What was the standard car you could buy, say in Melbourne, from the embargo onwards (I am not asking about the "deluxes"). What replaced the standard Canadian body banned in August 1917?
Does anybody out there have any information? Does anybody have photos detailing the cheap, common, garden variety Ford available in Victoria prior to Ford Australia?
My research has holes in it and I am asking for help understanding our cousins in the east. Dane, please keep the photos coming.
I'll do some hunting David. I might be lucky and find what you need.
David. I have spent a few hours of hunting. My previous thoughts that the Tarrant company was never a 'pusher' for Ford sales is borne out by the lack of decent advertising. Unfortunately of the two major morning newspapers, The Age is very difficult to navigate, and I found no display ads in it within the 1917-1922 period. In The Argus there are regular classified ads by Tarrants, but rarely is a price mentioned except for 'reconditioned' cars, however I found in The Argus for the 1st July 1919 (page 3) this advert. Unfortunately no illustration, but I hope that it is of help.
PRICE COMPARISON
It is my understanding that Ford of Canada set the retail prices of their products for their markets.
In New Zealand, the price of the Touring Car went from £235 to £245 at some time between March and July. It is interesting to see the cost of the same car, but with a locally made body, was £245 in Victoria in July. Was the price in Victoria prior to that £235?
John Stokes
New Zealand
Oooops - mis-read my prices! The cost here was actually £10 more!
Dane- Thankyou for your interest in old Australian T's and posting them here. You have been very successful in finding many old pictures of early built Victorian Tarrant T's. It may interest you to know that I know of only 4 pre 1918 Tarrant built T's that survive today. Very little information is available about the Tarrant companies history during the Model T sales era. I suspect a skeleton is in the cupboard there somewhere just waiting to be unearthed??