DEC 9, 2010: 24 CARS AND TRUCKS OF CHRISTMAS: DAY 9-THE FORD MODEL T

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So far, the Cars of Christmas have been relatively modern but that formula gets thrown out with this pick-Henry Ford’s baby…

 

 

The Model T.

 

 

‘You simply cannot talk about any modern production car without including the family tree-and this is the great-grandfather of everything automotive built in any modern factory.’

 

 

This is the Model T.

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This is the car that made owning a vehicle affordable for the average turn of the century working schmoe. In the process, manufacturing moved light years ahead with the advent of workable assembly line processes. That created jobs and in turn Ford added big numbers to the backbone of the economy-the middle class.

 

 

Not only that, Henry continued to drive the price down as production picked up. He kept the “T” simple and added things like electric starters as they became viable.

 

 

It’s not a stretch to state that this vehicle literally built early 20th Century North America because it came in so many incarnations-from passenger car to school bus to semi-trailer to farm tractor…if there was a huge job to do, a “T” probably did it.

 

 

In 2010, the Model T still has one of the biggest, most dedicated group of followers in the hobby-and they all seem to know each other. But even with that big army behind it, the Ford Model T is disappearing every decade. How many do you see at any big Ford meets? That’s truly a crime because we owe everything to this forgiving workhorse…

 

 

Demographics are against the Tmany owners are far more familiar with the Bing Crosby era than the Michael Buble‘ era. But there’s always a future as long as these Ts are being driven regularly and so far that’s not a problem.

 

 

So there it is…the Model T-no hemi engine, no airbags, no traction control, no AC, no GPS, no onboard computer.

 

But it’s always going to be a Car of Christmas-as long as there’s a Christmas.

 

Jerry Sutherland mystarcollectorcar.com

 

COMMENTS

DENNIS:”Let’s add to that, they were built with the kind of quality that makes it possible for there to still be approx. 60,000 on the road today, world wide! They had no pre planned “expiration date”. My 83 year old Model T still “putts” down the road in much the same manner it it did on Feb. 6th 1927, the day it rolled out of the factory”.

Dennis is a proud T owner and member of the world’s best Model T forum http://www.mtfca.com/

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