"Montana 500 Endurance Run"

An excerpt from the Official Montana 500 Website says, "The Montana 500 Endurance Run was officially started in 1961 to give Model T owners a chance to get together and share their interest in Model T's. This is a timed event, perhaps unique in the world, as Montana is one of the last places to allow timed events on their public roads.

The 500 takes place in spectacular country, perhaps the most scenic in the lower 48 states. Huge flat green meadows surrounded by forested mountains and snow packed peaks. Nowadays to simplify logistics, the 500 is held out of a hub city. The first and second days are 200-mile days and the third day is a 100-mile day. Pit stops are made each 50 miles or so to gas up, get coffee, or eat lunch. The cars are flagged out at one-minute intervals and are soon jockeying for position and drafting on each other. The cars are then flagged in at each pit stop and are timed out by order of arrival. On the second day, cars are timed out in the reverse order of the 1st day's finish. The slowest car leaves 1st and the fastest car leaves last. This gives a chance for a slower car to draft on a faster car. The third day the cars are timed out by their order of finish on the previous two days. Fastest cars are first and the slowest cars are last."

(Cattle crossings slow down the drivers- see photo.)

Some 15 million Model T's were sold in the United States from 1908 to 1927, according to literature from the national club, before Ford changed to the more "user friendly" Model A. Model T prices were as low as $260, and Henry Ford called it the perfect car for the common man. Well tuned Model Ts will travel in the range of 50 MPH.

For more info check out:
http://www.mtfca.com
http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/montana500