People on Aroostook County roads may have done a double-take this week to see a line of century-old cars loping along at 30 mph.
It’s all part of the Downeast Chapter, Model T Ford Club of America’s Mainely T Tour, which brought 26 of the cars and their owners from the eastern U.S. and Canada to northern Maine.
The tour, which started Tuesday and ends Saturday night, is the first Presque Isle has hosted solely for Model T’s. Previous vintage car tours have brought a tourism boost to Aroostook, which is one of the only regions that saw increased overnight visits this summer, according to new Maine tourism data released Thursday.
The Model T idea sparked during a 2023 tour in the region, said Craig Green of Presque Isle, president of the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Maine chapter, which is hosting the event with the city, the Presque Isle Historical Society and the Downtown Revitalization Committee.
“Some participants came to our area in 2023 for the vintage tour, and they made the suggestion to the Model T group to come here for the event,” Green said. “With the AACA, we sponsor tours and things all over the U.S. [throughout] the year. This is the first time that a Model-T-only tour has been here.”
Henry Ford’s creation of the Model T in 1908 ushered in the era of automobiles average Americans could afford. Ford produced 15 million of the cars from 1908 to 1927, Green said.
Cars on the tour range from 1910 to the “newest,” built in 1927 near the end of the model’s production. The 55 participants hail from Maine, upstate New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Canada, he said.
Since arriving in the area Tuesday, the group has visited places such as Limestone, the former Loring Air Force Base and a local farm with antique tractors. On Friday they traveled to Portage Lake, and Friday night paraded in Presque Isle and joined a community celebration at the Aroostook Agency on Aging, which included a ceremony honoring first responders.
Chris and Nancy Landry of Hudson, New Hampshire, visited with their 1926 touring car, a convertible. They were drawn to Model T’s somewhat by accident when looking for a fun car. Now it’s “a bit of an addiction,” Nancy Landry said.
“We found one on eBay, of all places,” Chris Landry said. “There’s very few people who own a Model T who only own one Model T.”
They figure they’ve put 2,100 miles on the car this summer. And yes, they have another one at home.
Dave Loving of Mansfield, Massachusetts, and Theresa Poule of Cape Cod have joined other Mainely T tours, but haven’t been this far north, they said, standing beside their 1910 wood, black and gold Model T.
Loving demonstrated his turn signal — a wooden stick with a flag on the end.
“Looking at the crops and the scenery is breathtaking, and it’s interesting to know about the potatoes,” Poule said.
Both said they appreciated Green as the host and Kim Smith of the Presque Isle Historical Society for sharing stories of the area’s history.
“They’re really getting the entire experience here. They’re not only seeing the beautiful scenery, but they’re interacting with the people here and learning some of the history,” said Smith, who is also Presque Isle’s public information officer.
Many have said they want to return, which is exactly what organizers want to hear, she said.
Smith, who also serves on Aroostook County Tourism’s board, said such events not only promote The County but benefit the local economy, drawing overnight visitors.
The Maine Office of Tourism’s latest report reveals that of the state’s eight regions, Aroostook County and Bangor showed increases in overnight stays for the second quarter, the only two to do so.
“Tourism statistics suggest that when a visitor stays overnight, they’re putting approximately $600 into the local economy,” Smith said. “You’ve got 55 people times $600 times five nights — you can see the economic impact this is having.”
Tour members have enjoyed the activities and the area’s welcoming people, she said.
They were particularly moved by the Friday morning memorial walk at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, which paid tribute to those lost 25 years ago in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Green said.
He has been surprised that not all the participants are of retirement age. For instance, a 21-year-old from coastal Maine told them the only car he owns is a Model T, he said.
Green, a longtime vintage auto collector and enthusiast, is glad to see younger people involved in the antique car community, because newer generations will carry the hobby into the future.
The Maine chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America is already thinking ahead to next year, he said. They’re planning a one-of-a-kind tour for antique trucks to explore the North Maine Woods.
Whatever their age, antique car people have one thing in common: they tend to be laid back and eager to explore wherever they find themselves, Green said.
“I think that’s part and parcel of owning a 100-year-old car that goes 30 miles an hour,” he said. “You’re enjoying the experience and not in a hurry to get through life.”