Which Ford is best Ford? Why that would be the Model T, because history! Beyond the jokes and rhymes, there’s no denying the T made Ford what it is today, a mainstream automaker that’s present in all four corners of the globe. What’s more, the T gave birth to the Model TT, Ford’s first-ever pickup truck.
One of the most influential cars alongside the Volkswagen Beetle, original MINI, and Citroen DS, the T was designed for a world with no roads. Bearing in mind Henry Ford continued to improve the Model T up until 1927, you can bet your two cents it was no fluke that more than 16.5 million units were built.
The car that motorized the average American, the Model T also laid the foundation for mass-produced automobiles. Assembly lines, interchangeable parts, limited body style and paint choices, these were all solutions meant to bring production costs down in order to make the legendary model affordable.
But being designed in the early 1900s meant the Model T wasn’t exactly easy to drive. The learning curve is, without a shadow of a doubt, a million times steeper than getting behind the wheel of a manual-equipped econobox from the 21st century. One of the reasons for that, as highlighted by Mr. Regular in the latest episode of Regular Car Reviews, is the extremely unhandy transmission.
With first gear consisting of a planetary gear set and the second being direct drive, it’s hard to fathom how so many people managed to master the art of driving the Model T. And if they did, the top speed (42 mph) and gas mileage (10, maybe 15 miles per gallon) weren’t exactly bragging rights, not even back then.
For comparison’s sake, the quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16-powered Bugatti Chiron is one of the most thirsty cars in production today, drinking 11 mpg on the combined cycle. As for top speed, even the Vespa GTS makes the T feel a little bit antiquated. But the times, similar to technology and our reception on these matters, are constantly changing.
For what it is, the Model T is Henry Ford’s crowning achievement. Don’t, however, expect to heel and toe this baby in the twisties like you can with the Shelby GT350 Mustang.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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