Ford Model A · 1930 · Lanzarote

Model A

Meet Santi: a 1930 Ford Model A, still on the road, and one of the rarest cars you’ll see on Lanzarote.

See him at car shows How he got his name

Three-quarter view of Santi among palms and white walls

Ford Motor Company

Model: A · 1930
Engine: 3.3 L four-cylinder
Power: 40 hp
Gearbox: 3-speed manual
Top speed: about 105 km/h
Production: 1927 – 1931

Santi’s father Santi's father, the previous owner, with Santi the 1930 Ford Model A

Santi’s father with Santi on one of his visits to the island.

Why Santi

Named after Santiago de Compostela

Santi came to Lanzarote from mainland Spain. We bought him in Santiago de Compostela, from the man who had looked after him until then.

Naming him took a long debate between friends in the UK and Lanzarote. In the end the city won: Santi, after Santiago de Compostela. Santi, the Model A. Santi Modela.

We still call his previous owner Santi’s father. When he visits Lanzarote he misses the car, so he calls us, and we bring Santi out to see him.

When Santi’s father is on the island, he still calls to see him.

The Model A

Nearly a hundred years old

Ford built the Model A from late 1927 to 1931 to replace the Model T. Millions left the factories, and far fewer are still running today. Santi was built in 1930 and still drives on Lanzarote’s roads, where a car of his age is a rare sight.

A favour for a friend

Santi’s day at a wedding

When a friend asked if Santi could take his daughter to her wedding, we couldn’t say no. So Santi was polished up and waited outside the church for the bride and groom.

It was a one-off, done as a favour. Santi doesn’t take wedding or event bookings. You’ll find him at classic car shows around the island.