A13

Bill Sherk

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Allan Gravelle of Nepean, Ontario, reads CarStory in the EMC News. The story published February 21/08 ("A 1928 Chev roadster for $19") reminded him of his first car:

"My first job in 1949 paid only 50 cents an hour. After working for six months, I had saved just enough money to buy my first car, a 1931 Model A Ford.

"My brother Bob was still in high school and he suggested that our pal Jack and I should attend Bob's school dance. Because we lived in the country about eight miles from the school, it was agreed that I would drive us to the dance.

"The school dance in the gym was well attended and we knew many of the girls. We danced to recorded music till about 10 o'clock when Jack asked to use my Model A to drive his girl home. As the dance would not end for another hour, I let him borrow it.

"The girl lived only a few blocks away and Jack assured us he would be back soon. When the dance ended, Jack had still not returned and we began contemplating a very long walk home.

"Jack returned just before midnight with an astonishing story. On the way to his girl's home, the car caught fire under the hood and Jack used my new car seat blanket to put the fire out! The blanket was ruined and thrown away but the car still ran.

"He drove the girl home, but when he arrived at her house, he had a fender bender with her dad's car which was parked in the driveway. Jack had to go in and tell her father about the accident and gave him my insurance number to pay for the damages.

"When he returned to the Model A, he found that he had locked the keys in the ignition! Undaunted, he smashed the driver's side window to get the keys.

"We had a cool drive home that night. I took Jack to meet my insurance agent the next day and the agent thought Jack had quite an interesting tale. As far as I know, my insurance paid for the damage to the other car. Henry Ford made the Model A out of real steel so there was no damage to my car. It cost me only six dollars to replace the window.

"This story would have ended badly if the fire had spread to the gas tank which is located in the cowl just behind and above the engine in a Model A."

* Bill Sherk is an automobile historian who has had a passion for the topic since his days pumping gas as a teenager. We want to say thank you to our readers who send in their stories. We are giving a copy of Bill Sherk's book, 60 Years Behind the Wheel: The Cars We Drove in Canada 1900-1960 to each reader whose story is published in Car Story. To share your stories or photos e-mail bill@carstory.com or write Bill Sherk, 33 Oak St. E., P.O. Box 10012, Leamington, ON N8H 2C3.