FORD MODEL T
THE great Ford Model T may have been one of the world’s greatest designs, but its controls were strange to say the least.
Britain got to grips with the Model T in 1911 when the car was assembled at Ford’s Trafford Park in Manchester and early customers experienced a different approach to driving in a world which was still experimenting with the best way to control a fourwheeled carriage minus a horse.
The interesting thing about the Model T was that it made a radical departure from what was the norm by having cylinders cast in one block – which became the way ahead – plus having a clutch and gearbox which was integral with the engine.
The curious thing about it all was the epicyclic gear system which drew inspiration from the great Frederick Lanchester.
To drive the car there were three pedals – the left engaged low when pressed and high when released and the right operated a transmission brake. To make matters more comical the centre one selected reverse.
And if you were wondering where the accelerator was it was a little hand lever on the steering column.
And not forgetting the handbrake which also doubled as a selector between high and low ratio.
Confused? I was when I took the controls of one at a recent event.
Built in 1912 at Trafford Park, it would be the oldest car I had driven and I was certain I was not going to make a mess of it or, even worse, be incapable of coaxing it to move.
Well, I suppose if Laurel and Hardy could master it I could give it a go.
Climbing in the passenger side and sliding along to the driver’s seat (you impale yourself on the handbrake if you get in the driver’s side) you are faced with with its bewildering control array – not forgetting the regulation rubber bulb which operates the horn. Oh yes, and a quick flash of deja vu to the old Highway Code to remember hand signals .
Having got used to the hand throttle and the clutch which was quite bizarre I chugged off down the road to a few surprises courtesy of the great Henry Ford. Firstly the engine is of 2.9-litre capacity – executive motoring class these days.
It had such astonishing torque that when I had to slow for speed bumps it surged off again in high gear without a grumble.
And talking of speed bumps the cross-sprung, spindly but deceptively tough vanadium steel front axle coped with them extremely well.
But it was the speed of the beast in high ratio that took me by surprise. It could wind itself up to nearly 42mph which was mindbendingly fast for an everyday car in those days.
The controls may have been perverse but it all worked beautifully. The epicyclic gearbox became the basis for the modern automatic transmission and 15,007,003 customers gave the so called ‘Tin Lizzie’ the thumbs up until production wound up in 1927.
When you think about it, maybe Henry had it right in the first place. There is no declutching or crashing of gears and everything works smoothly.
The car is the second oldest British built Ford in existence and has completed a London to Geneva run. It would have cost between £110 to £250 when new.