" Field, owner of the first "Ramblin' Wreck" The term "Ramblin' Wreck" has been used to refer to students and alumni of Georgia Tech much longer than the car that now bears the name has been in existence. The expression 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 Wrecks were constructed from whatever the engineers could find—mostly old tractor and automotive parts—and were kept running by the engineers' ingenuity and creativity. Other workers in the area began to refer to these vehicles and the men who drove them as "Rambling Wrecks from Georgia Tech." Field cared so much for the car that he even nicknamed it "Nellie". The vehicle was distinguished by its metallic black paint job and a large black box fastened to the rear end by a
wooden wheel's hoop. The black box's contents were never revealed to the student body and the box became part of the mystique of the Old Ford. The student body initially nicknamed the vehicle "Floyd's Flivver" but eventually began to call the car the "Ramblin' 'Reck." The first mention of Field's Ford as a ''Ramblin' 'Reck'' was in 1926 when he performed an overhaul of the car's engine, body, and paint job with the help of the campus machine shop. Dean Field found a love for travel with his Model T. Field quelled the rumors with a personal interview in the last issue of the 1927
Technique. By September 1928, Field felt he could not travel as much with the dilapidated Model T. To the dismay of the student body the vehicle was discarded by Dean Field in 1928 and a Model A was purchased. Field's Model A lasted until 1934 in which he bought a
Ford V8. He would drive over in all three cars during his Georgia Tech tenure of 1900–1945. The finish line was facilitated by the
University of Georgia student newspaper
The Red and Black. The only rule of the race was that the car had to be a pre-1926
4-cylinder motor car. The Tech administration disliked the perilous race and reduced the race to a more peaceful and regulated parade of contraptions known as the
Ramblin' Wreck Parade after races were completed in 1929 and 1930. The Yellow Jacket Club facilitated the first official Ramblin' Wreck parade in 1932. The only break in the parade's continuous operation occurred with the onset of World War II. There were no parades from 1942 to 1943 and when the parade did continue in 1944, all Wrecks had to be human powered. In 1946, the Ramblin' Wreck Parade was allowed to operate combustion engines again.
Mascot for students Dean of Student Affairs
Jim Dull recognized a need for an official Ramblin' Wreck when he observed the student body's fascination with classic cars. Fraternities, in particular, would parade around their House Wrecks as displays of school spirit and enthusiasm. It was considered a
rite of passage to own a broken down vehicle. In 1960, Dull began a search for a new official symbol to represent the institute. He specifically wanted a classic pre-
war Ford. Dull's search would entail newspaper ads, radio commercials, and other means to locate this vehicle. The search took him throughout the state and country, but no suitable vehicle was found until the autumn of 1960. Dean Dull spotted a polished 1930 Ford Model A outside of his apartment located in
Towers Dormitory. The owner was Captain Ted J. Johnson, Atlanta's chief
Delta Air Lines pilot. The two spent two years and over $1,800 restoring the vehicle. Johnson used spare parts from many different sources to refurbish the rusty hulk. He bought the
mahogany dash from a parts dealer in
Caracas, Venezuela, and used
Convair 440 aluminum sheets to replace the flooring. After Craig graduated from high school, he attended
Florida State on a track scholarship. In 1960, Craig's track team would be in Atlanta competing against Tech. Johnson, wanting to see his son compete, took the Model A to Tech campus, parked it near Towers dormitory, and went to watch Craig compete. The team prevailed 24–0 and the Wreck became an instant success within the Tech family. The Wreck has since led the team onto the field for every home game.
Bobby Dodd's restorations The current color scheme was selected in 1974 by then athletic director and former head coach
Bobby Dodd. The original Wreck decor featured a wooden GT shield on both the driver- and passenger-side doors. This shield was removed during Dodd's revitalization of the old Model A. Dodd chose an
old gold paint from a
Lincoln car paint catalogue as the base for the new color scheme.
Pete George's restorations From 1973 to 1987, 1947
IE alum Pete George maintained the Ramblin' Wreck at the
Hapeville Ford Plant. George would mastermind the 1974 change of colors as well as a major refurbishment of the Wreck in 1982 in time for Georgia Tech's 1985 centennial celebration. The car was completely disassembled, rebuilt, and repainted by late 1982. There were a few noticeable changes to the Ramblin' Wreck after the 1982 refurbishment. An aftermarket
chrome stone guard was added to protect the grill, the emblems on the side were removed and replaced by a basic GT decal on the doors. The 1952 Yellow Jackets were moved to the front tire wells. The white horn was chromed over. The old tire cover was a shield with a football helmet-wearing yellow jacket. This was replaced with a white generic
naugahyde Ford tire cover. The blackwall tires and brakes were replaced with
whitewall tires and modified brakes.
Modern role of the Wreck The Ramblin' Wreck has led the Yellow Jacket football team onto Grant Field almost 300 games. It also makes appearances for other Georgia Tech sports teams: it is often seen before big
basketball games at
Hank McCamish Pavilion, occasionally parked outside of
Russ Chandler Stadium during warm weekend
baseball series, and has attended several
softball games a year at the new mid-campus stadium. A symbol of the institute's academic and collegiate tradition, the old Model A is often dispatched to special events on campus. It is always present when new buildings are opened or dedicated. On December 5, 2006, the Wreck became the first car to drive across the new
Fifth Street Bridge. Every spring, the Institute holds a ceremony, known as When the Whistle Blows, to honor students, staff, and faculty who died during the previous year. The
Georgia Tech Whistle is blown once for each person who died, and once more to salute Georgia Tech alumni and friends who may also have died. A
procession of the military escort, led by the Ramblin' Wreck, leads up to the ceremony, during which the Wreck is parked next to the speaker's stage. During Tech Homecoming, the Ramblin' Wreck has several duties. Several days before Homecoming, it acts as a giant gold
starter pistol for the
Mini 500 tricycle race. The Wreck's next task is to lead the racers out of the starting line in the
Freshman Cake Race. On the day of the Homecoming football game, the Wreck leads the
Ramblin' Wreck Parade, then leads the football team onto the field. A ride in the Wreck serves as a gift to many retiring faculty and staff; a ride onto Grant Field is one of the greatest honors Georgia Tech can bestow.
Kim King, for example, received this honor on October 2, 2004, during halftime of the
Miami game. == Wreck traditions and specifications ==