Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 535
1911 Ford Model T "Frontenac" Roadster Chassis no. 68304 Engine no. 14499152 – see text
Sold for US$49,280 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 535
1911 Ford Model T "Frontenac" Roadster
1911 Ford Model T "Frontenac" Roadster
Chassis no. 68304
Engine no. 14499152 – see text
Chassis no. 68304
Engine no. 14499152 – see text
177ci Inline 4-Cylinder Engine with Frontenac Overhead Valve Conversion
Approximately 35bhp at 2,200rpm
2-Speed Planetary Gear Transmission With 2-Speed Rear Axle
Transverse Leaf Springs and Solid Axles Front and Rear
Rear-Wheel Drum Brakes
*The ultimate in 'sleeper' Model Ts
*70mph plus performance
*2 Speed Rear Axle and desirable wire wheels
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
With the emergence of the Model T and Henry Ford's insistence on a quality stock product and limited availability of options for buyers, in one fell swoop he created a completely new industry of aftermarket components for his cars, not too dissimilar from smartphone accessories today.
Beautifully made though his wooden wheels were, (anyone who has seen the videos of the laborers building them can't to be hypnotized by the process), there were plenty of people who preferred more sporting wire wheels, for those a whole host of options became available, such as the Buffalo made ones on this car. His transverse leaf spring suspension may have been the most universal answer to the rugged American roads of the time, but not everyone wants the sensation of floating like a small boat on the road! So there were numerous alternative bolt on extras to stiffen up the ride. And of course, there was only so much reach that you can get out of a car with two speeds, and there the answer was to double up your options at the rear end, Ruckstell and Columbia being the most prolific producers of this option.
But those were the details, for those would wanted to go that extra mile, or indeed cover that mile faster than anyone else in a 'Tin Lizzie' there were also a host of performance improvements. This brilliant performance T takes the model to the more extreme levels of its development, a true 'sleeper' from 10 paces it may look like a standard roadster, in reality it is anything but.
The Ford is fitted with a Frontenac overhead valve engine conversion, which increases engine performance to nearly twice the standard output, that is then relayed to the road through a two speed rear axle also, if one bears in mind that the bodywork remains of exceptionally light nature to begin with, the extra horsepower and increased gearing give a net result that the car can bowl along at 70mph!
Unused in the last couple of years, a good check over is advised, but if you relish the idea of 'double takes' wherever you go on tours, this potent T might be right up your alley.
Approximately 35bhp at 2,200rpm
2-Speed Planetary Gear Transmission With 2-Speed Rear Axle
Transverse Leaf Springs and Solid Axles Front and Rear
Rear-Wheel Drum Brakes
*The ultimate in 'sleeper' Model Ts
*70mph plus performance
*2 Speed Rear Axle and desirable wire wheels
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
With the emergence of the Model T and Henry Ford's insistence on a quality stock product and limited availability of options for buyers, in one fell swoop he created a completely new industry of aftermarket components for his cars, not too dissimilar from smartphone accessories today.
Beautifully made though his wooden wheels were, (anyone who has seen the videos of the laborers building them can't to be hypnotized by the process), there were plenty of people who preferred more sporting wire wheels, for those a whole host of options became available, such as the Buffalo made ones on this car. His transverse leaf spring suspension may have been the most universal answer to the rugged American roads of the time, but not everyone wants the sensation of floating like a small boat on the road! So there were numerous alternative bolt on extras to stiffen up the ride. And of course, there was only so much reach that you can get out of a car with two speeds, and there the answer was to double up your options at the rear end, Ruckstell and Columbia being the most prolific producers of this option.
But those were the details, for those would wanted to go that extra mile, or indeed cover that mile faster than anyone else in a 'Tin Lizzie' there were also a host of performance improvements. This brilliant performance T takes the model to the more extreme levels of its development, a true 'sleeper' from 10 paces it may look like a standard roadster, in reality it is anything but.
The Ford is fitted with a Frontenac overhead valve engine conversion, which increases engine performance to nearly twice the standard output, that is then relayed to the road through a two speed rear axle also, if one bears in mind that the bodywork remains of exceptionally light nature to begin with, the extra horsepower and increased gearing give a net result that the car can bowl along at 70mph!
Unused in the last couple of years, a good check over is advised, but if you relish the idea of 'double takes' wherever you go on tours, this potent T might be right up your alley.
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