Design students envision a modern Model-T
Photo: KEVIN A. WILSON, Autoweek
Recently, Ford Motor Company sponsored a contest with the goal of modernizing the iconic Model T, a car which revolutionized motorized transportation the world over. The winner of the competition, a 24-year-old junior at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit named Dong Trang, came up with an electric crossover of sorts. That's fitting, according to Peter Horbury, head of design for Ford in the Americas, because Henry Ford's original Model T sat high off the ground and had a modular design, capable of hauling people and their stuff at the same time.
What the modern-day designs don't share with their forebear is retro looks. Each of the modern T adaptations features fairly sleek styling and alternative power that goes along with our modern-day energy and emissions problems.
Trang's design is rather unique, featuring solar panels on the vehicle along with an energy-capturing suspension design that would help recharge the on-board batteries. Those batteries are also removable to provide power outside the vehicle. The seating arrangement is modular, allowing for up to four occupants or offering increased storage capacity. The rear hatch is also capable of folding away to offer a small pickup bed. Click past the break for some videos of Trang talking about his design.
[Source: Detroit Free Press, Autoweek]
Videos:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sam Minnitti 4:08PM (5/02/2008)
Poor Henry
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Torrent 4:12PM (5/02/2008)
Ah! A timeless classic. Ruined by this nerd.
Yeah I said it :0
This sucks.
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geo.stewart 9:22AM (5/03/2008)
I think he got the T and the A mixed up. This is more along the lines of the Model A with being a little more modular though you could get teh T in roadster and 4 seat. The A first incorporated the trucklet I beleive.
However, I like it. minimalist weight by eliminating all that fender junk, just cover the engine and the cab. less parts, cheaper to manufacture. somewhat modular (sounds a little like the old nissan Pulsar). new motorvating source like the original
think outside the box dudes. good job
c36amg 4:13PM (5/02/2008)
thats ugly dong.
doesnt seem pratical to with all those open wheels. i know this is just a design but it suppose to be used for masses?! well maybe a mass lawn mower. How does someone sit for long periods of time designing such crap. i would start vomiting
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amg 4:14PM (5/02/2008)
or maybe its for chinese market or something.
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marz 4:19PM (5/02/2008)
Is this the new 4 wheel Aptera !?
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Alison Wiley 4:26PM (5/02/2008)
I'm intrigued by a car design that uses solar panels in the hybrid context, because I think that hybrids in general are the only cars that can effectively evolve into the future. What would intrigue me the most is innovative technologies like these combined with behavior-change technologies as we deal with carbon constraints and, soon, with carbon cap and trade requirements. More at http://alison97215.wordpress.com/
best,
Alison in Portland, Oregon
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CarbonBlack 4:57PM (5/02/2008)
I doubt people will allow carbon caps.
We are waking up to global warming:as in we are waking up to global warming, sky is falling, hoaxers.
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=11548
http://newsbusters.org/node/12314
I am so happy Al gore is getting the coverage he deserves
-nick
Mallory 9:03PM (5/02/2008)
Yea, heartland.org and newsbusters.org are regular bastions of unbiased truth. Much more trustworthy than those fly-by-night operations like NASA, the EPA, the IPCC and the Royal Society (http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?id=6229).
You'd be better off trying to advance ideas that the earth is hollow or ruled by alien reptiles.
CarbonBlack 1:16AM (5/03/2008)
wait, the earth isn't hollow?
Seoultrain 4:35PM (5/02/2008)
Wow, great-looking toy for kids!
Oh, this is meant to be an actual car?
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Seoultrain 4:37PM (5/02/2008)
awkward...
you morons 4:46PM (5/02/2008)
I love that everybody on Autoblog is an expert on how design contests are integrated with actual production. Maybe you clowns should get your education on before you go around opening your stupid mouths about how "ugly" this thing is.
Dumb and ugly is no way to go through life. You can hide one of those.
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you morons 4:47PM (5/02/2008)
And the ones who think the Model-T is a "classic" have obviously never driven, worked on, or even touched one.
Pedro 4:56PM (5/02/2008)
if you don't like it... there are other websites that are kinder and gentler
john riley 4:58PM (5/02/2008)
It pretty much single handedly put Americans in cars. 15,000,000 million sold. If not classic, what?
you morons 5:53PM (5/02/2008)
"If not classic, then what?"
A cheap piece of garbage that everybody in America could afford. The first Japanese car.
Paul Murray 4:46PM (5/02/2008)
In a sense, a new Model T has already been done. It's called the Tata Nano.
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john riley 4:52PM (5/02/2008)
That is along the lines of what I am thinking. Simple, cheap, and basic.
jayho25 4:49PM (5/02/2008)
The name is Dong Tran, not Trang
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