The beginning of T bodies from Beaudette, or Model S?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2015: The beginning of T bodies from Beaudette, or Model S?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Eastern Nebraska on Sunday, November 29, 2015 - 09:35 am:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Sunday, November 29, 2015 - 10:41 am:

Rob,I wonder what year Fisher started selling to Ford?? With several mfg in Pontiac i wonder how they shipped to Detroit at the time? I have seen pictures of bodys delivered by horse and wagon but i would think those came from the close Fisher plant?? Bud in Wheeler,Mi.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Sunday, November 29, 2015 - 07:37 pm:

Rob,

I'm 99.9% sure it is a Model N, S or SR. And I would think it was the 1908 Model S Roadster (SR) that Beaudett was making those bodies for.

Rationale:

The newspaper publication date was Jan 27, 1908.

From Trent Boggess we have been told that all the 1908 Model S Roadster bodies were produced by Beaudett (also spelled Beaudette).

From Trent's Early Ford Data base we know the first recorded shipment of a Model S Roadsters (SR) was Mar 10, 1908 (serial number 17 & 18 both sent to Rochester NY).

From Trent's database we know there were approximately 3708 Model S Roadsters produced.

From Trent's data base as well as other sources we know that Mode T #1 was shipped 1 Oct 1908.

From Bruce McCalley's (R.I.P.) "Model T Ford" page 477 we know that both Beaudett (referred to as Pontiac) and Wilson supplied bodies to Ford. And Bruce acknowledged there might have been others that were missed.

The newspaper article mentioned that the plants in Pontiac had been in a depression. Indicating things had been going really slow. (Although it is possible that a singe factory might have been doing fine.)

I believe the timing would have been a great fit for the first order of 2500 Model S Roadster bodies. They would have been assembled and going out of Ford's factory a month and a half later. I.e. Jan 29, 1908 newspaper article and the first shipment of Model SR's was Mar 10, 1908. If those were Model T bodies – they would not have been needed for another 8 months or so.

And of course the Model N Runabout and Model S Runabout was still being produced and bodies were needed for them. They apparently used the same body by that time frame.

+++++ Caution thread drift +++++

What is more interesting to me is the article stated: "The O.J. Beaudette & Co. and the Monroe Body Co. have received a joint order for bodies from the Ford company of Detroit….”

I have known for several years that both companies produced bodies for the Model T Fords. And we have some Model Ts that have a “B” for Beaudett and some that have an “M” for Monroe. We also have a few Model Ts that have both an “M” & “B” stamped into the front seat heel panel. See the posting at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/365567.html?1375469328 about Mark Stewart’s 1914 that has both the “M” & “B” stamped into his front seat heel panel. This may also explain why the Ford records indicate Pontiac rather than Beaudett? I.e. if they were dealing with both companies and since they were from the same town, Pontiac may have been easier to use? But that doesn’t line up with the use of both Beaudett as well as Monroe on the 1914 tags indicating body manufactures (shown in that same posting by Mark Stewart).

If you are anyone else run across any additional Beaudett, Monroe, Pontiac, etc. connections or references please let us know.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Trent Boggess on Sunday, November 29, 2015 - 09:17 pm:

To add to Hap's comments above, the U.S. was just coming out of the Panic of 1907. Economic downturns at that time were referred to as "Panics". This economic down turn, was especially harsh, and the financial records of the Ford Motor Company show a significant drop off sales of the Model N and S Runabouts. During November and December, 1907, and again in January, 1908, FMC actually lost money.

By the time the spring selling season arrived in March, 1908, the economy was recovering rapidly, and new car sales were picking up quickly. The 1908 Model S Roadsters began to arrive just in time for the spring sales season, and they sold very, very well.

Just a couple of other bits of Economic History: Following the panic of 1907, people decided to replace the word "Panic" when referring to economic downturns with the euphemism "Depression". After World War 2 the term "Depression" was replaced by the word "Recession", hence the expression The Great Recession of 2007-2010.

The other point is that the Panic of 1907 was so harsh and devastated the banking system so much, that it finally forced Congress to do something about it. In 1913 an act was passed that created a central banking for the U.S. It was called the Federal Reserve Act, which is known today as the "Fed".

Respectfully Submitted,

Trent Boggess


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Eastern Nebraska on Sunday, November 29, 2015 - 09:19 pm:

Thanks Hap. I was looking at the possibility FMC was beginning to ramp up for the T. As early as Oct 1907 Ford said they would bring out the T in the spring (then summer, then fall) of 1908. We also know pre-T prototypes called models T and W were shown during at least two winter 1907 car shows (N.Y. and Detroit).

A few related tidbits, first, a reported sighting of the Ford "pre-T" taximeter at the Detroit auto show:


This ad ran for several issues in the "Detroit Free Press" paper during mid 1908. It lists an aftermarket timer for Ford models N, S and T. Did they intend to list N, R and S? The ad ran long enough to correct if it was wrong. If the company did intend to market a timer for the October 08 T, it would have been a different style than the NRS timer. However, the "pre-T" shown at the 1907 auto shows appears similar to NRS cars, and may have used the same style timer.


However, in all likelihood the bodies contracted for are probably S Roadsters as you (and Trent) indicate. Always more to learn.......


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Eastern Nebraska on Sunday, November 29, 2015 - 10:15 pm:

Thanks Trent, I believe I was typing when you posted. This article mentions N.Y. auto owners selling their cars during the beginning of the panic:


I think the success Ford achieved in 1907 and 1908 during this economic downturn makes their success even more remarkable.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Skingley ......Westland, Michigan on Monday, November 30, 2015 - 06:52 am:

Ford survived the last panic without the bail-out, I think the stock hit a low of about $2. Did past history and family owned help?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jason Kuczynski on Monday, November 30, 2015 - 07:32 am:

My father in law bought a few thousand shares at $1.81. Then sold when it hit $4 I think. Too bad he didn't hold on a bit longer, but who knew how it would rebound.

Ford leveraged a lot of assets, such as real estate, to stay away from borrowing money. Communities such as Wayne (where I live) Michigan also offered tax breaks to keep the plants there and operating.

I'm sure the family was well prepared to do what they had to. Like my FIL said when he bought the stock, "When the auto companies flew down and were ridiculed by Congress for using private jets, the Ford rep basically said to 'screw off'. That's the guy I'm putting my money on." And initially he was right.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Eastern Nebraska on Monday, November 30, 2015 - 09:24 am:

Robert and Jason,
Ford Canada stock was offered (newspaper) in 1906/08. I'll start another thread regarding it later today.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Darel J. Leipold on Monday, November 30, 2015 - 12:51 pm:

The Model T Touring body (some at least) were Fisher bodies. The Fisher Company was able to reduce the weight on the new 1915 style body over prototypes. The open car with the 1915 bodies were late in the 1915 model year. The new body came available about February of 1915.


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