1914 Ford Model T

Henry Ford was born in Michigan on July 30th of 1863 and moved to Detroit at the age of 16. By the summer of 1897, he had built his first car in the shed behind his home. Upon completion, he realized his quadricycle was too larger to fit through the door, so the side of the shed was removed. The two-cylinder four-stroke horizontal engine sent its 4 horsepower to the wheels via a leather belt and chain, giving the car a top speed of around 20 mph. Not intending to sell the vehicle, the $200 presented by Charles Ainsley persuaded Mr. Ford to part with the vehicle. Those funds were used to finance a second car, which was completed around the close of 1897 or early 1898.

Henry Ford's talents caught the attention of William C. Maybury and William H. Murphy, both were wealthy individuals. With their financial backing, the Detroit Automobile Company was organized. It was not long before disagreements arose, as Ford was more interested in racing rather than road-car production. Production remained low, with less than twenty examples built, when the Henry Ford Company was organized on November 30th of 1901. Henry Martyn Leland was brought in as a consultant for the Detroit Automobile Company early in 1902. The car that Mr. Leland built was the Cadillac.

Ford had left the Detroit Automobile Company and, with the help of Tom Cooper, built two race cars called the Arrow and the 999. The 999 was powered by a four-cylinder engine with a massive 1155.3 cubic-inch engine. Barney Oldfield drove it at Grosse Pointe in June of 1903, becoming the first driver to traverse the one-mile track in less than a minute. His time was 59.6 seconds. In January of 1904, Henry Ford drove 999 on the ice at Lake St. Clair to a world land speed record of 91.37 mph.

Alexander Young Malcolmson provided Mr. Ford with the financial backing needed to start another company. On June 16th of 1903, the Ford Motor Company was formed from the short-lived Ford & Malcomson Company Ltd., and the Fordmobile Company, Ltd. - both of these had not produced any vehicles.

Henry Ford spent the formative years experimenting with a variety of models before paring the range down to just one - the Model T. This would become the world's first mass-produced automobile. It arrived in October of 1908 and began Ford's new one-model policy that would see over 15 million examples sold worldwide by the time production ceased in 1927. They were reliable, rugged and easy to drive thanks to its simple, pedal-operated transmission. Although the Model T appeared simplistic, it had a rather advanced design for its day. The chassis had transverse springs in the front and rear, and the four-cylinder engine was cast enbloc with a removable cylinder head. The engine pan was a one-piece steel stamping, and vanadium steel was used nearly exclusively throughout the vehicle, making it stronger and lighter. The rear axle housing was comprised of steel rather than a casting, and the rear axles were non-tapered, with the hubs remaining in place by a key and pin. Brass was used for the radiator and lamps, and the hood was made of aluminum. Body styles were touring, runabout, town car, landaulet, and coupe.

The 1914 Ford Model T was similar to the 1913 models. The 1913 Model T had received styling changes that would set the design trend for over a decade. The standard L-head, four-cylinder engine continued to produce upwards of 20 horsepower and was backed by a two-speed Planetary transmission. The top speed was in the neighborhood of 45 miles per hour. This would be one of the final years for the brass trim.

Bodystyle changes for the 1914 Model T included a windshield that now folded to the rear, slightly modified fenders with embossed reinforcing ribs. The doors were now inset into the side panels. Catalog body styles included a tourer, runabout, and town car. The wheelbase measured 100 inches.

Production of the 1915 Model T began in January at Ford's Highland Part Plant. The bodies were nearly identical to their 1914 counterparts, except for minor differences, including a curved cowl section which was used to hide the wood firewall. They also received curved rear fenders and an upright windshield with a folding top section. Electric headlights, powered by the engine's upgraded magneto, also became standard for the Model T in 1915. The magneto also operated the ignition system, which allowed the engine to run off either kerosene, ethanol, or gasoline.

The Ford Model T 'Tin Lizzie' were resilient, functional, and affordable to the masses.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020