1915 Ford Model T Runabout

1915 was a monumental year for the Ford Model T as the 1,000,000th example rolled off the assembly line. The vast majority of that year's production was done at Ford's modern factory in Highland Park, Michigan. A comparatively small number of cars, including this 1915 Model T Runabout, were built across the Detroit River at the Walkerville, Ontario plant.

Although the Canadian-built examples were similar to those built at Highland Park, there were differences, notably the addition of a functional driver's side door. The engine was the same 20-horsepower L-head inline-four unit paired with a two-speed planetary transmission, but engine numbers began with a 'C' to indicate their Canadian origin.

This Runabout has a curved metal cowl ahead of the firewall, revised cowl lights, and a louvered hood. There is a brass radiator, brass-rimmed headlamps, wooden wheels, a correct Kingston brass carburetor, and an accessory brass winged cap on the radiator.

This Model T has spent much of its life in the province where it was created. During the mid-1950s, it was in the care of Mr. John S. Stewart of Toronto, Ontario, and by this point, wore a gray exterior, which it continues to wear today (Ford black was the sole factory color offered in 1915). The current owner acquired it from the Ontario-based collection of Jim Miller in 2013.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2024