1915 Ford Model T – Auction Car of the Week
June 25, 2023
Distinguished for being one of the most important and ergo famous cars ever built, over 16 million of them were made, in fact, we were surprised to find that we haven’t featured the humble Ford Model T in the Car & Classic magazine before, at least not in a Classified of the Week, Auction Car of the Week or Project Profile capacity. We’ve covered the history of the car, which you can read all about here, but we’ve never highlighted a Model T that we’ve actually had for sale. Until now, that is.
Most people, whether motoring enthusiasts or not, know the story of the Model T by now. It was the car that motorised the masses and brought assembly line efficiency to the forefront, setting the trend for everyone else to follow. Henry Ford and his now ubiquitous motor company had already produced the Model A and would continue to go on through the alphabet as a naming convention until the T arrived in 1908. This was where Ford’s vision of producing an affordable, simple to operate, and durable ‘universal’ car would come to fruition.
This particular model is a 1915 Runabout, which means an open top, two passenger city car. The difference here is that a professionally built pick-up body has been fitted making it a much more practical vehicle. This could easily be removed, however, should you want to revert back to original spec and the original body can be refitted with just four bolts and that simplicity is part of the car’s appeal.
It has undergone some restoration work in the past, which is understandable for a car that has been on the road for over a century and it presents incredibly well considering its age. The Model T was known colloquially as “Tin Lizzie” and although this was decades before the Phil Lynott-fronted Irish rock band Thin Lizzy were tearing up stages around the world this particular Model T has another musical connection in that it was owned by Eagles founding member and bassist Randy Meisner.
Mr Meisner owned the car since ’77 and displayed it proudly in the US until 1992 when it was sold and the car currently resides in North Lincolnshire having come upon these shores in 2007, where it has seen three careful owners. Fully UK registered and with an extensive history file this Model T is good to go and ready for its next adventure.
It is black, as you might expect, but it’s a common myth that all model T’s were monochrome. In order to make the manufacturing process more efficient and uniform black was the only colour available, but only from 1914 to 1925. Customers could absolutely order their Model Ts in other colours before and after this period. But we all know black cars are better, no? Knight Rider, Dom’s Charger, the Bluesmobile, Mad Max’s Ford Falcon XB GT Interceptor. The list goes on, but you get the point – it looks great.
Mechanically sound the car features a 2.9-litre, four-cylinder engine (with a very welcome starter motor conversion fitted in 2019) and two-speed planetary transmission. It starts, goes and stops exactly as it should and presents as a very usable pre-war classic. Not only that but seeing as how this is a Car & Classic auction listing you can be safe in the knowledge that the description of the car is detailed and accurate, giving you a peaceful easy feeling. We haven’t cast any lyin’ eyes over the car so as far as bidding goes you can take it to the limit, hopefully securing this wonderful example of a late Mode T Ford for many more years of happy motoring, whether it be for the long run, life in the fast lane or in the city.
