The Model-T I Almost Owned - September 30th, 2007
October 1 marks a pretty significant day in the history of automobiles. On that day in 1908 the first Model T Ford came chugging out of the company’s plant in Detroit. The first of more than 15 million built over the next 20 years. By 1913, the assembly-line process was so refined that a single car was completed every hour and a half. By 1927, that was reduced to just 24 seconds.
Very little changed on the Tin Lizzy in those 20 years, including the color — black. No car surpassed the production of the Model T until the arrival of the Volkswagen. It was then and it is now an automotive legend — one I almost owned had my Mother not intervened.
I don’t even remember where we were now, on some out of town shopping excursion, when my Dad looked across the street and spotted three Model T’s for sale. We slipped away from the vigilant maternal radar and went over to check them out. The insant Dad slid behind the wheel he was a young man again taking his first turn in a motor car. Peering down into the footwell I asked about the extra pedal and he explained the complicated process of throwing a Model T in reverse.
I was of driving age and tooling around town in a beat up old Ford Pinto. My Dad decided the Model T would be a perfect second car for me. (If you believe that, we need to talk about some pelican jowl futures I’m trying to unload.) He had his wallet out and was counting the money when Mother swooped in and halted the deal cold. She more or less dragged us both back across the street by our ears.
That was at least 25 years ago and I still wish Dad had bought that Model T for me.
Sigh.
Posted on September 30th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: general |
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