They look quaint now, a mere shadow of modern vehicles in terms of size and standard features — no heat, no air conditioning and certainly no CD player.

But those who own one say they are incomparable to any vehicle made since. These cars are a piece of history they not only save, they savor.

This year the Model A Ford will celebrate its 80th birthday. In celebration of the milestone, Saturday has been declared International Model A Day.

Local enthusiasts will gather at 10 a.m. at the Lawrence County Courthouse for their own meet-and-greet.

Bruce Johnson, of Proctorville, who owns several Model A cars, will be among those gathering.

“About 5 years ago I was told that a friend of mine owned a Model A he was restoring and I wanted to get a car to work on, visited him and found out more about the Model A,” Johnson explained. “The history is limitless, uses for the car historic, and the impact on early American car history is incredible. I purchased my first Model A from a person in Baton Rouge, La., and he brought the car to Proctorville for me, and now the rest is history.”

After a couple of hours of fellowship, the Model A owners will take their vehicles to Boyd County Ford in Ashland, Ky., for photographs.