With so many auto insurance policies now including some sort of roadside assistance these days, I’m not sure how many drivers even still use the American Automobile Association services, or AAA for short. However, Triple A was once quite popular in the U.S., assisting motorists with issues ranging from breakdowns to locking keys in their cars, and I remember seeing their oval-shaped stickers on the chrome bumpers of numerous vehicles when I was growing up. This 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe is a fun relic from the distant past, as it formerly served the citizens of Rhode Island as an AAA responder. It’s still located in The Ocean State and can be spotted here on Craigslist, where the seller has set his asking price at $8,500.
T.J., we’d like to thank you for the tip and for sharing this cool find with us! The seller tells us this one was discovered inside a warehouse in Newport a couple of years ago, where it had been stored for nearly five decades before being rescued. There are several words I don’t like to find in listings of autos for sale, with “bent” and “missing” being a couple that quickly come to mind. However, seeing “rodents” usually makes me cringe, and unfortunately, the Ford is said to have turned into a condo for mice and rats during its years of inactivity.
Fortunately, the wiring harness has since gotten swapped out, along with the seat padding replaced and some fresh vinyl upholstery installed, which hopefully leaves little evidence that critters once called the Model A their home. That’s also a new black canvas roof on top, and all things considered, this one cleaned up rather nicely overall. Originally, the paint started as black, but when the Sport Coupe went into AAA service it was painted red and yellow, synonymous with the Shell service station colors where the car was headquartered in Providence all those years ago.
It’s believed the collector who acquired the Ford when it was retired from service rebuilt the engine. However, with all the time spent idle, the motor didn’t want to start right away. An investigation revealed a stuck valve, and once a couple of minor mechanical repairs were made, the motor is said to have fired right up. This one’s currently running and driving, although it could use a few more tweaks before being considered roadworthy, with the seller recommending a new set of tires along with installing the rebuilt shocks that come with the sale.
A few areas of rust are mentioned, but with the RI historical value and great patina outside, I’d probably let it be and leave this one as-is. However, that’s just my opinion, and it’ll be up to the future owner to decide whether to preserve this 1930 Ford Model A or turn it into a project. What would you do here?
Good story.
Wow. Maybe 1 mile from home…may need to go see this critter…
Not retaining the AAA livery would be a shame, how many service cars like this could possibly still exist?
Yeah, DON’T repaint it
While the author may be a tad out of touch, AAA responds to over 30 MILLION calls a year. Roadside assistance costs extra on most ins. policies, and we give them enough as it is. Originally started in 1915, AAA is one of the oldest automotive institutions left. I’ve been a member for years and at $89/year, you can’t beat it. Heck, one tow job or jump start can cost hundreds. I can’t seem to find any images of cars used, most were tow trucks, as most times, cars had to be towed anyway. The car may have been a personal vehicle advertising for AAA and has no bearing on its value, if any.
The statement “has no bearing on its value, if any”, taken literally, means that it may have no value. I doubt that’s what you intended to communicate. I expect that you have determined that the fact it was used as an advertising vehicle has no affect on it’s value. However, that is your opinion, not a fact. It is an opinion that I don’t share, but to each his own. Cool find!
If it won’t start just call AAA.
I am with Howard I still keep AAA for my cars and my 2 daughters they in oth live 12 hours from us and it gives some peace of mind both have used the towing service
I love this little car most service vehicles I remember were pickups with wooden front push bumpers
With that wood framing in the trunk, this one may have been one of those converted into a mock one.
“[M]ost service vehicles I remember were pickups with wooden front push bumpers.
I remember them, too. Besides the wooden push bumpers, many of those pickups carried a battery in a box mounted on a front fender, for jump starts.
One mile from home? Go get it! Drive it back.
I didn’t read anything in the article about the missing rear section. Might have been a trunk, or rumble seat or even the aftermarket pickup bed that was used on many of these little cars at one time. This car should be preserved as a service vehicle in my opinion.
God Bless America
I would think AAA itself would buy and restore it ?? just sayin’
I’ve been a AAA member for at least 50 years now. It has come in handy too many occasions to count. I did have one instance when we butted heads though. My youngest sister just began her career as a flight attendant. It happened to be in the dead of winter during a week of 30-40 below (brass monkeys were really complaining). Her apartment block had plugins for the cars but they were on a timer that was on for 15 min. and off for 45. When it’s close to 40 below you need it on steady.
Well, her car (’77 Chrysler Mitsubishi whatever) wouldn’t start at 05:00. It would almost start but the battery would run out and that was it. I gave her my AAA card and told her to use it. Up until then I had never used it. She used it four times that week (before a chinook blew in and warmed everything back up to 40 above) and a month later I got a letter (or rather a snot-O-gram) from AAA strongly advising to get my problems sorted out because those call-outs were costing heavily.
