I don't read Norwegian so don't ask me to translate. Since Norwegian Independence Day is coming up on the 17th of May I thought I would Norskify the forum a bit.
Nice ad
Ford Agents Wetlesen in Oslo (The capital of Norway was named Kristiania up until 1925) advertised the new low european Ford for 1925. First there is a dialog between "her" and "him" introducing a novel concept - the freedom of having a car, then the new low english designed european model is described - 3,5" lower, balloon tires, spare rim complete with tire, available in four colour choices; Black, Empire grey, Oxford(?) red and Cobolt blue.
Ray,
Norway's Independence day is June 7th . That is the day Norwegians gained their independence from Sweden in 1905. May 17th (Syttende Mai)is the Norwegian Constitution Day.
The wife is part Swede and says this Norwegian still doesn't have complete Independence!
Thanks for posting the ad!
Thanks Floyd
It's an easy thing to get that mixed up, but its something that should be kept straight. I'm a little bit Norwegian and next Sunday I'll have my depot hack in a Syttende Mai parade if its not raining.
Ray,
Thank you for posting the advertisement. Note that the illustration demonstrates one of the problems with illustrations. In this case I suspect they used a standard 1924-25 car illustration. Note it does not have a "cut out" in the rear door to clear the rear fender as the actual drop framed cars had. And notice how the fenders are compared to the hood in the illustration – looks like a normal T to me. Below is a drop frame touring showing the rear door cut out and also the fenders are higher in relationship to the hood (from the Jan-Feb 1984 Vintage Ford pages 32 - 35 of Noel Pollard’s 1924 Touring which has the dropped frame. Used by permission to help promote our club and hobby.)
I briefly skimmed “The English Model T Ford Book” looking to see if Ford UK produced the drop frame along with the regular frame Ford during 1924-25. Lots of nice photos of the drop framed cars but if they had photos of 1924-25 regular frame cars – I missed them. Does anyone know and/or have a reference concerning if the English drop frame was the only style produced in UK during 1924-1925 model year or if it and the regular frame Ford were both produced during that time frame? I might be able to locate a reference if I kept looking --- but I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction so I can document it one way or the other. If not we will look some more later in the week and let folks know if we have any success or not.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Ray,
That's a beautiful Hack shown in your profile.
Where is the parade Sunday?
Floyd
Floyd
The parade will be in Park Ridge, Ill
Unfortunately I am not able to read the ad on this lap top ( and I am fully capable of reading Norwegian ) but I doubt that A/S Wetlesen would advertise a British built T, as it is my understanding that Noway was in the Danish marketing zone, and Fords sold i Norway at that time would have been built in Copenhagen.
Am I misinformed?
Roar
No, you are not, but the assembly plant in Copenhagen obviously got (some) parts from Manchester as well as from Dearborn.
Looking in the danish 1930 spare part list you can find all the DF suffixed parts for the Deep Frame, but it is marked as 1925 only. That indicates to me that when Dearborn in 1926 model year had the improved car that was only 1 1/2" lower, that was the one they assembled in Copenhagen.
We have one 1925 DF Touring on Fyen, where the local T'ers believed it was a somehow modified Model T, until I got the book about the English model T and we found out that it was a Deep frame touring ;-)
Roar, if you read this with internet explorer, you may have a little "+" followed by 100% down in the right corner. Click on the + a couple of times, then you view this 50% larger & may be able to read the ad like me.
I wrote "english designed", not British built in my review of what the ad says. I think like Michael - the cars sold in Norway and Sweden in 1925 were built in Copenhagen out of mainly Manchester and Dearborn made parts.
The drop frame front axle was kept in production for 1926 and 27 - all 1925/26/27 Fords I've seen in Sweden has it, but the drop frame spindle was a 1925 only feature. When Dearborn came with the US 1926/27 spindle with less drop, it was considered enough (perhaps the reduced drop meant they didn't have to make special fenders for european production)
Roger -- I agree with you that the front DF spindle was probably not used with the 1926-27 cars because it would likely require different fender brackets (the UK 1924-25 DF had all different fender brackets to make things line up). If the cost had been the same to produce the 1924-25 DF spindles and if it didn’t' require additional fender brackets etc. then they could have produced the 1924-25 DF spindles and not needed to purchase new forging dies for the 1926-27 spindles.
Note on page 221 of "The English Model T Ford" book under a note on KD [knocked down] Chassis and Parts it states, "Between 1919 & 1927, nine European assembly plants were set up: Cadiz & Copenhagen, 1919; Bordeaux, 1920; Trieste, 1922; Cork (cars), 1923; Antwerp, 1924; Asnierres, and Barcelona, 1925; Berlin, 1926. These wee supplied from Trafford Park until local parts manufacture was set up when justified by volume. (See Nevins II, pp 359-363)
I did a quick look for the reference “Nevins II” but I did not find it further explained in “The English Model T Ford” book (I may have missed it). I’m sure it refers to the excellent history Allan Nevins & Frank Earnest Hill wrote "Ford, expansion and challenge, 1915-1933 which was Vol II in that series.
Thank you all for the additional information on the 1925-1927 Model Ts in Europe.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
This should help anyone who can read it. What is the full translation?
Here's a try on translation;
She: -There is father! Do you know what I suggest we'll surprise him with, Olav?"
He: -A ride by car to "Frognersäteren" perhaps?
She: -There you hit too low, my dear
He: -To "Tryvandet", then? A Ford doesn't use much gas!
She: -Right! Therefore we'll go to Sundvollen! Ok?
He: -You're good at suggestions, Edith!
The day after the good auto ride Edith's fader decides to buy his own car. As he should. The new beautiful "Ford" Autos represents the greatest news in the auto industry in 1925. 3.5" lower than before. Cord balloon tires, complete spare wheel, four colors: Black, Empire grey, Orriford red, Cobalt blue.
Thanks Ray!
I had no problems reading the magnified text.
Roger, I dare say, your translation is as spot on as it can be, as far as I can tell.
At Frognerseteren, just past Holmenkollen ski jumping hill, there is a nice restaurant with a fantastic view over Oslo. Tryvannet is a little further up, and I have gone iceskating on that lake.
Sundvollen, on the road to Hoenefoss, hosts an antique car rally every year.
Roar