Dirk Regter is an interesting fellow. He owns a Ford Model T from 1915, and one day, Dirk and his wife Trudy decided to make a long trip. The Dutch couple didn’t bother with a destination. Instead, they’re resolute on making a trip around the world with their exceptionally rugged and reliable Tin Lizzie.
“I hope Henry Ford would be proud of me,” declared Dirk in the opening scene of the vid below, a 4-minute clip I urge you to watch after reading this story. When the couple began their trip in the summer of 2012, they left their home in The Netherlands to cover 14,000 miles (22,530 kilometers) in 180 days to Cape Town in South Africa. Yup, the Model T survived the first leg.
It’s amazing when you think that a car which is over a century old can withstand the harshness of unpaved roads, dust, and extreme heat. For the second leg of their trip around the world, Dirk and Trudy Regter visited the U.S. and Canada in 2013, crossing 22 states and traveling 17,000 miles (27,358 kilometers) in 180 days. Amazingly, the Ford Model T suffered two small-time failures during the second leg: a flat tire and a broken alternator.
For the third leg of their world tour, the Regters and their wood spoke-wheeled ticked off 16,000 miles (25,749 kilometers) through South America. Again, in 180 days. Other than the adventure itself, the other main reason why two middle-aged human beings would travel so many miles in a Model T is to collect money for orphan children. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Dirk, Trudy, and their T are doing it for the kids.
Here’s where the story gets gloomy. When they returned to Europe in 2014, during a trip to Belgium, the Tin Lizzie was hit by a truck. The impact took its toll on the front and rear axles, among other components, but Dirk and his wife miraculously escaped with the most minor of injuries. The thing is, now that the Model T is a wreck, they can’t continue their trip nor raise money for orphan children who need their help.
If you’re willing to get involved, you can support Dirk and Trudy by making a donation on their website. Once the car is fixed and in running condition, the couple will continue their tour and charity. The final stints of the trip total 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers) and include New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and India, as well as crossing the Himalayas to China, Mongolia and back to Edam, The Netherlands.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News