Is this a 1911 Touring ?

[John kuehn]

I just saw this photo posted on a local Facebook history page. The writer says it’s a family photo and thinks it’s around 1910 going by the car. This is a T but what year for sure. I was thinking it’s a 11 but not sure. Thanks for any help.

[Humblej]

1912 model year. Removable front doors are the give away, they were for one year only.

[Wayne Sheldon]

A mid to moderately late 1912, slab-side as they are often incorrectly referred to as.
Beyond the usual bodies made by different suppliers for brass era model Ts, Ford itself made several styling and cost saving changes during the1912 model year. During the earlier "step-side" body style, there was one significant change to the firewall for a one-piece versus the earlier two-piece firewall used in the fall of 1911 1912 model year cars. The two-piece firewall required a "step down" at the front of the removeable side and door to accommodate the removeable windshield board. Around November or December of 1911 the new one-piece firewall and straight top of the removeable side and door came around and continued for about two or three months. Then the "slab-side" came about somewhere around February or March of 1912.
I have never gotten straight the timing or sequence of the next few detail changes. What I know is that the rear door went through a few changes. Opening to the front, opening to the rear, and some changes in bottom curves and door handle orientations.
The final easy to see change late in the model year (somewhere around June or July?) was to eliminate the outside handle on the rear doors and use an inside handle similar to what was done for the nearly fifteen years that followed (of course numerous details in the inside handles and mechanisms occurred).

[John kuehn]

Thanks for the information about an early T. The writer of the post likes to delve back into this areas history and always has interesting posts and photos.
I have 3 T’s that are 1919, 21 and 24 and can identify most T’s in the later years but learning from time to time about the 09-14 Brass T’s. I was only off by 1 year so I’m getting there I guess!
Thanks for the education.

[Wayne Sheldon]

1912 is an interesting year. I think Ford made more obvious and/or significant changes that year than during any other model year other than 1909. Consider that there were five different touring car bodies from the earliest to the last all within that one model year. The engine's serial number was placed in four different locations, and the rear end changed from the soft center "clam shells" housing to the cast center 1913/'14 style well before the end of the 1912 model year. That rear end change in itself was a big step forward!
1910 was relatively stable. The early 1911s other than style changes to the fenders and running boards, top, etc, weren't much different mechanically than the 1910s. And all those changes were basically model year changes.
1911s I like to look closely at era photos to see if I can tell whether they are early or late versions. Significant changes were made mid-year to both the front and rear axle assemblies. They can often be difficult or impossible to see in photos, but quite a few era photos do show clearly whether it is early or late. If one knows what to look for.

I really wish I could afford to own a few early brass model Ts. I find them so interesting!

[KWTownsend]

Wayne,
Remember in 1911 tops, windshield, and headlamps were still options. Windshield spacer boards were used on cars with windshields.
In 1912 headlamps, tops , and windshields were standard, so the one piece "taller" dash was used and the fore-doors were flat across the top and fid not need the dip". I think the slab side bodies came about Jan Feb 1912.
Keith

[Rob]

Thanks for the great information Wayne and Keith (and for the original post John). When I think of Model T's, I find myself placing them in approximate groups. I think of the 1909-1911/12 T as a moderate priced quality car ($850 in 1909 was a significant amount, about $22,000 in todays dollars). During this same period, other auto makers were also reducing their prices, so Fords lower prices were in step (although more dramatic due to production improvements). These cars were good performers with excellent horsepower to weight ratio for a mid priced touring car of the time. And they still had lots of bling (brass).

I think of the 1913-16 cars as the last of the brass, and crossing the threshold into state of the art manufacturing, helping the cars continue to be lower and lower in price.

Then, the black T's. I think of these as the car that put the world on wheels, and made Henry Ford the wealthiest man in the world. And finally, the improved T. The "last gasp" before FMC let the iconic Model T begin to slip into history. Each of these "groups" were important to the wonderful legacy of the Ford Model T (in my opinion).

Thanks guys..........