Story and photos by Mark Wing (unless otherwise noted)

The Power Ford dealership (Montano and Renaissance, in Albuquerque) held a large car show on Labor Day. The vehicles that day ranged from our Model T’s and Model A’s, to hot rods, muscle cars, and even military vehicles. This show was a combination of cars on exhibit and competition. Early registration was free, with late registrants paying $20 if they wished to participate in the judging and prizes.

We had eleven Model T’s at the show and it was fun to socialize and enjoy the hot dogs and drinks provided by the dealership. The day was in the low 90’s, so the Tin Lizzie members sought out shade whenever possible. Larry Azevedo performed some “one-the-spot” troubleshooting for the Lance family’s 1926 roadster that was running on three cylinders due to a faulty coil contacts. Around 1PM, the winners of the competition were announced and Mark and Susan Wing won $50 and “Best Oldie” award!

The most dramatic event on this Labor Day was Paul Beck’s trailer being stolen from a parking lot in an area of the dealership without surveillance cameras. Paul, who hauls his 1918 Model T truck on his flat bed trailer, found the trailer missing when he went to retrieve a camera from his truck approximately two hours after he arrived at the dealership. The trailer was gone, but Paul’s truck was still there. The police were summoned and a report was made. Luck was with Paul on this day as he was contacted by the police department around 10PM that evening saying that his trailer had been recovered! The police had found a tag on the trailer with Paul’s name and phone number. A jack was missing and the once chrome hubcaps were now painted black, but other than that, the total loss was less than $100. The thief was in police custody, but Paul had few details about his fate. Several trailers have been stolen from Tin Lizzie members in that past few years, and Paul is extremely lucky to be the only club member to recover his trailer. So, this 12 hour theft has a rare happy ending!

Thank you to event coordinator Mercedes Mares of Power Ford for the invitation to participate in her dealership’s Labor Day event!