A Winter Road Trip in a Model T

For all of us here on planet Earth, the past few weeks have been filled with uncertainty. Yet, even in the gray days, things like a call, text or email from a friend have the power to flip a switch and bring some brightness back into the picture. Let’s focus on a little bit of that here today.

A couple weeks ago, a got an email from a friend who used to work with me at TRJ. The subject line was “Car trip for someday?” She and I had driven up and down California more times than we could count (plus plenty of Kentucky), so I was interested to see what she had planned. I couldn’t open it fast enough.

Inside was a nice message and a link to a video about a road trip unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a short film called “Matkalla,” and it chronicled Swiss author Bernhard Brägger’s trip across Europe in a bone-stock 1926 Model T—in the winter.

Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t? Having spent a good portion of my life driving in Midwestern winters, I know how treacherous snow, ice and darkness can be. But to do it a 90+year-old car? That sounds like a good story in the making. I hit play.

Initially, I expected a tale of a man versus machine in a struggle to survive the snowy conditions. It took less than a minute of watching to realize that this was exactly the opposite. Every minute of this film was pure leisure, thanks to Bragger’s calming narration and director Thomas Horat’s cinematography. Yes, the T doesn’t have much in the way of customizations, but I am a big fan of homegrown European map paintjob.

Even though the route may not be familiar to most of us, the story certainly is. Brägger has a special bond with Lizzie, and he talks to her along the way, encouraging her. Through the miles, he has learned how she moves and reacts. Most importantly, he realizes that he will have a hard time ever letting her go.

Matkalla, which is Finnish for “en route,” is a perfect film for right now. It focuses on solidarity as well as man—and machine’s—ability to work through tough times. Check it out and, if you like it, forward it to a friend. It very well could make their day.

—Joey Ukrop