Dennis and Martha Fleming are on a 30-day drive from New York to Seattle. (Photo by Nikki Fox / Associated Press)
LURAY, Va. -- The 1913 Model T Ford in Dennis Fleming's garage looks like it rolled right off the assembly line. It sports the black metal chassis, wood-spoke wheels and hand-crank starter typical of the Model T, which Ford sold from 1909 to 1927.
"Every day, I do some work on it," says Fleming, 49. "Mechanically, I maintain the car in tip-top shape."
- The original New York-to-Seattle race was part of a publicity campaign for the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition held in Seattle. Events related to the exposition anniversary:
- Post-drive Model T celebration. The cars are expected to arrive between 10 and 11 a.m. July 12 at Drumheller Fountain on the UW campus, the site of the original finish line and center of the 1909 exposition. They will then parade through downtown Seattle.
- Burke Museum: Indigenous Voices Reply. The exhibit features historic objects and photos from the exposition alongside contemporary works by native artists. Runs through Nov. 29.
- Museum of History and Industry: The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit explores the importance of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the period of the exposition, and how the event gave added exposure to the movement. Runs through Jan. 18.
- Visit ayp100.org for more details and events.
Over the next month, Fleming's attention to his Model T will matter more than ever. Last week, he embarked -- with his automotive classic, wife Martha, 46, and daughter Katie, 21 -- on a 30-day trek from New York City to Seattle. Fleming's vehicle will be one of 55 Model T's on the drive, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the New York-to-Seattle Endurance Run, a Model T race in 1909 that lasted 22 days and covered 4,106 miles.
The centennial trek, which features every Model T model made, will cover 3,886 miles; the shorter distance, says Fleming, stems from a few changed roadways. However, the drive will take the procession through 12 states on almost exactly the same route as the 1909 run, Fleming says. It ends July 12 on the University of Washington campus.
The Model T Ford Club International, a group of enthusiasts that hosts tours and other events throughout the world, organized the anniversary drive.
"I feel comfortable that the car will do the 3,800 miles," says Fleming, who signed up for the event five years ago to secure his spot. After the celebration in Seattle (see sidebar for details and other events), the Flemings will fly back home and a friend will transport the car back in a trailer.
Fleming bought his historic Ford, which he estimates he has driven 5,000 miles, in 2003 for $14,000 from a Model T owner in Ann Arbor, Mich.
For Fleming, a chance to see the U.S. from roads less traveled is as intriguing as the opportunity to test his masterpiece on the cross-country journey. "You get to drive on roads you don't normally see," he says.
The odds of making a similar Model T run in the future are slim, he adds: "With traffic getting faster, the logistics probably won't make it possible."
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