I called my agent who assured me that he would look after it. Apparently, it was fixed because I never had another problem.
Anyways, the car. I’ll never kick a Model A off my driveway. I rather like them. If this came my way, it would get a driver’s restoration and it would be driven (not in 40 below though). An A would be a lot of fun just to drive around. There’s a guy in our neighborhood with a nice ’31 pickup, which he drives the wheels off of. And he has fun every time he starts that engine up…
AAA for decades here, used it a month ago for a tow, tire side wall busted, spare (a mini-spare, 11 years old, never out of its cradle) had a hole in it. Middle of nowhere California (yes, CA is not all people and freeways). Closest AAA was an hour away, towed it. Before AAA I had towing on my car insurance, usually a hassle, I had to pay the operator whatever he said, then argue with my insurance company to get the full amount back to me weeks later. And if you buy a new car, or rent one, many have no spare at all. AAA looks at your card, and your license to be sure it is you, and that is it. They are not perfect, you call, get someone in Texas, they call someone local, assuming their mapping system works well.
Good story as mentioned earlier. Whether it’s true I have no idea, but if the seller thinks it makes it worth much more that’s on him. And the smarmy gendering of cars leaves me colder than cold.
Hi everyone,
I’m representing this really cool piece of New England automotive history.
AAA was so much more than just roadside assistance.
They started out as a legislative entity, lobbying for better roads, traffic laws, etc and pushed hard on that front up through the 60’s. Their focus was more travel and roadside from the 70’s to present. Although I truly respect what they’ve done, I’ve had one too many bad experiences with them and have switched over to Hagerty for my towing/jumps, etc.
This is a relatively solid, running, driving car that can be mobile automobilia, as opposed to just sitting in a garage. Would be cool to have her stay in New England but, if someone is interested, I can have her shipped anywhere.
Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Talk soon,
A legitimate question that I’ve always had regarding purchasing a vehicle sight unseen/ not in person on a site like Craigslist or Facebook and not a protected auction site like eBay, etc is; how does one safely make a long distance transaction? And, shipping as well? Someone could send money and the seller could vanish.
Please enlighten me. And best of luck with the A.
Hi Eric, that is a very good question.
The first thing is do all the research you can on the person who is selling the vehicle. If they’re reputable, licensed business, there will be plenty of information.
Second, use a good escrow service or an escrow account through an attorney. I have one through my attorney. The funds are sent into that account and can’t be accessed until the transaction/paperwork is done.
Third – ask for lots of photos! Specify certain areas if you know them to be trouble spots. I take usually 400+/- photos of every car I sell along with several videos.
Fourth, never spend more than you can afford to lose. I bought a Bugeye sight unseen, the older fellow who was selling the car told me it was 100% rust free. He said he was too old to get good underside photos. When the car got here, while it was a very solid car, there was some rot on the frame assembly under the bonnet. I had to pull the engine to get to it, and I still haven’t finished all the repairs she needs.
I work with several transport companies regularly that I recommend to my clients and buyers, that keeps everyone in the loop and generally happy due to the good communication.
Roughly 60% of the cars I sell for people go out of state to folks who only used the photos and vids on my site to make a decision.
Thanks for asking!
Talk soon,
To Todd J.: is that a 1953 Chrysler? — I’ve always wanted one, but never could find one in excellent condition (I invariably run into 1949, 1950, and 1954 examples — 1951s occasionally: 1952s always were a bit scarce, and the 1953s are downright evasive, when my looking for one is concerned). This Model A is cool in its own way — but I’ll take a hard pass on MICE: they are like cigarette-smoke; you can never get rid of that SMELL, especially in damp weather. And the entire POINT of a Model A, is in owning an old car you can DRIVE reliably. I must be older than you guys: back “in the day”, if you had Triple-A, it was a metal sign usually attached to your licence-plate, not a sticker. My 1946 Ford had one of those. I would not drive without AAA — you never know when you’ll need it — sometimes a bit slow to arrive — but always reliable. In the case of my Ford, I always had to caution them that I had a six-volt car. Back then, you could turn the ignition off and still play the radio (but those tube sets run down a battery quickly!). ENJOY, everybody!
Regarding AAA, I also remember when AAA was more than a service, it was a club. IIRC, some of these club houses had dance halls and banquet facilities. As a kid in the early postwar years, I remember the USPS was still running Model A Parcel Post delivery trucks. I would keep this Model A preserved as it is – maybe add clear coat. Whether as service vehicle or just a private advertising vehicle, it is definitely a conversation piece worth preserving.
Yes it is a very cool car. I would leave it as is. But… All the AAA stories are getting old. Maybe do a commercial or see if they want to buy it for a travelers museum.
Rust never sleeps!