ENGINE SERIAL NUMBERS

The engine number was also the serial number of the car. Engines were numbered when they were completed, and for the most part went into a chassis within a day or so. However, some engines were assembled and numbered at branch assembly plants. Highland Park would ship a block of engine-number records to an assembly plant and these engines might be made weeks or months afterwards. Consequently, engine numbers can only be used to date the "engine" NOT the car.

It might be interesting to note that Ford claims to have built fifteen million Model T cars; this figure based on the number of engines. Records show, however, that a good many engines were made which did not go into a car, perhaps being for replacement or other use. Fifteen million, of course, is an approximate figure. Add the thousands of cars made in Canada, which are not included in the U.S. serial numbers, and the fifteen million is a reasonably safe number. (Canadian serial numbers, beginning about 1913, generally begin with a "C" and were not a part of the U.S. count. Prior to 1913 Canada used U.S. engine numbers.)

A comprehensive daily serial number list, with many notes, is included in the book, Model T Ford. That list is about 150 pages long, much too large to make available on this site.


1908* Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
1
11
12
101
102
309

1909* Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
310
646
647
1052
1053
2025
2026
2691
2692
4036
4037
5980
5981
8107
8108
9840
9841
11148
11149
12405
12406
13132
13133
14161

1910* Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
14162
15500
15501
16600
16601
19700
19701
23100
23101
26500
26501
29500
29501
30200
30201
31000
31001
31900
31901
32500
32501
33700
33701
34900

1911* Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
34901
37000
37001
40000
40001
45000
45001
50800
50801
57200
57201
60500
60501
62100
62101
66700
66701
69876
69877
83100
83101
86300
86301
88900

1912** Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start # 88901 92001 95901 103801 112901 123801 132001 139701 144501 157425 B series B series
End # 92000 95900 103800 112900 123800 132000 139700 144500 157424 B series B series 183563

* Numbers shown are based on the dates of sale, not of manufacture.

** The actual dates of manufacture of engines before 1913 have yet to be discovered. The numbers shown are based on the dates of the sale of the engine/automobile. From the available data it appears that engines were installed in cars, or sold as engines only, in numerical order until summer of 1912. In late 1912, however, engines were assembled and numbered, and then stored for later installation. Consequently serial numbers and dates are no longer in order.

In the summer and early fall of 1912 engines were made in a separate plant (only known as "Detroit" in the records, and these engines were given "B" numbers 1 through 12,247. These B-series engines were installed in random order beginning in October and ending in December 1912. To add to the confusion, there is a gap in the regular serial number sequence of 12,247 numbers, somewhere between 157,425 and 170,000. We have found no evidence of engine numbers in the 158,000 to 169,000 range. During these three months, a mixture of the B-numbers and the regular numbers were used and by the end of December all the B-numbers were used.

It appears that the engines of this period were warehoused and removed at random, sort of a last in, first out sequence. For example, B-numbers in the B-1,000 to B8,000 range were used in October, B-7 to B-12,000 in November, and B-5,000 to B-12,000 in December.

Ford's records show 157,425 as the first number of fiscal 1913 (October 1, 1912), yet cars with engines in the 153,000 to 157,000 range were sold in October (in addition to the "B" engines). 169,### to 173,### in November, and 169,### to 183,563 in December.


1913 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
183564
200993
200994
218239
218240
239151
239152
260201
260202
281651
281652
302915
302916
320615
320616
336400
336401
348735
348736
364897
364898
382797
382798
408347

1914 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
408348
436567
436568
461017
461018
487282
487283
506822
506823
526040
526041
540850
540851
550938
550939
569238
569239
591735
591736
617535
617536
636735
636736
656063

1915 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
656064
680348
680349
706623
706624
737938
737939
773490
773491
805840
805841
839925
839926
856513
856514
881063
881064
914026
914027
949225
949226
986060
986061
1028313

1916 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
1028314
1071928
1071929
1119003
1119004
1169023
1169024
1219573
1219574
1273413
1273414
1328148
1328149
1362989
1362990
1400913
1400914
1452213
1452214
1510398
1510399
1569776
1569777
1614516

1917 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
1614517
1679591
1679592
1739906
1739907
1812013
1812014
1888043
1888044
1968619
1968620
2044131
2044132
2113501
2113502
2162888
2162889
2231009
2231010
2310409
2310410
2383951
2383952
2449179

1918 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
2449180
2503204
2503205
2558189
2558190
2611439
2611440
2657479
2657480
2700789
2700790
2735679
2735680
2756251
2756252
2774621
2774622
2787821
2787822
2792306
2792307
2805097
2805098
2831426

1919 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
2843127
2880166
2880167
2933046
2933047
2997146
2997147
3067736
3067737
3139951
3139952
3210841
3210842
3277851
3277852
3346876
3346877
3429401
3429402
3515431
3515432
3587996
3587997
3659971

