When Epoch Times staff first got the notice that a subscriber wanted to donate a 1929 Dodge vehicle, they thought it was a mistake.
Upon callback, it turned out to be correct. A subscriber from Arizona was donating a 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster.
“I really just wanted this car to go to someone that really appreciated what it is,” Mary Ellen McKee, the owner of the convertible, told The Epoch Times.
Ms. McKee said she always keeps The Epoch Times on her counter at home so she can keep up with the latest news and read the Life & Tradition and Home sections because she loves to cook.
She said that a lot of places that she wanted to donate the car to just didn’t seem right. While talking with a friend about what to do with the car, he brought to her attention the car donation advertisement in the newspaper.
“I just thought, ‘What a great thing to do; I’ll give it to The Epoch Times,’” she said.
The 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster donated to The Epoch Times. (Courtesy of Mary Ellen McKee)
Ms. McKee originally bought the convertible as a surprise for her husband of 42 years, Bob, who has now passed away.
She kept it a secret for two months, all through the purchasing and delivery process in which it had to be delivered in an enclosed trailer brought from back east.
She said the reason it was a surprise was because when her husband was in college in Liberty, Missouri, he bought the same car with the same color pastel cream from his grandfather for $25, to drive to school.
“Bob used to make a lot of my dreams come true, and I always wanted to make his dreams come true,” she said. “So I was just thrilled when I found it, and thrilled when I gave it to him, because he really didn’t ever want anything.”
She said when her husband saw the Roadster again after all those years, he was overwhelmed with joy; it brought back so many memories.
“And that night after dinner, I couldn’t figure out where he was, and he was out in that car and he didn’t want to get out. I don’t even know how long he stayed in it,” she said.
Bob McKee in his 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster. (Courtesy of Mary Ellen McKee)
The car had been rebuilt and restored by the previous owners to the way it was in 1929. They put about 10,000 miles on it, driving it to Dodge Brothers International Meets and many other shows. It was featured at the AACA antique auto museum in 2014 to celebrate 100 years of Dodge and was also featured in several automobile magazines.
The 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster donated to The Epoch Times. (Courtesy of Mary Ellen McKee)
Upon purchasing it, Ms. McKee had more work done to the car to make sure it was in good working condition for her husband.
For the McKees, it was all about driving the car for fun. Ms. McKee said she felt like they were a king and queen driving around in that car.
She said the car “was a real eye catcher,” and whenever they drove it around, people would stop and look.
Her whole family enjoyed the car, she said. Her children and grandchildren would come over to drive it, and her great-grandchildren loved to sit in it.
Ms. McKee noted that when she bought the car there were only 10 of them left that they could find in the country.
The 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster arrives at The Epoch Times warehouse. (Steve Ispas/The Epoch Times)
This particular type of Victory Six Roadster was only produced in 1928 and 1929, with the total production being only 3,350 vehicles. The original cost was $1,250.
It’s a six-wheel roadster with matching trunk rack, rumble seat, leather upholstery, hydraulic brakes, and a six-cylinder 58-horsepower engine.
The body has no wood framing. It was one of the first all-steel mono piece bodies manufactured by the Edward G. Budd manufacturing company.
The 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster donated to The Epoch Times. (Courtesy of Mary Ellen McKee)
With the top down, the rear window comes out and the windshield folds down, reflecting the style of the “fabulous 1920s.”
By supporting the car donation program at cars4epoch.org, readers can help The Epoch Times bring our readers truthful reporting.
The 1929 Dodge Brothers Victory Six Sport Roadster donated to The Epoch Times. (Courtesy of Mary Ellen McKee)
