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Ford Model T convoy to revisit Britain's highest mountain

Noah Joseph — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:03:00 EST

Having a Ford Model T ascend a mountain might sound like a crazy idea, but in 1911 it was a marketing coup. Ford had just arrived in Britain and to prove its worth, a corporate sales agent named Henry Alexander drove a Model T to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland - Britain's highest mountain. The 4,406-foot ascent took five days, and he Alexander was greeted at the peak by the motor press pool of the day. Then he drove back down in just three hours.

A hundred years later, Ford of Britain is celebrating its centenary and will commemorate the Ben Nevis ascent with a convoy of over 60 Model Ts driving back to the mountain. Among them the very last unit to roll off the revolutionary assembly line. Unfortunately, environmental conservation prohibits driving up the mountain these days, but a group of volunteers will disassemble a replica Model T, carry it up the mountain and put it back together at its peak in celebration of the original feat. Now that's dedication. Follow the jump for the full press release.

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Early Ford Model T factory may become a museum but needs your help

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing

The Ford Model T was a game-changer, allowing middle-class America to finally afford a horseless carriage. As the public began taking to the roads in greater numbers, our nation began its transformation into a modern motoring society.

The Model T was first produced in 1908 and enjoyed a successful sales through 1927. In 1925, production hit its peak and Ford was turning out 9,000 to 10,000 cars per day. That adds up to an annual run of around two million cars.

One of the first assembly locations for the Ford Model T is the Highland Park plant, which is located steps from Woodward Avenue. It's a building with a rich history and it may get another shot at life.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the Woodward Avenue Action Association has nominated the Highland Park building in a national online competition. The National Trust for Historic Preservation runs a competition where they provide $25,000 in grant money to help preserve buildings of historical significance. The WAAA, if they win, plan to use the cash as seed money for an interesting project. Their goal is to turn the Highland Park assembly plant into an area Welcome Center. Visitors would have the opportunity to learn past and present information about Woodward, Detroit, and Michigan. To further entice visitors, the Henry Ford Museum has expressed interest in supplying exhibits for a small display.

If you think the Highland Park factory should win the contest, head over to the National Trust's Community Challenge page and cast your vote.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Early Ford Model T factory may become a museum but needs your help originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European university designs 2015 Model T concept

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Green, Ford

Click above for high-res renderings of the 2015 Ford Model T concept

The original Model T was a game-changer. Its modular design allowed the Tin Lizzy to be mass produced on an assembly line and was the car that put America on wheels. So it might strike you as odd that the Blue Oval chose a design penned by a European university as the best modern interpretation of what a Model T would look like in 2015. For their efforts, the team of eight students and engineers earned the ika (Institute of Automotive Engineering Aachen) from Aachen University in Germany $25,000 in scholarship funds.

Any modern vehicle must take the environment and its emissions into account, and the new T concept is no exception. With three occupants -- the driver is front and center with a passenger on either side -- and a small pickup bed in back, the concept is definitely ready for work. Other body styles would be possible on the modular architecture. If produced, the University estimates it would cost $6,780 to build in base form and would let off 100 g/km of carbon emissions per kilometer, with hybrid and electric versions costing more and emitting less. It's a good design, but we could do without the upright, retro-style front grille.

Gallery: 2015 Model T design contest

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading European university designs 2015 Model T concept

European university designs 2015 Model T concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Ford, Motorcycle

Click above for more images of the 1923 V-Twin powered Model T

Ford's ubiquitous Model T has seen its fair share of modifications over the years. Often powered by an engine other than what was originally designed for the large engine bay, countless variations of the hot rod theme have made Henry Ford's original mass-market vehicle a highly desirable machine to customize. Today, we've stumbled across an entirely new way to power the T, and it's just too cool not to share. Behind the custom spiderweb grille of this 1923 Ford Model T is a 1200cc V-Twin engine taken from the frame rails of a Harley-Davidson Sportster. Considering how little this vehicle is likely to weigh, the air-cooled twin cylinder mill with Screaming Eagle mods is probably plenty powerful to get the vehicle out of its own way. The owner used quite a few HD cues in the overall design and as many original parts from the donor bike as was possible. Note the dual rear shocks suspending the rear axle -- those are from the Sportster, as well as the foot pegs which now see duty as the gas and brake pedals. Nice work.

Gallery: Harley-Powered Model T

[Source: eBay Motors via The Kneslider]

eBay Find of the Day: 1923 Model T powered by Harley V-Twin originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 May 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Design students envision a modern Model-T

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Contests, Green, Crossover, Ford

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]

Continue reading Design students envision a modern Model-T

Design students envision a modern Model-T originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 May 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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