SUN CITY WEST, Ariz.- They say that fine wine and cheese reach perfection after they've aged. Maybe cars do, too.

A former Sheridan resident still drives his 1915 Model T Ford. Frank Pratt recently took part in a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company by driving his black Touring Car from Lancaster, Calif. to the Ford factory in Dearborn, Mich. At 80, Pratt was the oldest person making the trip.

Pratt and his wife, Fran, who now live in Sun City West, Arizona, belong to the Model T Car Club of Southern California. Frank Pratt's' car was one of 43 that made the cross-country trek.

"We left California May 25," Pratt said. "We made it to Dearborn June 12. Took a long time to get ready for it. I just got back Saturday."

The car was purchased new at Gillen's Auto Sales in Chesapeake. Pratt bought the car 10 years ago, and had the engine overhauled shortly afterward.

"It's been completely restored. I think it's in pretty good shape now. It took about a year to do it."

The Ford mobile road show toured nine states, traveling with some 2,700 miles from start to finish. Other car clubs joined the one from California at various points along the way. Pratt said the trip was an opportunity to see the country- at a more leisurely pace than motorists are accustomed to these days. And because the trip was a two-lane, off-the-interstate journey, it was also a chance to see places he might have missed otherwise.

"Each night there was usually a big welcoming committee where ever we stopped. There was a ceremony and a meal and a gift of some kind, usually telling us something about that area," Pratt said. "I enjoy meeting people."

The tour ended with a parade along Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, and a bash hosted by the Ford Motor Company. On hand were Edsel Ford II, great- grandson of Henry Ford, and the company's chairman and chief executive officer, William Clay Ford.