Real Wheels: Young man fancies '29 Ford Model A

Sep. 3—OTTOVILLE — This 1929 Ford Model A Tudor has been in Gary Turnwald's family since 1965.

"My mother and stepdad bought it in 1965. It was in an estate. I wanted it, but I was not old enough back then to have the car in my name. I wanted it, but they bought it. They did a little work on it," said Turnwald. "I bought it from their estate back in 1979."

When Turnwald acquired the car he fell in love with back in 1965, it was a "bucket of rust." He has since replaced the upholstery and had it repainted.

"I've spent the last three to four years working on it. It was just something I wanted to do in memory of Mom and Dad."

Ford pulled out all stops marketing their Model A. The company went so far as to proclaim it "The World's Most Famous Automobile."

Sales of Henry Ford's Model T had decreased, and Ford retired the Model T in 1927, after it was in production for 18 years. Factories sat idle while Ford retooled for its replacement car. The new vehicle, Ford's Model A, was more cutting-edge as far as mechanics go, and it was modern as far as style. There were nearly five million Ford Model A's sold over four model years, 1927 through 1930. Pretty good for a company that produced only black cars for the first part of its life. The Model A was available in four colors, unlike the Model T.

Some car enthusiasts go as far as saying that the Model A led to Ford's dominance in the automobile industry.

This car caught the eye of Turnwald back in 1965 and he eventually achieved his dream when he purchased it in 1979. He now takes his beauty to car shows and parades to show it off.