Coronado Icon Up For Grabs

Coronado Brewing Company's
Model T Beer Truck To Be Sold

     CORONADO – She turns 90 this year, is one of the most familiar gals in Coronado, and yet the 1924 Model T beer truck, “Olive Oyl,” is for sale and may be leaving Coronado forever.

     The iconic green Model T is owned by the Coronado Brewing Company. The truck can be seen cruising up and down Orange Avenue, Ocean Boulevard, and all streets in between, distinctive as much for it’s sound as its looks.

     Coronado publicist and local historian, Joe Ditler, has been driving the truck daily, and boasts 100 miles a week when the weather is good. “It’s an unbelievable advertising vehicle, if you’ll excuse the play on words,” said Ditler. “I’m sure the truck has paid for itself twice over as a promotion for CBC, but now that the international beer side of their business is growing, they are cutting back on local promotions, and that means selling the truck.”

     The 90-year-old Model T is probably driven more than any Model T, anywhere in the world, said Ditler. Typically he would use the truck to run business errands during the day, restaurant hop at night, and then pile his surfboards in the back for the weekend.

     “It’s a real chick magnet,” said Ditler. “But the chicks are usually in their 80s. And that’s okay, because I’m a sucker for history, and whenever I see old folks looking longingly at the truck, I usually pull over and stop to talk to them.

     “They almost always have an incredible story about a Model T from their youth, and I never tire of hearing about it. The first year I began driving the truck I had this epiphany,” said Ditler. “These are the last people on the planet who have a first-hand memory or experience with a Model T. Once they’re gone, it will be, ‘Oh, I saw one in a movie once,’ or ‘I saw one in a parade once.’ So I have definitely been enjoying the first-hand stories from these folks, and I’m all the richer for having shared in their experiences. And yes, I almost always take them for a ride.”

     The Model T is a 1924 C-Cab truck with the original four-cylinder motor in it. It’s been converted from six-volt to 12 to give her more consistent starting on cold mornings. But most of the truck is original – wood spoke wheels, hand-crank starter, foot pedals, steering column accelerator lever - although it has an electric starter.

     Ditler chased down the truck’s history as best he could. “It started out as a ranch truck in Colorado,” he said. “I have one photo from the Roaring Twenties showing the truck with a saddle draped over the engine cowling, a cowboy sitting on the roof, and a horse in the back. Another photo from the 1970s shows the truck painted bright orange with a calliope in the rear.”

     The truck came to San Diego in 2006 and to Coronado in 2008. Named “Olive Oyl,” the light green Tin Lizzie with purple trim and mermaid logo has become one of the most familiar sights on the island. Her “putt putt putt” of the engine and “Awooga” of the horn have become part and parcel with her looks.

     Ditler calls her “the happy car,” claiming that no matter how foul your mood, when people see her, it’s all smiles and laughter. The truck has participated in eight car shows and 16 parades throughout Coronado and San Diego over the past half dozen years, hosting numerous TV celebrities and historic people. She’s been on magazine covers and featured on dozens of TV programs.

     “I would love to see the truck stay in Coronado,” said Ditler. “While she is officially being advertised across the country for sale, it would be nice to see another Coronado business recognize the advantage of having such an elegant little head turner like this on our streets. And because there are no hills here, you literally can log 100 miles a week. That’s a lot of advertising bang for your buck.”

     For more information, contact Joe Ditler at (619) 435-0767, or write josephditler@san.rr.com.