Ford Model T - The first people's car from Detroit

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Ford Model T - The first people's car from Detroit

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Created on January 1, 1971

Text:

Rudolf G. Schroeder

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Ford Motor Company

12

Bruno von Rotz

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Archiv

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Ford Model T (1921) - Henry Ford stands proudly next to his product

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Ford Model T (1912) - open as you know it

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Ford Model T (1924) - efficient production as the top priority

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Ford Model T (1926) - View of the assembly line production

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Ford Model T (1915) - workers were paid 5 dollars and worked 8 hours a day

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Ford Model T (1914) - Chassis are ready to be married to the body in Highland Park

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Ford Model T (1926) - was also assembled in Berlin Westhafen

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Ford Model T (1911) - the entire product range

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Ford Model T Runabout (1925) - and an owner with matching clothing - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2020

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Ford Model T (1915) - fights its way through the rain to Seelisberg - O-iO 2016

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Ford T (1925) - Oldtimer in Obwalden OiO 2011

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Ford Model T (1912) - in the "Corso" category at the Opfertshofen Memorial Hill Climb "Rendezvous am Kleinen Klausen" 2021

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Ford Model T (1912) - in the "Corso" category at the Opfertshofen Memorial Hill Climb "Rendezvous am Kleinen Klausen" 2021

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Ford Model T Touring (1913) - at the classic car meeting in Obwalden (O-iO) 2018

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Ford Model T (1912) - Classic Gala Schwetzingen 2019

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Ford Model T (1925) - at the Oldtimer Grand Prix Safenwil on September 3, 2016

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Ford Model T (1923) - was also produced in large series in Great Britain - Coventry Transport Museum

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Ford Model T Tourabout (1911) - for the whole family - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2017

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Ford Model T Tourer (1913) - the robust engine - at OTM Winterthur 2015

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Ford Model T (1910) - not in black for once - at Retro Classics 2016

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Ford Model T Speedster (1912) -ready to run - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2017

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Ford Model T - on the move - Classic car Sunday morning on June 2, 2019

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Summary

It is well known that Henry Ford built the most famous mass-produced car in the world: the Tin Lizzie. Building cars in more or less large series was not Ford's invention. Other Americans and Europeans had done this before him. But Ford set world standards in series production in many respects. T-models were also built in Germany from 1926, namely as assembly production in Berlin. In this report, the author studies the successful model in detail. It is shown in many pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

Adaptations for modern road traffic
Off-road
Better safe than sorry
Robust engine technology
Simple electrics
Low maintenance costs (at the time)
Torque from the cellar
Progressive, but not quite standard-compliant
It takes some getting used to

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

A Ford T is a collector's item today, even though over 15 million of them were built from 1908 to 1927 in practically unchanged form. Its price was initially 1000 dollars, but quickly fell to 800 dollars, in 1914 to 550 dollars and in 1924 to 290 dollars. You only had to pay a few dollars for a used Tin Lizzie. Today, when there are still a few thousand left in the USA, the price fluctuates between 800 and 5000 dollars, depending on the condition. There are still a few T-models in Europe, and I was able to drive one of them in Switzerland and study it in detail, as there was still a complete replacement engine including gearbox in the same stable. It is a model from 1917, which came to Europe with the American army, was later bought by a Swiss pig dealer and was driven by him until 1930. In 1966, the current owner discovered the car at a car dealer and bought it for 2,000 Swiss francs. By the time it was running, it had cost a total of 11,000 francs because it had been restored with original parts, just as it had left the factory.

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