1924 Model T Touring Car
Info
It can easily be said that the Ford Model T, colloquially known as the “Tin Lizzie”, significantly shaped the landscape of automotive history. The Model T put millions of Americans behind the wheel of their very first automobile at a time when most roads were still ruled by the horse and buggy. The Model T was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It was well built, mechanically simple, reasonably easy to operate, and affordable for the working class. The relatively low price was partly the result of Ford’s efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual handcrafting. The early Model T came with a tool kit, packed the gas tank under the front passenger seat, provided a windshield as an option (before it was standardized), and had to be cranked to get it going. Early Model Ts came in a variety of colors, however in 1914, Ford began mass-producing the Model T exclusively in black for reasons of efficiency and uniformity. This policy lasted until the mid-1920s, when the use of color to reflect personal taste became more common. The savings from mass production allowed the price to decline from $780 in 1910 to $290 in 1924 at which time more than half of all cars sold worldwide were Ford Model Ts. Power to the car was supplied by a 177 cubic inch, 4-cylinder engine with a single barrel carburetor. The engine block and crankcase were cast as a single unit known as a monobloc design. The engine was mated to a 2-speed planetary transmission with Kevlar bands which were controlled by three floor pedals and a hand lever located next to the driver’s seat. The Model T’s braking was provided through contracting bands in the transmission operated by a foot pedal and a hand brake that engaged the rear mechanical wheel brakes. Even though the Model T was a huge success, changing consumer tastes started a decline in Ford sales in 1925, leading to the end of Model T production in 1927.
The Model T was successful not only because it provided inexpensive transportation on a massive scale, but also because the car signified innovation for the rising middle class and became a powerful symbol of the United States’ age of modernization. With over 15 million sold, it was the most sold car in history before being surpassed by the Volkswagen Beetle in 1972. In 1999, the Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century.
About Our Car
The Midwest Dream Car Collections 1924 Ford Model T is known as a Touring Car, a 3-door, five passenger car designed to be affordable and simple. The Model T was slightly restyled in 1924 with a slanted windshield, one-man top and standard electric starter being added. Power to the car is supplied by a 177 cubic inch, 4-cylinder engine with a single barrel updraft carburetor. The car is painted an eye-pleasing Olive Green color, not an unusual color for a car of this era, but not correct for a 1924 model as all Model Ts were painted black from 1914 until 1925. This Model T Touring Car was formerly owned by Charles Bragunier of Waterville, Kansas who enjoyed driving it in local parades until his passing in 2023, at which time it was purchased by the Midwest Dream Car Collection in Manhattan, Kansas. To learn more about this car and to hear it start up please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMhlVRBZ_Y8
Works Cited
Wikipedia
https://corporate.ford.com/articles/history/the-model-t.html