Shoppers in downtown Kalona Saturday afternoon were treated to a rolling display of 16 Ford Model T (plus one Model A) autos as part of the annual ILLIAMO Model T spring tour.

The cars rolled into Kalona about 1:30 p.m. after making meal stops in Brighton and Washington. The group had originally planned to spend all day and night in Kalona, but a shortage of motel rooms forced them to spend more time in Washington.

Their visit included a stop at the Kalona Historical Museum & Village, as well as many of the antique stores downtown.

The group of 34 people from Iowa, Illinois and Missouri started the day in Donnellson. The club meets monthly and plans at least one day trip for the spring and fall. In addition, many of the group also participate in a national Model T tour each summer.

Martin Alexander, Queen City, Missouri, said they decided at their January meeting to make the visit to Kalona. One couple was designated to lay out the route and develop an itinerary.

Alexander was driving a 1915 Model T touring car which he has owned since he was 15. “I’ve collected and restored MG’s, Jaguars, and a variety of other cars, but I keep coming back to the Model T.”

Alexander explained that the Model T’s and Model A’s have stood up over the years because Ford used quality steel. Many of the early Chevrolet products used a lot of wood, which decayed over the years.

“The Model T is just an extremely tough car,” he commented. A retired engineer, Alexander said he has drawn from his early apprenticeship in tool and die work to help him keep up his antiques. “I’ve always just liked old cars.” he said.

Alexander said his car was bought for about $600 when it was new. Today it is worth in the area of $12,000 to $15,000. At an auction, it probably would bring more.

Alexander estimated there are about 85 members of ILLIAMO Model T Club.

John Fisher, Dallas City, Illinois, took advantage of the stop in Kalona to clear the gas line on his 1931 Model A, thanks to free use of an air hose at Kalona Auto Sales. “They let me tag along because my daughter is a member of the club,” Fisher said. He said he was impressed with Kalona and the friendliness of the help at Kalona Auto.

His daughter Darla Eden, Farmington, was riding instead of driving because her Model T is still in the process of being restored. Her husband, Larry, was driving the “dead wagon” to transport cars in trouble. “We haven’t had to haul very many this trip,” he noted. “The cars seem to be running well.”

Members of the group came from as far away as Quincy and Decatur, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri.

The cars travel at a rate of about 35 to 40 miles an hour. Most of the earlier Model T’s didn’t have speedometers because speedometers would slow the vehicles and make the motors work too hard, according to Alexander.