1908 Ford Model-T Touring

177ci Flathead Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Carburetor, 22bhp at 1,600rpm
2-Speed Planetary Manual Transmission
Transverse Leaf Springs and Solid Axles Front and Rear
2-Wheel Drum Brakes

*Believed to be the earliest Model T surviving
*Discovered in upper Michigan by Donald Hess in 1958
*Extensively restored between 1995 and 2001
*Hershey 1st Prize Junior Award in 2001

THE FORD MODEL T

After spending his formative years as a motor manufacturer experimenting with a variety of models, Henry Ford pared the company's range down to just one - the Model T - destined to be the world's first mass-produced automobile. One of the most important developments in motoring history, the Model T arrived in October 1908, ushering in Ford's new one-model policy that would see more than 15 million sold worldwide by the time production ceased in 1927.

The Model T boasted a simple 100"-wheelbase chassis that contrived to be both lightweight and durable thanks to the pioneering use of vanadium steel, while its track width of 56" was the same as that of a horse-drawn wagon, thereby enabling the Model T safely to negotiate rutted dirt roads. The engine was a 20hp four-cylinder sidevalve displacing 2,896cc, and the transmission a simple-to-use two-speed planetary unit. Rugged, reliable, and easy to drive thanks to its simple, pedal-operated transmission, the Model T introduced more people to motoring than any other car.

Despite its apparent simplicity, the Model T was an advanced design for its day. For example: the four-cylinder block was a single casting with detachable 'head at a time when the majority of manufacturers cast their fixed-head cylinders in pairs. The so-called 'three-point' method of engine installation was equally novel, being a triangulated system, also applied to the axles, that isolated these components from twisting forces applied to the chassis by the inferior roads of the day. A wide range of colours was available before black was adopted as the sole offering in 1913.

The first Model T constructed - serial number '1' - was manufactured (as a 1909 model) on 27th September 1908 and shipped on 1st October of that year. Production of the 1909 Model T continued until 31st July '09, by which time some 10,600 cars had been completed, 7,728 of them as the $850 Touring model.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

The car we offer here – stamped with serial number '2' - may well be one of the oldest Model T's in existence. It is a so-called 'two-lever' car, meaning it has two levers on the left floorboard, two pedals on the floor and another two levers (for ignition and throttle) mounted on the steering column. This arrangement was soon superseded by the Model T's famous three-pedal/one-lever layout, with some records noting the change being introduced after the first 500 cars and others the first 800.

In 1908, it is understood chassis numbers '2' to '9' were shipped to the UK for the London Motor Show where many orders were taken. An article in Model T Times describes how a car with serial number 2 was discovered in the 1950s in upper Michigan, USA by the late Richard Teague, which is how the late Donald B Hess got to hear of it.

Donald Hess had a passion for antique automobiles and it is understood restored six in his lifetime. A member of the Antique Automobile Club of America and the Model T Club of America, he purchased this Model T, sight unseen, for $400 in the fall of 1958. The Model T was shipped by rail to Donald Hess's home in Pennsylvania where it was completely dismantled and stored for the next 40 years. Restoration commenced in 1995, much of the car had not survived the years but fortunately Donald Hess had spent many years accumulating a treasure trove of parts and spares for the very earliest Model T Fords. This meant that throughout the exacting restoration, correct and original parts could be used and after six years the finished car was displayed at Hershey in 2001, winning a 1st Prize in the Junior Award category. A scanned copy of Mr Hess's illustrated article on this Model T, published in Model T Times' March/April 2002 edition and showing its numerous interesting early features, is on file. The next owner, a UK based collector, bought the car directly from Donald Hess and brought the car to the United Kingdom where it remained on static display in his collection, the car is now offered directly from his estate.

As with many Motor Cars of this era, time has blurred the story of the car, and many of those who can recount complete histories are no longer with us. This is an incredibly correct early Model T, restored with huge attention to detail, and although it cannot documentarily be proved to have a continuous history as number '2' it is undoubtedly one of the most significant early Fords to come to market. The car is sold on a bill of sale, as it was never registered in the UK. Presented in incredibly correct condition, this Hershey Prize winning Model T would grace any significant collection or museum.