Lot 518: 1921 Ford Model T �Centerdoor� Sedan

Announced in September 1914, the �Centerdoor� Sedan is one of the rarer of mainstream Ford Model T body styles. Its relatively high price of $975 undoubtedly hindered sales (by way of comparison: the five-passenger Touring cost $490) and only 989 Sedans were built during the 1915 model year out of a total Model T production of 308,162, a proportion of 0.3%. Public taste favoured open cars at this time, closed ones being viewed with a measure of suspicion on safety grounds because of their higher centre of gravity and acres of glass. Nevertheless, Ford stuck with the model - lowering the price significantly - and attitudes slowly changed, so that by 1921 the Sedan accounted for 13% of production. The �centerdoor� design was adopted by other manufacturers as well as Ford, its principal advantage over a conventional two-door body being that anyone could enter/exit without disturbing a fellow passenger. The Sedan was Ford�s flagship model and, together with the Coup�, benefited from improvements before the rest of the range. Thus, in January 1919, the Sedan and Coup� were the first to have electric starting, an advance not offered on the open cars until later in the year. By the early 1920s the �centerdoor� had become rather outmoded and Ford responded with conventional four-door and two-door sedans. The last of these charming �Centerdoors� was built in 1923.
This �Centerdoor� Sedan was manufactured in the autumn of 1921. The car is finished entirely in black, with brown/beige cloth upholstery to the interior. Noteworthy features include a Bauer steering wheel with tilt mechanism, de-mountable wheel rims, rear-mounted spare, auxiliary water pump and original ignition coils, while modifications include �Rocky Mountain� brakes, an hydraulic steering damper, flashing indicators and 12-volt starting. Restored in the USA and previously forming part of the important private collection of a German enthusiast, this Model T was purchased by the current owner � ex-Autocar Editor, Ronald �Steady� Barker - at Bonhams� RAF Museum, Hendon Sale on 18th April 2005 (Lot 615). The car is presented in excellent condition, with exceptional bodywork and paint and an interior almost as good as new, while benefiting from recently relined transmission and brake bands in addition to new doorsteps and exhaust. It is offered with sundry restoration invoices, current MoT/road fund licence and Swansea V5.