Lot 510: 1915 Ford Model T Speedster

So confident was Henry Ford of his Model T’s appeal to overseas motorists that he shipped 8 of his Dearborn built automobiles for display at the European Motor Shows first at London’s Olympia in 1908 and then in Paris. The new Ford was certainly radical with cylinders cast in one block, and integral engine, clutch and gearbox. Of the three pedals, the middle one engaged reverse, the left one engaged low when pressed, high when released, and the right pedal operated the transmission brake, while a steering column throttle controlled engine speed. Mounting the springs transversely meant that only two and not four were required. To satisfy increasing demand for the T on this side of the Atlantic, a moving production line was employed at Manchester’s Trafford Park in 1914.

Although the current UK V5C registration document states that this right-hand drive Model T, which is known to have been in the UK since 1983, was ‘declared manufactured 1912’, a certificate issued by the VCC in 1992 dates the vehicle as being 1917. According to Ford factory records however, chassis number 999904 indicates 1915 manufacture, the most likely build date therefore for the major component, whilst an A989-numbered engine would have been originally produced earlier in 1909.

Since the last rebuild in the early 1990s, refurbishment has been carried out as necessary. Believed by the vendor to be a 177cu in/2990cc ‘four’, the L-head side valve motor with gear-driven camshaft has been treated to a recent top end overhaul and reportedly starts promptly on the handle and runs smoothly, while the epicyclic transmission with two forward speeds and reverse also functions correctly, he says.
Painted red over black with full complement of polished brass fittings and period accessories, the Speedster body provides sporting accommodation for two in a brace of black-trimmed bucket seats. The previous intrepid owner successfully drove it from Lands End to John O’Groats and completed various Scottish Tours.

Being a historic vehicle, it is, of course, eligible for a tax-exempt disc, while the current MOT Test certificate is valid until April 2009. A replacement registration has been applied for and new plates should therefore be in place by sale day so that a new owner can celebrate the centenary of this automotive icon in appropriate and pioneering style.