That's dedication: 84 years old and still driving his first car
We all remember our first car, and some of us have managed to hang on to that car for years. While we all have some kind of impression left on us by our inagural vehicles, Clarence Curtiss' story is far better than any yarn we could spin. The 1929 Ford Model A shown above was purchased by a 15-year-old Curtiss for $10 in 1938, and he's had it ever since. The most charming part is that Curtiss and his future wife Dorothy carved their initials into the steering wheel shortly after he'd bought the car, and they went on to be married for 56 years. To this day, you can see the characters scratched into the bakelite.
Though the A is unrestored and has racked up 200,000 miles, it's not entirely original. Way back in his teenage days, a Hudson Terraplane's powerplant found it way under the front bodywork. It seems that the A just didn't have enough speed to satisfy a young Mr. Curtiss. The Terraplane engine fixed matters, enabling the speedometer needle to twist itself deep to the right. Curtiss, who eventually owned Curtiss-Ryan Honda, still takes the Model A to car shows, and it's just one of the roughly 25 cars he owns.
Thanks for the tip, Matt
[Source: NY Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Avinash machado 10:42AM (8/23/2007)
Excellent story. Thanks for posting it. I think Ford should give him a free Mustang for his achievements.
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Merkidemis 10:55AM (8/23/2007)
He has 25 cars, I think he might be fine.
reader 10:55AM (8/23/2007)
do you guys crib off of Jalopnik or something?
they posted this yesterday.
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EM 11:00AM (8/23/2007)
....and Jalopnik cribs off Autoblog, and they both probably site the NYT.
Face it, there is only so much car news. Personally, I don't read Jalopnik, or the NYT (oddly enough for similar reasons) so this is the first time I've seen it.
EM 11:01AM (8/23/2007)
....and Jalopnik cribs off Autoblog, and they both probably site the NYT.
Face it, there is only so much car news. Personally, I don't read Jalopnik, or the NYT (oddly enough for similar reasons) so this is the first time I've seen it.
taipeileviathan 11:58AM (8/23/2007)
apologies in advance for being a prick, but it's "cite", not "site". normal spelling/grammar errors i don't mind so much, but when said error actually changes the word into another entirely, it really bugs me. to be fair, i wouldn't be writing this comment if yours wasn't insightful and relatively well-written... and at least you're not an autoblog staff-member *ahem*.
EM 12:11PM (8/23/2007)
Thanks for the catch, taipeileviathan.
I try to be pretty picky about that stuff, guess it slipped through.
I am not an Autoblog staff member, just for clarification.
Art 2:32PM (8/27/2007)
@reader
Shut up.
paul 11:06AM (8/23/2007)
wow that is dedication. i sold my first car after 7 months...
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Mike S 11:34AM (8/23/2007)
Better than me. I sold my first car (85 Corolla sedan) after only 3 months. I never even had it long enough to change the oil.
Doug 11:27AM (8/23/2007)
This guy was at the car show at Quinnipiac University in Hamden CT over the summer. He's quite the character. And not shy either. Good for him.
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geo.stewart 11:52AM (8/23/2007)
gee, a car salesman that isnt shy. what a shock!
;-)
Cool story
Pool_player68 11:29AM (8/23/2007)
I wonder how many miles he had on the old motor when he changed it out...
...and...
is 200,000 the miles on the current motor?
either way, this man knew what he was doing when he bought the car.
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Esprit bird 12:14PM (8/23/2007)
That guys a hero, i sold my first car, a 1994 Pontiac Firebird for the sole reason of hating the 3.4 V6 in it so much...i upgraded to a 1999 LS1 Trans Am and havent looked back...i spent 3 terrible years in that V6.
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HineyWipe 1:09PM (8/23/2007)
Hey! Do I get my picture taken? I am still driving my first Toyota pickup...for last 12 years...I doubt it will make it to my 84th bday..
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Dinger 1:32PM (8/23/2007)
I'd have kept my first car forever... if I hadn't slid it off the road into a ravine. It took 3 tow truckers to get it up and out of the rift and I continued to drive it for another 6 months. Though I did have to get in and out on the passenger side as it had ended up landing on the driver's side and was a bit worse for wear.
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Dave 1:46PM (8/23/2007)
My first car was an 86 Cherokee. Growing up in Montana you couldn't ask for anything better. I would later sell it to a highschool student who was t-boned by a drunk driver. Everyone was physically fine, except the Jeep itself. I always thought I'd like to find my first car again later in life, but guess I won't get that option.
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Farris 1:48PM (8/23/2007)
Geez. Now I miss my 92 VW Cabriolet. I only had it for a year before I sold it.
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Brandon 4:01PM (8/23/2007)
My first vehicle was a 1972 IH Scout II. I got it when I was 16, and still have it 17 years later. It's a piece of crap, but I love the hell out of it. Nothing was cooler than taking the heavy-ass fiberglas top off during sunny weather and crashing into the high school parking lot with my rowdy buddies every morning. With luck I'll be able to give it to my kids starting around 2017.
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Bryan 9:24PM (8/24/2007)
And he owns a Honda dealer? Shame, shame, shame. That car should be stripped from him and given to me. I will restore a real Ford motor in it! As for my first auto, it was my 93 F150 back in 94. My grandpa sold it about 6-7 years ago. I miss it, and want to find it!
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