1908 Ford Model T. From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.
Model T engine. From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.
Chassis of a 1908 Model T. From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.
Cross section of Model T engine and planetary transmission. From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.
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The Model T was intro-duced on October 1, 1908, and 15,000,000 were produced through 1927 after which it was replaced by the Model A. The first Model T, made at a factory on Piquette Avenue in Detroit, MI, sold for $850. It was the first low-priced, mass produced automobile with interchangeable parts. True mass production was achieved with the Model T, and as volumes rose costs were reduced. It accounted for over half of the auto sales in the U.S. Before the end of its production run, a Model T without extras sold for $260. Early models came in a variety of colors but later black became the norm because black enamel dried faster and thus decreased production time.
The engine design, which became an industry standard, was a single block with a removable cylinder head with water jackets. It had a 95.3 mm (3.75 in) bore and 101.6 mm (4 in) stroke. The valves, all located on the left side, were offset and extra large. The four cylinder 15-kW (20-hp) engine propelled the 544-kg (1200-lb) car to a top speed of 72 km/h (45 mph). The crankshaft and camshaft were non-welded drop-forged heat-treated Ford vanadium steel.
Bearing and cam surfaces were ground. The front-engine rear-drive Model T achieved 18-11 L/100 km (13-21 mpg) on leaded gasoline. The carburetor was a float feed unit with a dash-mounted adjustment. The cylindrical fuel tank held 37.8 L (10 gal) and was mounted on the frame.
The cooling system used a gear-driven centrifugal pump. The upper half of the crankcase was integral with the cylinder casting, while the lower half was pressed steel and extended to form the lower housing for the magneto and transmission. The ignition system was a Ford magneto generator
directly connected to the engine drive.
Breakthroughs included the magneto ignition, which used a flywheel with magnets and stationary coils. Ford's use of vanadium steel because of its light weight and strength was also an innovation. The placement of the steering wheel on the left side enabled passengers easy entry and egress. The use of a planetary transmission made shifting gears easier and allowed more people
to drive.
The planetary transmission was built integral with the engine. The end of its housing had a ball-and-socket joint that received the ball front of the driveshaft. The clutch had multiple steel discs that operated in oil. Lubrication was achieved through a combination splash and gravity system. The transmission was controlled by three pedals — clutch, reverse, and brake.
Forward speed was controlled by the foot pedal. Reverse was accomplished by manipulation of the reverse lever and reverse pedal. The spark and throttle controls were located under the steering wheel.
The chassis featured semi-elliptic springs, front and rear. The front axle was a one-piece drop-forged I-beam made of specially treated vanadium steel. Final drive was accomplished via a cardan shaft with a single universal joint connected to bevel gears in the live rear axle.
The Model T used the Ford reduction steering system and had two sets of brakes — a service band brake on the transmission and internal expanding brakes in the rear hub drums. The wheels were made of wood fitted with pneumatic tires. The front tires were 30 x 3.5 in while the
rear tires where
30 x 3 in.
Henry Ford called his Model T the "universal car" because it could be maintained easily and successfully traverse the roads of that time, which were normally in poor condition.
The Model T, over its lifetime, came in nine body styles, all on the same chassis, and acquired many nicknames such as the "Tin Lizzie" and "Flivver."
The wheelbase was 2540 mm (100 in) and the track 1422 mm (56 in), with a 1524 mm (60 in) option for Southern roads. Standard equipment included side oil lamps, a taillamp, a tube horn, and gas lamp brackets. The windshield was an option at first but was later made standard. A tool kit was standard equipment.
