'Jalopies' or 'Antiques,' Some Student Cars Go On Forever

There are still a few hardy--or foolhardy--old car enthusiasts in the neighborhood these days who are defying the laws of diminishing returns and displaying a strong faith in God, Montgomery Ward, and anti-freeze.

These perseverent jalopy-lovers are refusing to put their vehicles into hibernation for the winter and to await the usual rash of outworn rattlotraps which breaks out every spring in Cambridge.

One of the most noteworthy of the ancients braving the elements during the approaching months is a determined, if frail-looking black two-door Ford sedan of 1921 vintage, which belongs to John D. Little '51, of Eliot House. According to Little, this automobile is very similar to the first sedan ever made by Henry Ford.

"Look at those doors," he points out. "They're really quite tricky. In order to get into the front, you have to climb in through the back and walk forward between the two front seats before you can sit down."

Has Advantages

Little boasts, however, that his car has other less dubious advantages. "I travel about 100 miles a week in it, and make about 25 miles on a gallon. New tires only cost $9 and, except for a few blowouts, I haven't had any trouble to speak of."

Little claims he has always "been crazy about old Fords." This is the third one he has owned since coming to Harvard. He commuted in a 1925 model during his freshman year and last year discovered a '25 touring car going to ruin in the parking lot behind Winthrop House.

"I bought it from a couple of freshmen for $20," he relates. "It crossed the country last summer and went a total of 12,000 miles. And outside of fuel, my car expenses for that distance came to only a little more than $2."

This Ford enthusiast is also a member of the Veteran Motor Car Club of America, which organizes summer meetings in New England to which members drive their old automobiles. This summer, in Teterboro, Vermont, Little won a race at one of these gatherings with his present '21 Model T. To win, he had to circle a track twice and remove a spark-plug before anyone else could do the same.

Rolls Is Retired

Another ancient-automobile owner, Lawrence H. Osgood '51, considers his 1929 Packard a leading claimant for the title of "Biggest Old Car" on the campus. It is said to hold 15.

He recently put it into storage and purchased a 1928 Rolls-Royce. Since buying the English car a month ago, Osgood has had it in Byrd's Garage in Cambridge. As his roommate explains the situation, "It's not that there's anything wrong with it. It's just that Mr. Byrd likes Rolls-Royces and we can't get the damn thing away from him."

More successful Rolls owners are Steven B. Sharp '52 (lower picture) and his bother Rodman '51. Their sleek black 1930 convertible with red trimmings boasts chromium-plated cylinder walls, a silver-nicked radiator, an aluminum body, overhead values, an automatic lubrication system, two ignition systems, two carburetors, and a spare gas tank. A wheel can be changed in less than a minute. Its only failures, according to the Sharps, are "the lack of a built-in machine-gun turret and the inordinate amount of gas it consumes."

Car of All Trades

Nathan P. Carleton '51. one of many owners of 1929 Model A Fords, admits his plain black job "doesn't have much character; it's just a darn good car." Lacking the rustic qualities of a Model T or the urbane class of a Rolls, the car amazed its owner recently by apparently running 10 miles on an empty gas tank and coming to a dead stop before a gas station.

Over the years, Carleton's automobile has towed boats, dragged logs, and served as tractor and truck, as well as making several trips to Virginia. Right now, however, it is concentrating on finding the way to Wellesley.