OLAR, S.C. – The town of Olar and the South Carolina Model-T Club, along with Ford Motor Co., will celebrate the Model T’s 100-year anniversary at an annual gathering of Ford enthusiasts this weekend, Oct. 17 and 18.

Olar has a special connection with Ford Motor Co. because of a relationship Henry Ford had to the Rizer family’s dealership, now Walterboro Motors.

Close to 30 Model T’s and their owners from across the region will be on hand for the town’s “Model T’s to Olar Festival” that gets under way Friday.

The festival will feature a host of family activities, including a parade, Haunted House, crafters and live music. Attendees will have the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the historic automobile while meeting owners of the classic car, each with their own story to tell.

The Model T has been important to Bruce Trilling, vice president of the South Carolina Model T Club, for almost 40 years.

“I currently own my second Model T,” Trilling said. “I literally pulled my first Model T out of a barn where it had been sitting for years. The original bill of sale was with the car – and the engine started immediately. I absolutely love them.”

Olar holds a special place in Ford Motor Company’s history. In the early teens when Henry Ford was buying out all of the Ford Motor Co. stockholders, Olar Ford dealer C.F. Rizer lent Ford enough money to complete the buyouts. The Rizer family still owns the dealership, which is now Walterboro Motors in Walterboro. Walterboro Motors will be present at the event to show participants a few examples of Ford’s newest line-up.

The Model T chugged into history on Oct. 1, 1908. Henry Ford called it the “universal car.” It became the symbol of low-cost, reliable transportation that could get through when other vehicles and horse-drawn wagons were stuck in muddy roads. The Model T won the approval of millions of Americans, who affectionately dubbed it “Tin Lizzie.”

The first Model Ts sold for $825 (for a two-door roadster) – an unexpected bargain compared to other cars. But even more remarkable is that during its 19 years of production, Ford continued to steadily lower its price, thanks to manufacturing efficiencies including the moving assembly line introduced in 1913.

In addition to its affordability, Model T stands out as the industry’s truly first global car. By 1921, it accounted for almost 57 percent of the world’s automobile production.

“One-hundred years ago, the Ford Model T changed the way Americans lived and enhanced the nation’s prosperity by providing a simple, affordable and reliable means of transportation,” said Ford representative Glen Graves. “Ford views the Model T centennial as a reminder of Henry Ford’s commitment to quality and innovation. We’re proud to honor this iconic vehicle with the dozens of Model T enthusiasts in South Carolina, and to share with them the spirit of the Model T that lives on today at Ford.”

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