Stories of the Ramblin' Reck

In an effort to spread the history of the Ramblin' Reck here are two short stories (ok, well blurbs) from Ken Box who was the 1975 and 1976 Ramblin' Reck Driver. The first involves the Ramblin' Reck and the Notre Dame Leprechaun in Atlanta in 1976 and the second story is one of my favorites and includes some mutt-lovers in the cesspool. Hope you all enjoy them.

Ken Box w/ the Ramblin' Reck: 1976

Notre Dame

"When we played ND (and won in 1976) the ND Leprechaun wanted a picture standing on the running board of the Reck. As the picture snapped I opened the door and knocked him off pretending I didn't know he was standing there. Then I told him for his safety he shouldn't get close to the Reck while the student body was watching."

Georgia
"The 1977 Reck driver , Tom Smith, was a good friend of mine. He rode shotgun with me on out of town trips and he was a good 'engine head' so his engine repairs skills always came in handy. After the 1976 UGA game in Athens our police escort disappeared. The Reck was running very rough...misfiring a lot. I didn't think we would make it to the U-haul truck and get back to Atlanta. We were in an empty parking lot adjacent to Sanford stadium trying to tune up the engine. A car drove up with a bunch of drunk Dawgs. Two of the rednecks jumped out of the car and said they were going to take the Yellow Jacket spare tire cover. Tom Smith jumped out of his Blazer with a 9mm pistol aimed at their loud mouthed leader and said, 'Go ahead, make my day!' Needless to say, they left in a hurry!"

Can I get a HELL YEAH on that last story?

Ramblin' Reck History: A Story

The history of the one and only Ramblin' Reck can be a little vague. So here is a story that adds to what makes the Reck so special:

Honestly, this is one of my favorites. The Reck was taken to Knoxville and painted Tennessee Volunteer Orange after the Reck Club had been told by UT officials that it would be taken care of. The following article was written by the Sports Editor of the Technique in reponse to the act. I hope y'all enjoy it.

Trivia Tidbit: GA Representative Phil Gingrey was the Reck Driver that year.

Vols Paint Reck, UT to Receive Bill
Jim Simpson, Sports Editor, October 18, 1963
There is no news in the fact that the Yellow Jackets flattened the UT Vols last Saturday. No doubt the Jackets would have won even had they not been angry over losing 7-6 to LSU, but anger can produce the desire to exert that little bit extra, and the Recks probably got a little hot under the collar upon seeing the Ramblin' Reck painted glaring red-orange.

That's right-RED-ORANGE. The Reck was towed to Knoxville last Friday and stored under lock and key on the UT campus. The administration of the University of Tennessee had agreed to provide for the security of the car, and should have had the foresight to preclude any attempts by pranksters to tamper
with our Model A. However there was no nightwatchman, and someone succeeded in breaking in and painting the Reck-top, sides and tires-rather thoroughly.

I would say that we at Tech are definitely not against practical jokes, but the UT boys carried this one a little too far. One hears from time to time of the kidnapping of a mascot, but as yet I haven't heard of one being shot, which is comparable to the dousing of the Reck.

The repair bills will be sent shortly to the University, with the hope of being reimbursed in full. However this expectation may never be compiled with after the much disputed and finally refused protest of UT Athletic director Bob Woodruff concerning the 54 yard pass play by Lothridge and Davis in last
Saturday's game.

Speaking of "shooting a mascot"...about 5 years later, an Auburn fan shot the Ramblin' Reck in the radiator.

A History Lesson in Tradition: The Ramblin' Wreck

In our move, we are also migrating over some of our more popular and more important posts. Here is the history of the one and only Ramblin' Wreck.

Many of you may have realized that one of my favorite constants here at Georgia Tech is the Ramblin' Wreck.

So here is a little history lesson on the ONE AND ONLY Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech.

The Phrase

The term Ramblin' Wreck has been around a lot longer than the car has been here at Georgia Tech. The term was first coined towards us during the late 19th century in South America. There, many Georgia Tech engineers made automobiles of whatever spare parts they could find. These vehicles and engineers were dubbed "Ramblin' Wrecks from Georgia Tech".

The Early Years

The first mechanical mascot for Georgia Tech was not the 1930 Model A we know today. It was actually the 1914 Model T owned by Dean of Men, Floyd Field. Field drove the Model T around campus, to and fro during his tenure from 1916-1929. Eventually the students of Georgia Tech grew to associate Dean Field with his model T and first called the car "Floyd's Flubber". Later down the line, in 1926 was the first association of the Model T and the Ramblin' Wreck. In 1929, Field had to get rid of the car as it could not travel as the Dean wanted to. The Technique gave the car an obituary that year saying:

'The car itself was a stimulus to flaggering spirits. What persistence lay in its performance, as year in and year out it hauled the Dean to and from school. Of course its body was not in keeping with the latest styles, or its color one to excite an artist, but what can be more beautiful that faithfulness, who can ask more of machinery other than to have it run.'

In a memorial to the car, a race to Athens was held in its honor. The descendant of this race is the Ramblin' Reck Parade which is still put on by the Ramblin' Reck Club and held the morning of the homecoming football game.

The Real Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia

Tech

It wasn't until 1960 did the Ramblin' Wreck make it on campus. The then Dean of Students, Dean Dull saw that it was very popular for students to have wrecks that could barely run. It was more or less a rite of passage for a student to own a Wreck. Dean Dull set out to have an official Ramblin Wreck that the entire student body could enjoy. He was specifically looking for a pre-World War II Ford. One day as he was leaving his apartment at Towers dorm when he saw it parked outside, a 1930 Ford Model A. The owner was a gentleman by the name Ted Johnson, a Delta pilot, who had bought the car from a junkyard and had restored the car with his son Craig. Dean Dull convinced Johnson to sell the car for $1,000. Johnson later returned the money and made it official that he donated the Ramblin' Wreck to Georgia Tech. The ONE AND ONLY Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech had been born and finalized.

The Ramblin' Wreck led the football team out onto the field for the very first time on September 30, 1961against Rice University in which the Yellow Jackets won 24-0. Last summer, infamous accident occurred and many people were worried that the Wreck would not be able to lead the team out for the first time since its inception. The final touches were put on the night before the game by members and alumni of the Reck Club. That afternoon, the Wreck led the Yellow Jackets onto the field to the roar of the crowd. It has led the team out ever since. August 28th will be the 293rd consecutive game the Wreck leads the team into battle.

Photo courtesy of Max Shirley

Facts about the Wreck

Many people have no idea who maintains the car or who drives the car. It is the Ramblin' Reck Club who takes care of the car on behalf of the student body. Every year after the Georgia game the club holds officer elections and the driver is voted in during these elections.

The Ramblin' Wreck is a 1930 Ford Model A Sports Coupe. There is ONLY ONE of these vehicles on campus. The Alumni Association has a 1931 Ford Model A Roadster that they use for Alumni Association functions that the real Reck can not attend. The Georgia Tech Hotel and Convention Center has a 1930 Ford Model A shell that sits in the lobby of the building.

There have been two female drivers of the Ramblin' Reck, the first was Lisa Volmar in 1984.

The first student driver was Don Gentry, the 1961 Ramblin' Reck Club President.

Bobby Dodd is ther person responsible for the current scheme. He liked 1971 Lincoln Gold so much that he had the football helmets painted that way to match the color on the Wreck.

The first wedding the Wreck appeared at was at the wedding of an alumni named famously, Calvin Johnson in 1978.

Since September 30, 1961 there have been 10 different head coaches, 6,885 points scored on Grant Field, 190 victories at Bobby Dodd Stadium, and 1 Ramblin’ Wreck.

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