Tanner Benton drives his 1926 Model T at least once a week. He often
goes out with other enthusiasts, including a friend who owns a 1929
Ford Model A coupe.
TANNER BENTON/BIG COUNTRY PHOTOGRAPHY
W“WE LOVE TO GET TOGETHER and take a drive
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and eat barbecue somewhere out in the country, just
get out and drive the cars,” Armistead says. “Because
that’s really where the fun is. Shows are nice, trophies
are nice, but taking the car out and driving it and
appreciating what it was at the time is really what it’s
about.”
Tanner Benton owns a 1926 Ford Model T he
restored himself. The car is pristine and frequently
wins awards. But it’s not a trailer queen.
“I drive it at least once a week, mostly Sundays to
church,” he says. “All the old ladies love it. I personally
would rather drive the cars around than go to a car
show and win a trophy. I like to talk to older people
and draw in that knowledge that’s going to pass away. I
love the conversations that these cars bring.”
Benton is a member of the local chapter of the
Horseless Carriage Club of America, which is restricted
to cars built before 1927. The group has three tours
each year, covering a couple of hundred miles in a