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The Ramblin' Wreck is on the road to recovery.
The Reck Club-operated 1930 Ford Model A sports coupe was damaged while being transported to an off-campus event in June. Tech student John Bird was at the wheel of a Ford Expedition owned by the Alumni Association, which has over the years allowed the club to use the vehicle as well as its covered trailer. The Wreck, which has served as an official Georgia Tech mascot since 1961, was tied down inside the trailer.
As soon as news of the accident broke, donations began pouring in to the Georgia Tech Foundation. Bird told the Technique that donations sent to the Foundation amounted to about $15,000 and that the Ramblin' Reck Club had raised another $5,000 from current and former members. He said that was enough to cover the repair costs as well as the vehicle's maintenance costs.
The Ramblin' Wreck is expected to be driven onto the football field at the home opener Sept. 8 against Samford.
Exact cause of the single-vehicle accident has not been determined. Joseph P. Irwin, president of the Alumni Association, said the cause was not equipment failure.
"The insurance payoff we got for the Expedition and the trailer combined was enough money for us to buy a new truck," Irwin said. "We have an old trailer we're using right now. It will be next spring before we can afford a new one."
The SUV and trailer landed in a ditch. The straps holding the Wreck in place broke and the Model A fell onto its left side. The roof and fenders also were damaged.
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