The Model T “Tin Lizzie”, “The Universal Car” put the Ford Motor Company on the map and made Mr. Ford a very wealthy man.
A Car For Everyone
The Ford Model T made it possible for the common working man to own an automobile. This was very much Henry Ford’s plan. If you’re going to mass produce a product be certain that many can afford to buy it. The story is that Ford paid his workers a wage that would enable them to buy the type of automobile they produced in his factory. Many would go on to comment that the Ford Model T “put the world on wheels”. Henry Ford himself called the Model T the “Universal Car“.
Much of Ford’s success had to do with the development of the moving assembly line. History will show that Ransom E. Olds actually developed the first mass assembled vehicle with his early Oldsmobile but it was Henry Ford who was credited with devising the moving automotive assembly line. Ford’s assembly line was so efficient that by the early 1920’s a Ford Model T sold for less than half the price of those built ten years earlier.
The 1922 Ford Model T featured in this article is the car model that made Henry Ford famous. The Ford Model T Touring Car was by far the most popular Model T. The Model T itself was on the market for almost twenty years. This was quite a success in as much as there were perhaps about two hundred automakers in the very early 1900’s. During the Model T’s lifetime many changes were made over the years. The Ford Model T’s were considered durable cars which could take a lot of punishment. This was a good attribute considering the condition of early roadways.
For the 1922 model year Ford Motor Company produced 1,301,000 vehicles. The vast majority were the Touring Model with a starter. This model would remain the leader for years afterwards. These accounted for over 500,000 units in 1922. The next largest figure that year was the Coupe with a starter. These totaled just under 200,000 units. After 1925 the Ford Model T was being phased out. All in all, Ford Motor built over 15 million Model T’s. It’s level of success could never have been imagined by Henry Ford when he built his first Model T in 1908.
The Ford Model A was then produced from 1927 to 1931. This is not to be confused with the very early Model A Ford which was produced in 1903.
1922 Ford Model T Specifications
The Ford Model T came in five styles. There was the five passenger Touring, the two passenger Runabout, the seven passenger Town Car, the two passenger Coupe and the seven passenger Landaulet.
The 1922 Ford Model T was built with a 177 cid (2.9 L) four cylinder engine delivering 20 horsepower.
The 1922 Ford Model T had a transmission system which operated with a pedal rather than a clutch with a sliding gear. There were two forward gears.
The brake system was interesting in as much as there were no drum type mechanisms. The brake system operated with a contracting band within the transmission.
The average weight of a Model T was between 1,200 and 1,500 lbs. The wheelbase was 100.0 inches and the range was about 200 miles based on it’s ten gallon fuel tank.
The ignition was from a 6 volt battery and a magneto. The cars top speed was about 40 MPH. Wheels were made of wood spoke.
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Collectible Ford Model T’s
The Ford Model T has always been a popular collector’s automobile. It’s also been one of the most modified old cars seen on the highway. Old Model T’s have also been known to work on the railroad. Some had their wood spoke wheels replaced by rail car wheels and were used as both railroad inspection vehicles and even switcher engines.
The Ford engines were so durable that people found uses for these as twenty horsepower power sources for tasks outside of transportation. There has never been a car built that had so many utilitarian purposes than the Ford Model T. Many believe that the Ford Model T started the car aftermarket trade.
Today you’ll see Ford Model T’s restored to their original condition by avid collectors. You also may come across Model T’s that have been modified into street rods. As far as collector auction prices for Ford Model T’s they can be found in a wide range. As always, degree of restoration and modification if any influences price. A car like the 1922 Model T shown in this article may sell at auction in a range of from $15,000 to $25,000 and above depending on the current market. Because so many Ford Model T’s come modified, the price range can vary quite a bit.
An excellent book about the history of the Ford Model T is Model T Ford: The Car That Changed the World by author Bruce McCalley.
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