In the Twilight Weeks of Model T Production

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: In the Twilight Weeks of Model T Production
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niels Andersen on Tuesday, September 09, 2014 - 02:38 pm:

In the Twilight Weeks of Model T Production

During the last days in May, 1927, production at the Highland Park factory had been shut down.
The noises from chains, belts and everything else had faded away, and no more new T Fords rolled out of the gate at the exit from the assembly line. – According to the encyclopedia the last one to do so was no.15,007,032. (Some other sources have it as no.033).
Question: Were all the US-based assembly lines closed down by June 1st, 1927?

According to Bruce McCalley’s ”Model T Ford” page 536 engine production continued, as did the numbering of them. – On June 2nd, 1927, one of these engines was numbered 15,007,600. –
This engine found it’s way to Denmark, where it arrived around July 1st.

The Ford Motor Co. had run an assemblyline in Copenhagen since 1919. It had been supplying T models to Northern Germany, Scandinavia, and the Baltic States.
Assembling was still going on during June and July 1927 using up stocks of parts.
By August they were probably not able to assemble any more cars.

It was not because demand from Danish Ford dealers had faded.- Demand from the public was still strong, as will appear from enclosed copy of a ledger kept by the Danish custom authorities in order for them to keep tab on the registration tax being duly paid for each new car to get it’s licence plates.
http://peecee.dk/upload/view/442136/full

This enclosure covers the period July 1st thru August 6th 1927 for one of the 80+ custom districts in Denmark: i.e. ”Nyborg”, a town on the east coast of the island of Funen (Fyn), – All 18 listed cars are identified by make and engine numbers; 12 of them are T Fords. – One of those are listed twice. – That’s the one with engine no.15,007,600
.
It can be extracted that the first listing of this car is dated 22nd July and the taxpayer is the then Ford dealer in Nyborg: ”Autogården”, that it is a 1927 Touring, the tax due is Kr 335.00, and that it is being registered as a Demonstration car. – One can wonder what it was that he wanted to demonstrate as in a few days time he could not get delivery of another new T Ford to sell.
The second listing is dated 2nd August and reveals the dealer had sold the car to Musician Lang in Hesselager, who was not imposed any tax, as this had already been paid by ”Autogården”.

The reason why I am elaborating at length on these details is, that a year ago I went to Fuen to pickup some T Ford parts for a project I had in mind, amongst which was a frame, and when I weeks later took a closer look it revealed itself to be no. 15,007,600 stamped into the right rail in exactly the spot where it should be. – My first thoughts was, that it was a fake no., but now I feel certain to have documented, that it is the the frame of a 1927 Touring model, that rolled off the assemblyline in Copenhagen mid July 1927. - I did not use it for my project. - I found another frame with a less significant number.- I have stored 15,007,600 in a safe place. – Maybe some day someone comes along, who would want it.

Niels Andersen


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, September 09, 2014 - 03:32 pm:

Wow, what a treasure! Properly restored, using appropriate late T and European parts, that car could be very significant, and quite valuable. It may not be the last "original run" model T officially assembled in the world. However, anyone would have a very tough time coming up with one that was later. Sadly, it would not be all July '27. The more original to the car, the better.
Any chance of finding any more pieces from it?
Any chance of research finding original photos taken of the car? Was it a standard Ford tourer or a European custom?
Congratulations! That is a project well worth taking on.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown North Central Arkansas on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 01:21 pm:

Niels, I agree with Wayne, a nice treasure. The frame being displayed, as the frame from the possible last model T assembled in the world, with any photos, literature, and documents, would be a very nice and unique display. With proper framing of the documents, and proper display setup. It would be a display worthy of any museum, or private collection. To assemble it into a car would not do the frame justice for what it is. (unless more of the original car was found). Nice find.....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niels Andersen on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 01:31 pm:

Wayne
Thanks for your opinion. - I have been in contact with the person I bought the frame from.-
He could not remember where or when or under which circumstances he got this frame, except that he was certain he had picked it up on the the island of Funen, where he had lived all his life. - He had been gathering parts for the last 60 years, and when I visited last year, there were plenty parts all over his premises.
I do not think many paid much attention to frame numbers until recently. - A Ford T had always been identified by its engine number. -
I for one did not become aware of the relationship from late 1925 onwards between engine- and frame numbers until Hap Tucker explained how it was in a thread
Forum 2013, August 28 "The Last One".-
Yes; It would be a wonderful project to embark on, but I'm 82, so I have to abstain. - I am doing a 26 Tudor. - Niels


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Deichmann, Blistrup, Denmark on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 05:31 pm:

Interesting enough, the taxmen of the time apparently did neither pay attention to frame numbers as the field (Chassisnr.) is left empty.the 1507600 is the engine number!
Up until around 1971 every change in ownership is registered as illustrated here - if the car was ment to be licensed. If we just knew who the last owner was, we can link backwards through all these tax protocols and find all the owners. Once you have the names, genealogy methods can be used to find living ancestors and you can ask for eventual pictures :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 10:18 am:

Neil,

Thank you so much for adding that additional information to the story of your frame with the number 15,007,600. I resized the image you linked us to and posted it below. Often times images that are on other sites will no longer be available after so many months or years. And I believe that page provides some excellent documentation others may want in the future.







Again, great find, and I hope there are some additional parts to the touring car 15,007,600 on the island of Funen (Fyn).

Also, I wonder did you see any numbers higher than 15,007,600 listed?

And for the approximately 9 other 1927 Fords shown on the page -- can you tell us if they are used cars or new cars being sold?

Again, thank you so much for sharing your discovery. As each of us adds a little bit more to the information we have, we are obtaining a much better picture of what occurred in the past.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niels Andersen on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 03:36 pm:

Hap
Thanks for responding. - I had hoped you would.

Firstly for the sake of good order I want to correct an error I made in my first posting:
The name of the then Ford dealer's business was
not Autogården but AUTOCENTRALEN.

To your questions:

I find it very unlikely, that I should find any parts that could be identified to have been part of 15,007,600.

Yes I did find engine numbers higher than 15,007,600. The following with the dates they got numbered in Detroit (ref.page 536 McCalley):
15,008,038)
15,008,039)
15,008,045) All June 6. 1927
15,008,047)
15,008,071)
15,010,942 June 15. 1927
15,011,446 June 16. 1927
All these engines ended up in frames.

Speculation: In the cargoship that left Detroit carrying these engines there would probably have been many more numbered engines, that did not end up in frames, but were meant for replacement or trucks. -
I would suppose this shipment including 15,007,600 arrived in Copenhagen first week July, and that these 8 engines got into their frames shortly thereafter representing the last batch of T Fords getting assembled in Copenhagen.

The 1923 car with engine no.9,981,010 is a secondhand T Ford which had previously been registered as a delivery van and is now
wanted to be registered as a passenger car, for which the owner is taxed Kr. 180.00.
All the other cars listed are apparently
new cars.

Niels


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niels Andersen on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 03:48 pm:

correction to the posting just mailed:
last caption: He did not pay Kr.180.00 tax but
Kr. 120.00


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