1923SM Gray-Dort Featured on 2002 Coin - 1923 Dort Harvard

The ironic part of reporting on any Gray-Dort car story is that one always has to refer to the archives to find things. When the web site was first started I received an email regarding a 1923 Dort that an American gentleman sent me information about how he drove it on Sundays and in parades. That was a few years ago when the web site was in a different form. Unfortunately, I no longer have his contact information but if someone does have this info then I can revise this story. I wanted to reassure this gentleman that I hadn't forgotten about the pictures he sent me. I have found the name of the owner which was supplied by the Durant Motors Auto Club. The current owner is Dwayne Williams.
Over the past few years I accumulated a couple of pictures and now I can finally tie them together. Having just received an email regarding the new president of the Durant Motors Auto Club, Rick Botti, from Lance Hayes, they had a picture of this 1923 Dort Harvard on their site. The ironic thing is that the 1923 Dort Harvard is the same model as the 1923SM Gray-Dort featured on the 2002 $20.00 commemorative coin. The nice twist to this story that although the Canadian version of this 1923 model is in the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta and is only on display and is not restored, the 1923 Dort Harvard is still running. Having been fortunate enough to have ridden in an open Gray-Dort car, by the good graces of many of the Gray-Dort owners, nothing compares to the time warp that is experienced when riding in an open horseless carriage. The shift in time is not the only thing that one experiences. The exhilaration of the open air with regard to the environment passing by the roadside instead of zipping by in a metal bubble. Fortunately, because of many owners pursuing restorations, the enjoyment and experience of the journey is still possible instead of just getting there. It is unfortunate that our roadways are not more friendly to slower moving vehicles, for both carriages,horseless carriages, and bicycles.