1920 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
3659972
3743076
3743077
3817076
3817077
3910001
3910002
3969151
3969152
4055281
4055282
4141451
4141452
4233351
4233352
4329901
4329902
4426386
4426387
4526541
4526542
4617928
4617929
4698419

1921 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
Closed 4698420
4736431
4736432
4810014
4810015
4907505
4907506
5008005
5008006
5114533
5114534
5223135
5223136
5337545
5337546
5447816
5447817
5529519
5529520
5602301
5602302
5638071

1922 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
5638072
5683808
5683809
5737278
5737279
5812608
5812609
5922968
5922969
6058671
6058672
6199796
6199797
6334196
6334197
6473196
6473197
6582724
6582725
6713881
6713882
6844681
6844682
6953071

1923 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
6953072
7084225
7084226
7217971
7217972
7386111
7386112
7564111
7564112
7738372
7738373
7927374
7927375
8122674
8122675
8311581
8311582
8477681
8477682
8664281
8664282
8843065
8843066
9008371

1924 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start # 9008372 9232672 9427722 9622522 9814522 9984772 10126472 10266472 10404822 10560822 10734506 10886260 HP
  10566001 10566010 10764952 10863731 Rouge
End # 9323671 9427721 9622521 9814521 9984771 10126471 10266471 10404821 10560821 10734505 10886259 10999000 HP
 : 10566009 10764951 10863730 10944033 Rouge

1925 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start # 10998001
  10994034 11135309 11302020 11477656 11668648 11869208 12062487 12222529 12290761 12399497 12621502 12823127 Rouge
End # 11066938   (End of Highland Park engine production)
  11135308 11302019 11477655 11668647 11869207 12062486 12222528 12290760 12399496 12621501 12823126 12990076

Beginning in September 1924 Ford began producing engines at the then-new River Rouge plant. Initially Highland Park would send the Rouge a block of engine-number records and these numbers appeared on engines built at the Rouge. As Rouge production climbed, Highland Park's declined and as the Rouge became the primary source they would send blocks of number records back to Highland Park. The result of these two production sites was that there is no real numerical sequence in engine numbers between September 1924 and February 1925. The daily serial number lists published in Model T Ford, the Car That Changed the World shows the days on which certain engines were produced but this abbreviated listing does not.

1926 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
12990077
13138675
13138676
13286289
13286290
13454889
13454890
13619705
13619706
13769814
13769815
13912754
13912755
14049029
14049030
14194489
14194490
14331152
14331153
14472253
14472254
14577135
14577136
14619254

1927 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
14619255
14698502
14698503
14762945
14762946
14851445
14851446
14927495
14927496
15007032
15007033
15016374
15016375
15023924
15023925
15034699
15034670
15047409
15047410
15059396
15059397
15068957
15068958
15076231
Model T number 15,000,000 was assembled May 26, 1927.

1928 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15076232
15081163
15081164
15086394
15086395
15091184
15091185
15098381
15098382
15107771
15107772
15118348
15118349
15127973
15127974
15137550
15137551
15142855
15142856
15148053
15148054
15149646
15149647
15150381

1929 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15150382
15152127
15152128
15153662
15153663
15154757
15154758
15156134
15156135
15158335
15158336
15160345
15160346
15162310
15162311
15165673
15165674
15169414
15169415
15170468
15170469
15170784
14170785
15170988

1930 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15170989
15171574
15171575
15172030
15172031
15172363
15172364
15172997
15172998
15173626
15173627
15174112
15174113
15174202
15174203
15174518
15174519
15174830
15174831
15175122
15175123
15175498
14175499
15175690

1931 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15175691
15175825
15175826
15175966
15175967
15176074
15176075
15176171
15176172
15176207
15176208
15176314
15176315
15176432
15176433
15176439
15176440
15176591
15176592
15176650
15176651
15176686

1932 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15176687
15176691

1933 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
  15176692
15176696
15176697
15176702
11176703
15176712

1934 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
  15176713
15176722
15176723
15176732
15176733
15176739
15176740
15176742
  15176743
15176749
15176750
15176756
15176757
15176761
15176762
15176763

1935 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15176764
15176777
15176778
15176778
15176779
15176782
15176783
15176787
15176788
15176792
  12176793
15176796
15176797
15176799
15176800
15176804
&mbsp; 15176805
15176807

1936 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Start #
End #
15176808
15176811
15176812
15176812
15176813
15176816
15176817
15176817
  15176818
15176820
15176821
15176822
  15176823
15176823
15176824
15176824

1937 15176825 to 15176853

1938 15176854 to 15176862

1939 15176863 to 15176877

1940 15176878 to 15176881

1941 15176882 to 15176888
The last Model T engine was assembled on August 4, 1941. A total of 169,856 engines were built after the last Model T was assembled in Dearborn.

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© Bruce W. McCalley. Rev. February 14, 2007