MTFCA Forum

According to a brief search or newspapers available, the first Model T Ford was "produced" October 1 1908. For October 1908 eleven cars were assembled. The Scranton Truth (29 September 1908) stated the model year 1909 will be ready for delivery in October 1908 for $850.00 FOB the factory.

Yet, the Washington Times (Washington DC) 1 March 1908 states that The National Auto Company as a Ford agency sold a Model T Ford to Robinson White.

The Inter Ocean (Chicago) for 18 November 1908 printed the agent for Ford, Tom Hay stated that the New Model T Ford arrived last Friday. Hay is expecting to sell 100s before next summer.

And in Philadelphia 18 July 1909, it was announced that the Ford Agency could begin to accept orders for the new car. This is the first time since 26 April 1909. It appears that the cars were selling very well and orders could not be met on time.

I would expect the National Auto Co. sold Mr. White his Model T in March on the promise of October delivery.

Here is an old thread talking about the earliest Model Ts. About 3/4 of the way down is a list of early Ts and their history (up to that point) by Kim Dobbins.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1228311520

This is a copy of what Kim Dobbins wrote in 2008.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message By Kim Dobbins on Tuesday, December 02, 2008 - 11:52 pm:
Here is some of the info that I have on some of the early T's.
#2 was restored by Don Hess, then sold to a dealer in PA, then sold someone in England.
#18 is a chassis that turned up on a farm in Slippery Rock, PA, then sold to someone in New York state.
#22 is a block only in Texas.
#77 is an engine only that belongs to Los Angeles County Museum.
#90 was restored by Bill Barth then sold to the Whitehead collection in MN, then sold to a collector in AZ.
#126 was built from a block that was found in Chicago holding up a garage door. It was built by John Stynoski. I think this car is somewhere in ca.
#131 is a former Harrahs car now in a collection in CA. This car just made an appearance at the Concoures DE Elegance car show in Palos Verdes, CA a couple on months ago.
#197 Don Hess?
#208 Hans Hapsburg, KS?
#220 is probable the most famous of the early Fords.It was bought off a form in MO. by Eddie Hausgen in the early 50's, then sold to and restored by Ben Snyder, Riverside, CA. then sold to Harrahs auto collection, Reno,NV. Sold at auction in 1985 to myself. It now resides in a very nice home in OR. Its hard to say which one is the earliest. I guess It depends on definition of a restored car. As Herb said, "that's all I have to say about that"

Interestingly there is no mention of #1. I believe the motor in #1 was changed to 10xx and then sold as a used vehicle.
This listing indicate #2 went to England and might well be the vehicle recently sold at auction for close to quarter million dollars.

Has anyone a verifiable update?

Tony, Richard ( Dick) Teague found engine #2 in northern Michigan. If you don’t know the name, look it up. He was a renowned auto stylist and car collector. His name wouldn’t be connected if something was fishy about it, It was a lifetime pursuit of Don Hess to find all the parts and restore it as so many were in the 1970s onward. According to info available at the time, I think he did pretty good. If you think about it , they weren’t really that old then, if if you are known as the guy into very early Ts , as Don was, parts would come to you like a magnet. I’m 65 and remember his want ads all my life.
Can’t understand why everyone’s hair is on fire over this car. The person who bought it for a quarter million is the smart one, and could care less about the boos from the cheap seats. iMHO , of course.
A guy built a car around an original seat once. I don’t hear anyone boo that!
I’ve found original parts for things a lot older and rarer than one of the first 1000 Ts. Many times over the years.

Last I knew 220 is at the Piquette Museum on loan from Kim Dobbins. What a beauty!

How did they figure out that #18 chassis was the #18 chassis?

TonyB wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 20, 2022 3:34 pm

#18 is a chassis that turned up on a farm in Slippery Rock, PA, then sold to someone in New York state.

Many years ago, I got a tip that T #18 was on a farm in PA. I was able to get in contact with the owner who claimed to have the chassis complete with the motor. He claimed the body was out back behind the barn and had rotted away. I tried to see the car a couple different times, but was never given permission. Later the owner said the chassis had been sold to a Buick collector in lower central NY state. That's the story for what it's worth.
There were a few production changes made to first 2500 water pump blocks. I talked to Don Hess a couple times about his #2 block. Some of the features he described were not consistent with the first series of blocks. As I recall, he asked what those differences were. What he did with the information, I don't know. I'm sure there is plenty more to the story.

The Floyd Clymer T restoration handbook came out in the early 60’s I think.
It has a 1909 restored T on the cover that was in the Henry Ford museum at the time it had been found on a farm and later restored. Anybody know how early it was? The book didn’t mention the engine no. Maybe they restored it to representative of a 1909 T.

This is a copy of what Kim Dobbins wrote in 2008.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message By Kim Dobbins on Tuesday, December 02, 2008 - 11:52 pm:
Here is some of the info that I have on some of the early T's.
#2 was restored by Don Hess, then sold to a dealer in PA, then sold someone in England.
#18 is a chassis that turned up on a farm in Slippery Rock, PA, then sold to someone in New York state.
#22 is a block only in Texas.
#77 is an engine only that belongs to Los Angeles County Museum.
#90 was restored by Bill Barth then sold to the Whitehead collection in MN, then sold to a collector in AZ.
#126 was built from a block that was found in Chicago holding up a garage door. It was built by John Stynoski. I think this car is somewhere in ca.
#131 is a former Harrahs car now in a collection in CA. This car just made an appearance at the Concoures DE Elegance car show in Palos Verdes, CA a couple on months ago.
#197 Don Hess?
#208 Hans Hapsburg, KS?
#220 is probable the most famous of the early Fords.It was bought off a form in MO. by Eddie Hausgen in the early 50's, then sold to and restored by Ben Snyder, Riverside, CA. then sold to Harrahs auto collection, Reno,NV. Sold at auction in 1985 to myself. It now resides in a very nice home in OR. Its hard to say which one is the earliest. I guess It depends on definition of a restored car. As Herb said, "that's all I have to say about that"

Interestingly there is no mention of #1. I believe the motor in #1 was changed to 10xx and then sold as a used vehicle.
This listing indicate #2 went to England and might well be the vehicle recently sold at auction for close to quarter million dollars.

Has anyone a verifiable update?