Borders gears up for Model T Ford centenery rally

MAJOR rally to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Model T Ford is to be held in the Borders – attracting car lovers from around the world, writes Bob Burgess.

And 100 Model Ts will tour the area, including Kelso, St Boswells, Selkirk, Melrose and Peebles.

Owners of the historic cars from Sweden, Denmark, France, Holland, Norway, Ireland and the USA will converge on the rally’s base at the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel to join UK owners.

It’s being hailed as one of major events on this year’s Borders calendar.

Scottish Borders Council Convener Alasdair Hutton commented: “This will be one of the biggest events of the year in the Borders and will attract people from around the globe, so the eyes of the world will be on the Borderland. It is a marvellous initiative and we are behind it all the way.”

And the rally is to have its own tartan – it’s been designed by Selkirk-based Lochcarron of Scotland in conjunction with organiser Mike Povey from Ancrum.

When the Model T was first produced in the USA in 1908 it was said to be “as homely as a mule and useful as a pair of shoes”, and was voted the car of the century.

It had a 20 horsepower, four cylinder, three bearing engine, a detachable cylinder head, three-point suspension and just two forward gears.

Production of the Model T ceased in the US in 1927 and was replaced by the Model A.

The first chairman of the of the Ford Motor Company was a Scot – Alexander Malcomson from Ayrshire.

In 1911 a Model T was driven to the top of Scotland’s highest mountain Ben Nevis by Henry Alexander. Members of the Alexander family will join dignitaries at a civic reception in Edinburgh’s City Chambers during the rally in May.