Ramblin’ Wreck

The Ramblin’ Wreck is a 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe that serves as the official mascot of the student body at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The term ‘Rambling Wrecks’ has its origins in the late 19th century and was used originally to refer to the makeshift motorized vehicles constructed by Georgia Tech engineers. The first mechanical Wreck was a 1914 Ford Model T owned by Dean Floyd Field.

About Ramblin’ Wreck in brief

Summary Ramblin' WreckThe Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech is the 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe that serves as the official mascot of the student body at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The Wreck is present at all major sporting events and student body functions. Its most noticeable role is leading the football team into Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field, a duty which the Wreck has performed since 1961. The term ‘Rambling Wrecks’ has its origins in the late 19th century and was used originally to refer to the makeshift motorized vehicles constructed by Georgia Tech engineers employed in projects in the jungles of Central America. The first mechanical Wreck was a 1914 Ford Model T owned by Dean Floyd Field. Until the current W wreck was donated to the school in 1961, most of the early Ramblins were owned by students, faculty or alumni. Several replica or \”false\” Wreck are owned by alumni, or are used for display and do not run. The official Rambl in Reck is considered the only \”true\” Wreck, and no backups or replacements exist. The modern W wreck has donned a number of different paint jobs and has had several restorations and modifications made to it. The upkeep of the W Reck has been the sole responsibility of RamBlin’ Reck Club and the W wreck driver since 1987. The RamblIn’ W wreck is mechanically and financially maintained on campus by students in Ramblen Reck Club. It is owned by Bobby Dodd and Georgia Tech Alumni Pete George, who worked at the Ford plant in Hapeville, Georgia.

The only rule of the race was the car had to be a pre-1926 4-cylinder motor car. The fastest time was achieved by an Essex which completed the 79-mile race in 1 1/2 hours and 55 seconds. The race was sponsored by the Technique, which was facilitated by the University of Georgia. In memoriam to his retired driver, Dean Field, the event was nicknamed the ‘Flying Flivver Race’ The race started in the intersection of Techwood Drive and Prince Avenue in Athens to the finish line was nicknamed ‘The Red and Black and Red and Red’ by the student newspaper, The Black and Black. The event is now known as the ‘Ramblin’ Wreck Parade’ and takes place every year at the end of the football season. The car has been stolen by rival schools, including Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. The University of Tennessee once provided the car with an unsolicited new paint job, and the U.S. Army has stolen the car on at least two occasions. The vehicle was distinguished by its metallic black paint job and a large black box fastened to the rear end by a buggy wheel hoop. The black box’s contents were never revealed to theStudent body and the box became part of the mystique of the Old Ford. The student body initially nicknamed the vehicle ‘Floyd’’ but eventually began to call the car the ‘Rambl in’ ‘Reck’