Ford brainchild put the T in century
As the Ford Model T nudges 100 its value is increasing
FORD'S famous Model T is approaching its century and car buffs are anticipating renewed interest, and price surges, on what is still the most popular pre-war collector's car.
The Ford Model T put the world on wheels, selling more than 15 million units in a 20-year production run. Designed to be simple, reliable, economical to run and cheap to buy, the Model T won over millions of first time car owners with its appearance in 1908.
For many early Ford owners, the Model T was their introduction to modern motoring, a step up from a horse and buggy.
Priced initially at around twice the cost of a quality one-horse outfit, but without the labour-intensive requirements of food and stabling and the requisite extra hour's preparation before and after any drive, the Ford must have been a revelation to farmers used to working with the limitations of their horses.
Most people in 1908, especially in rural areas, were heavily restricted in their movements without a motor car. A horse and buggy had a range of about 20km, or 30km with a pair of horses, after which a few hours' rest was required.
Harness had to be oiled, horses groomed, fed, watered and stabled, and the buggy cleaned and put away after every outing. Those with longer distances to cover, or less money, usually opted for a two-wheeled sulky, a single horse vehicle light enough to be drawn a little further but without any real luggage space and only two seats.
The buggy, often the pride and joy of the household, seated two, four or six people, and sometimes incorporated convertible features so that seats could be removed or added and extra luggage carried. Even so, passengers wore what they needed as there were no glove compartments, magazine racks or drinks holders. Most buggies would fit at most a small carry bag under the seat.
More elaborate rigs might have the luxury of a roof.
A drive into town was a once-a-week journey at most, and many made the trip no more than a few times a year. The long distances covered by most people today were inconceivable to the ordinary horse and buggy family.
The Ford Model T changed much of that. With a relatively commodious body, deep sprung leather-covered seats, a folding roof and windscreen, the Ford must have seemed unbelievably luxurious to those used to a horse-drawn vehicle.
The Model T had doors, initially just on the back but later beside each seat, and long running boards making it far safer and easier to enter than the high sprung buggy with it's overlapping carriage wheels requiring a giant leap of faith for anyone getting in or out. Most importantly, the motor car could run all day without a rest, and required no special daily maintenance to keep it in running order.
While the Ford Model T had plenty of idiosyncrasies, like a foot-operated gear change between the two gears, a hand accelerator and a fuel tank under the driver's seat, it was well made, using quality vanadium steel and other carefully chosen materials.
The price was affordable too, dropping steadily over the 20 years of production to just a few hundred dollars in 1928. Every mechanical part was interchangeable with any other Ford T no matter what year model, and even the body parts could be swapped to keep the vehicle looking fashionable.
It came with a beautifully illustrated handbook, explaining step by step how to fix any conceivable problem, and Ford built a gigantic international service network ensuring that his product was kept running anywhere in the world.
While the Model T was hugely popular, its simplicity made it the object of fun for owners of other makes, particularly as the design-aged and more modern cars became available from other makers. As it neared obsolescence in 1928 the Model T was widely derided as an "old crock", an unfair reputation that lingers among some car collectors. Perhaps this is one reason the Model T is the cheapest and most common of any veteran or vintage collector car today, when far inferior marques fetch two or three times as much.
Perhaps because so many were made, a higher proportion of cars has survived than any other make. Well over a million Ford Ts are still on the road today, testament to the extraordinary quality of the original design.
The popularity of the Model T means the model is supported by enthusiasts and clubs in every important city in the world. Consequently, it is the easiest entry point for a motoring enthusiast wanting to experience the thrill of veteran or vintage driving.
Restoration is aided by several dozen specialised companies that continue to manufacture brand new spare parts for the car, everything from brass headlamps to replica mudguards and radiators.
The continued popularity of the make means prices are competitive, and an entire car still can be built up from new parts for around $30,000.
In 2003, to celebrate the centenary of the company, Ford did just that and built six brand new Model Ts using new parts, which were then given to motoring museums.
The 2003 Model T-100s were made by hand and replicate the 1914 Model T, chosen as this was the first Model T built on a production line.
The six new models are identical to original cars, and were finished in black, used by Ford as it was the fastest drying paint colour.
In 2003 Ford in Geelong held centenary celebrations to mark the founding of the Ford Motor Company and involving a fair selection of early Fords.
Most Model Ts are still valued in Australia at well under $20,000, making them the most accessible entry to a pre-1930 car and their extraordinary robustness means running costs are low.
Geelong mayor Barbara Abley who emphasises Ford's importance to the region's economy as the biggest employer.
"There are many three-generation families who work for Ford," she says. It's no surprise that Geelong is also home to a particularly strong Ford club, with many veteran and vintage Fords owned by some of the 3000 Ford employees, but, true to form for the Model T at least, there were dissenters.
The disgruntled owner of a new Ford disrupted celebrations by driving past with a giant lemon on the back of his Ford ute.
Antony Davies | August 22, 2007
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22262155-5001942,00.html
