. Model A production ended in March 1932, after 4,858,644 had been made in all body styles.
Cruising around in it makes you feel like you are truly living in another era, and the crushed velvet interior and tassels really add to the ambience inside. The car has no side mirrors so the driver has to keep a watchful eye out for traffic, but that honestly everyone is mostly watching you! The waves and smiles you get tootling around in the little beauty are lots of fun.
Knudsen’s husband Dave is also a car aficionado, but of a slightly different era. Their driveway also features a 2007 Ford Mustang in mint condition; it travels just a mite faster than its counterpart.
There’s another reason for their purchase as well, one that many of us probably aspire to follow, and that is why wait?
“After losing my mom and Dave’s sister both to cancer, we decided we should just start doing the things we want to and not wait any more,” Knudsen explained. “We never know when we might not be able to anymore.”