It’s not every day you meet someone with a direct link to a pivotal moment in human history—particularly in aviation. But that’s exactly the impression Reuben Taylor left on me during our conversation. Reuben is the grandson of Charles Taylor, the ingenious mechanic who crafted the first engine to power a Wright brothers plane. Yes, seriously.

Reuben’s story takes us back to 1941, a time he cherishes most from his childhood. At just eight years old, he spent a memorable summer with his grandfather at Greenfield Village, near Detroit. Henry Ford had personally requested the elder Taylor’s help in restoring the Wright brothers’ cycle shop and home. As the sole employee at the Wright cycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, Charles Taylor played a crucial role in aviation history, building the engine that powered the first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., after other engine manufacturers turned down the Wright brothers’ request.

Working from primitive sketches, Charles Taylor custom-built the tools and parts needed, completing the engine in just six weeks. Reuben fondly recalls trying to master a turn-of-the-century bicycle with a large front wheel during that summer and watching his grandfather fire up a replica of the original airplane engine, warning visitors of the incredible noise beforehand.

The knowledge and passion passed down to Reuben during that summer stayed with him, and in 1956, shortly before his death, Charles Taylor entrusted his grandson with his tools of the trade—kept in an old wooden box—continuing the legacy of the Taylor family. This legacy lives on in Reuben, who, now in his 90s, holds two engineering degrees and operates a small car plant on Chicago’s West Side, specializing in restoring Lincoln automobiles.

Reuben Taylor has squeezed every bit of life from his years and continues to do so, day by day, part by part, and car by car. Even now, with his grandfather smiling down, the Taylor name remains a proud one.

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