The 20-millionth Ford car on a countrywide tour visited Lawrenceville on October 30, 1931. Arriving shortly before 9:00 a.m. in a caravan that included twenty of the new Model A Fords, the delegation stopped at the A L Maxwell Company showroom where the drivers were welcomed by Mayor CL Holson.

Mayor Holson, Chief of Police William Stivers, and GL Eshelman and GC Armstrong of the Chamber of Commerce accepted an invitation to ride in the Ford and inscribe their names in the log of the car. The car when it completed its tour would be preserved with other famous automobiles in Greenfield Village, Henry Ford's reproduction of an early American village near Dearborn Michigan.

After a parade through the business district, the 20 millionth Ford stopped for this photo in front of the Lawrenceville High School. (Looks like some of the students got in the photo as well)

The car, completed April 14, 1931, toured the country traveling 24,000 miles. Each of the states it visited presented it with a souvenir license plate with the number 20,000,000. When it arrived in Lawrenceville the car had 34 license plates in its collection.

Contemplation of what the production of 20 million automobiles means may be easier if it is remembered that a total of only 27,000,000 motor vehicles, passenger automobiles, trucks and commercial cars and buses were registered in the entire United States. Allowing less than the usual space between them an area as large as Washington DC would be required to park 20 million Fords and if placed bumper to bumper they would stretch approximately 48,296 miles. (This quote is from the newspaper article.)

Thanks to John King for researching the donated photo and searching the newspapers for the article.