Symbols of Distinction

8th December - 2020

Everyone of us car enthusiasts have plenty of these unfinished wet weather day jobs that, with best intentions, we have been meaning to complete for ages. l decided this week to get up off my BIG fat Covid 19 butt & do something about it.

This photograph shows you the radiator protector grill that l 
have fitted to my 1931 Model A Ford 2-door Tudor Deluxe Sedan

Ever since l became a Model A Ford 'Tragic' in 2009, l have collected various club badges & Model A Ford National Meet badges from past events that l have participated in, plus a couple of very rare badges that l have acquired over this period of time that l think you may be interested in.

Here's a more detailed shot of my badge collection on
my 1931 Model A Ford 2-door Tudor Deluxe Sedan

The badges above are: Top line L-R: 

* 14th National Model A Ford Rally held in Windsor, NSW, in 1996. (l did not attend that rally because l hadn't become a 'Tragic' until 2009)
* Model A Ford Club of NSW Club badge.
* Celebrating 90-years of the Model A Ford (1928-2018) 
* Model A Ford Club of Queensland.

Bottom line L-R:

* 22nd Model A Ford National Rally held in Ipswich, Queensland in 2012. (This was my 1st National Rally that I attended in my completely restored Model A Ford towing my Teardrop Caravan - see photo below).
* 21st Model A Ford National Rally held in Launceston, Tasmania 2010. (I attended this Rally in Tassie without my car because l had only just purchased the vehicle the year before & it was still in my workshop in hundreds of pieces waiting to be restored.
* 50th Anniversary Model A Ford Club of NSW badge (1970-2020)
* Australian Bicentennial Castrol World Rally badge
* 25th Model A Ford National Rally held in Murray Bridge, South Australia in 2018
* Bay to Birdwood entrant in Adelaide, South Australia in 2018.

The first National Rally that I attended in my completely
 restored Model A Ford towing my Teardrop Caravan

The yellow Bay to Birdwood experience is a 'Bucket list' event that attracts interstate & overseas enthusiasts from all over the world. Driving through the beautiful Adelaide Hills is one of the major delights of the Bay to Birdwood experience.

By 1990 the Bay to Birdwood Run had established itself as Australia’s premier historic motoring event and had earned Australia wide recognition by winning the National Tourism Award as the best special event or festival staged in Australia.

The front of my 1929 AA Ford Truck (Hoover)
which was used to build the Hoover Dam in Arizona, USA.

The photograph above illustrates to you the front of my 1929, AA Ford Truck (aptly named Hoover) which was used as a work-horse to help construct the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River between the US States of Nevada and Arizona during the Great Depression of the early '30s. 

l manufactured a special bracket to retain my badges to the front bumper bar as you can see in the photo.

The detailed shot of my 1929 AA Ford Truck (Hoover)

Details of these badges L-R:

* Bay to Birdwood badge that l have already explained.
* 50th Anniversary Model A Ford Club of NSW badge. (1970-2020).
* Australian Bicentennial Castrol World Rally badge that l found under the front seat of my 1931 Model A Ford 2-door Tudor Deluxe Sedan when I purchased it in 2009.
* Golden Anniversary of Rotary International. (1905-1955).
* NRMA badge, & there is quite a story behind how I came by this very rare badge. This 3" or 90mm badge was made by Craftsmen Enamellers for the NRMA way back before 1935.

If you care to read the writing on the back of the badge it reads like this: Registered No. H114. This badge is the Property of the National Roads & Motorists' Assoc (NSW) and must be returned to the Secretary immediately on the Holder ceasing to be a Member of the Association. Craftsmen Enamellers Sydney.

The back-side of the pre-1935 NRMA badge
[click to enlarge]

The story of how I acquired this automotive artifact goes like this. 

I was visiting an old employer of mine (John Dodd) in Kempsey, NSW in early 2010. John owned the Caltex Service Station on Port Hacking Road in Lilli-Pilli, NSW. John employed me as his No.1 Motor mechanic to run his mechanical workshop after I returned home to Australia in 1972 from my working holiday around the world. I worked for John as his right-hand man right up until the day I joined Qantas as an International 'Trolly-Dolly' on the 5th June, 1974.

John had heard that I was now the PROUD owner of a Model A Ford & graciously gifted this unique NRMA badge for me to install to my new, old vehicle once l had restored it. These badges were made for the NRMA up until 1935, so it is very appropriate for this badge to be installed to one of my Model A Fords especially because this was the era of the Model A Fords (1928-1931) & you would like to think perhaps this badge may have previously been fitted to another Model A Ford back in the day!!! Who knows...

That my friends is another story in the life of a 'Tragic' Model A Ford enthusiast.

Cheers for now, stay safe in these extraordinary times.

Warbo


MORE READING: To read my history with my 1929 AA Ford Truck (Hoover)