(Photos and words by Darr Hawthorne) • There was a time when owning an automobile was a privilege reserved for the rich. Then along came Henry Ford. When Ford introduced the moving assembly line, he didn’t just build a better car, he revolutionized the way the world manufactured everything. Ford cranked out vehicles and suddenly the average working family and his assembly line workers could own an automobile. The Ford Model T put the entire world on wheels.
More than a century later, that pioneering spirit is still alive as dozens of century old Fords gathered at the base of Hill Street the dividing line between Long Beach and Signal Hill, California to tackle one of Southern California’s most unique automotive traditions. The goal is to motor to the top of a steep, one-tenth-mile climb featuring an engine-testing 22-percent grade.
Today’s Camaros and Mustangs barely notice the incline, but a 100-year-old Model T has to huff and puff to gain every foot of it, with help from a much-deserved running start.
The 2026 event found the top time of 11.71-seconds by Jerry Sherman Jr. in his Model T-powered Sprint car that his dad purchased in the early 70’s. In a previous life the car had raced on local dry lakes and dirt tracks.
John Von Karvaly has driven this 1920 Touring Car for the past fifteen years, climbing the grade in 11.96-seconds with an overhead valve 4-cylinder conversion.
Steven Chase powered his 1923 Speedster up Signal Hill in 14.22-seconds. His hot rod appeared in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and he took a handful of runs up the incline.
Chris Craig drove his Model T-powered 1914 Speedster, sporting a Weber carb and a ’28 Chevy head. He climbed Signal Hill in 14.33-seconds.
In 1957 the Long Beach Model T Club organized its first climb of Signal Hill. What started as a friendly challenge quickly became one of SoCal’s must-attend vintage automotive events. Year after year, spectators lined the sidewalks to watch buzzing magnetos, grinding transmissions, and determined drivers who persuaded their “Tin Lizzies” up the famous hill.
Against all odds, and to the surprise of first-time spectators, the little old Fords conquered the climb with remarkable determination.
The yearly event continued for 23 years before rising liability insurance costs and disagreements with adjacent property owners eventually brought the curtain down on a cherished tradition in 1979.
When the City of Signal Hill celebrated its Centennial in 2024, they joined with the Long Beach Model T Club to bring back the Signal Hill Climb.
The revival proved to be such a tremendous success that the Model Ts returned this year as part of America’s nationwide celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States.
Drivers leaned forward over skinny steering wheels while a couple hundred spectators cheered from the sidewalks and hilltop finish line, watching history back come to life, one 4-cylinder at a time. The Signal Hill Model T Hill Climb serves as a reminder of where it all began. It’s hosted by the Long Beach Model T Club.
More than 100 years after Henry Ford changed the world, the Model T is still climbing those steep hills, and the two-dozen competitors loved it.
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM SIGNAL HILL HILL CLIMB!
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