At the risk of coming in for some criticism , here is something I have thought long and hard about before posting here.
Anyone who is a keen Ford History Buff will acknowledge that it is important to get the facts right before it is published.
Nothing gets me more fired up than to see misinformation being published.
Here is one good example: When ever an illustration is required to depict the first Model T off the Assembly Line at the new Geelong Factory in Victoria, Australia, this picture ( POSTED BELOW ) is trotted out.
I have seen this illustration used in several publications, and I recently bought a DVD Ford Australia 75 Years and the same picture is represented as the first car off the Assembly Line at the New Geelong Factory.
Question : If that was the first car off the Geelong Assembly Line why isnt Hubert French in the picture? ( French was the first General Manager of Ford Australia 1925 - 1950 )
Have a close look at the front axle of the car in the picture. It is clearly an English Drop Frame Axle.
That picture is in fact the 250,000 th. British Ford leaving the Assembly Line at Trafford Park, Manchester on the 17th of April 1925.
The person in the light suit to the left of screen was an American by the name of Victor Perini who was the Works Superintendent at the time.
Details can be found in the book The English Model T Ford Chapter 7.
I hope that this might in some small way go to set the record straight in part.
Regards, John
Interesting hubcaps, I have something similar on my Geelong 26.
John - an interesting observation.
The short chap, second from the right, has very grubby overalls for someone working in a car factory that is yet to produce a car!
Well observed John. The flags are U.K. ones too.
Thank you. Another observation are the tyres on the car. They have the same tread pattern as the present day English Dunlop tyres.
John, Although this photo has been miss labeled it also has been correctly labeled where it probably matters most.
The Book English Model T Ford By Martin Riley Bruce Lilliker and Neil Tuckett correctly labels it as the 250,000 car at Manchester.
Another one which is also labeled wrong ( I think our motor writers just copy anything they use in their articles with little enquiry)
This photo usually gets labeled " First Ford arrives in Australia"
Its not it was taken in the 1920 when the NSW Ford distributors found and restored the car for publicity purposes. The Davies Brothers are seated in the car.
John, Although this photo has been miss labeled it also has been correctly labeled where it probably matters most.
The Book English Model T Ford By Martin Riley Bruce Lilliker and Neil Tuckett correctly labels it as the 250,000 car at Manchester.
Another one which is also labeled wrong ( I think our motor writers just copy anything they use in their articles with little enquiry)
This photo usually gets labeled " First Ford arrives in Australia"
It's not it was taken in the 1920's when the NSW Ford distributors found and restored the car for publicity purposes. The Davies Brothers are seated in the car.
Has that '04 survived until now?
I have this photo from the Duncan Family.
Firstly, John, good pickup. Certainly is an English car, never really looked at that pic closely before. Am still reading the english book and haven't got to 1920s yet.
Peter and David. That is correct, Davies Brothers did restore the 1903 (landed 1904) A Ford in the early 20's for display purposes. The same car travelled around the east cost of Australia, possibly only NSW and Vic and was displayed at verious shows and dealerships. The photo David has supplied, it was on display possibly at the Melbourne Show. Note the tyres are the same in both photos. The rego number is not Victorian. Already have paid to have that checked out. Possibly a NSW rego. Yet to find out. There is a third photo that John H in Aust has access to, he is on the forum occasionally an might like to add his comments.
Going back to David's photo, this has been mislabled on one occasion as being a Melbourne car imported car.
John,
I have often wondered if anyone else would be interested in helping us start a section for "suggested corrections to books?" I don't think most authors intentionally mislabel items, but either out of lack of knowledge or by mistake photos are sometimes mislabeled. I worked for a magazine once and it was not uncommon for the labels on the photographs to be mixed up between leaving the office and getting to the printer etc. I would guess with computerized type setting now days it would be printed as sent (and maybe we had it wrong when we sent it off back then). Things like that seem to happen. And of course once a photo is mislabeled it is often used again with the same misinformation. In the case of the Benson Ford Archives and other archives they are often open to suggested corrections.
I often purchase books not so much for their comments but for their pictures. Early photos of the production line as well as new Fords (many families would take a photo of the family with the new car) are often great clues on how things were done. Even if the caption is wrong or misleading -- the photos are often very informative. And if we had a section or thread somewhere on some of the early Ford related books etc. then folks and perhaps even authors would have a place to check things out. And possibly we could reduce the number of errors in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Hap, did not mention before the picture of the Model A when it was sent to the publisher it was labelled on the back
"First Ford car landed in Australia, so the sign says. This photo was taken in the early 1920"s outside the Davies Brothers showrooms. Seated in the front right side is Lew Davies, Arthur Davies behind him in the rear
When the book was printed it read " The Davies Brothers seated in the rear"
A few days ago I found this reference in the Sydney Morning Herald on the annual Easter Show.
"Davies and Davies show the first Ford motor car to reach Australia a veteran 1903 model- the first actually marketed by Mr Henry Ford, and still in running order The body and Upholstery are in a surprisingly good state of preservation. and the old car ran out to the showground under its own power.
WELL WELL !!
To think i always thought that the person on the far left was my father at FORD AUSTRALIA'S first ''T'' of the assemble line day.
In that 1904 photo, what the hell is the young guy in overalls pouring ( Veedol ) into what ??, there is no opening, neck or anything there for fuel or oil, Ah a staged photo !!
David.