1909 Ford Model T Touring Engine no. 7318

1909 Ford Model T Touring Engine no. 7318177ci Flathead Inline 4-Cylinder EngineSingle CarburetorApprox. 22hp at 1,600rpm2-Speed Planetary Manual Transmission Transverse Leaf Springs and Solid Axles Front and Rear Rear-Wheel Drum Brakes*Desirable early Ford Model T Touring *Formerly owned in California *A nearly completed sympathetic restoration*Lots of potential for an enthusiast to finish offTHE EARLY MODEL THenry Ford was thrown out of the Henry Ford Company for pursuing an idea which his investors thought was silly: building an inexpensive, reliable, four-passenger automobile. The directors – men of substance, prosperity and achievement – knew that the automobile was accessible only to them and their counterparts. Henry was a dreamer, and after backing his early ideas they cut their losses, sending Mr. Ford packing with a $900 gratuity and a roll of blueprints for a simple, cheap car that had – in their experienced judgment – no chance of success.Surprisingly, Henry found a new backer in Alexander Malcolmson, a Detroit coal merchant, and the canny Henry managed to keep Malcolmson on board until Ford's vision was ready to be realized. It was called the Model T (T is the 20th letter of the alphabet and Henry had rendered many of the preceding nineteen letters in metal which alone is sufficient to substantiate the abundance of his ideas.) The early Model Ts were beautiful automobiles. They had acres of brightwork, were finished in brilliant colors and had elaborately-shaped bodies that owed little to production economies and much to the styles and public expectations of the day. Their 177 cubic inch four-cylinder engines had removable cylinder heads (revolutionary in the day but which made it practical for owners to clean their valves and piston crowns of the carbon buildup which the poor breathing, slow combustion and crummy fuels of the day made a regular chore of automobile ownership.)In the early years Ford's production was challenged by other marques. Buick, for example, outsold Ford even though it was more expensive. But soon Ford's single-minded focus on reducing costs and combining great value with low price achieved the results that economists (had there been any in 1910) would have predicted.THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDThe '09 T here displays all those subtleties of the early cars, even the top mountings are built on an ornate bar that stretches back around the whole rear of the body. It is little details like this that quickly were lost in the quest for uniformity and profit. Acquired from Peter Eastwood in Pasadena, California in the early 2000s, the car presents as a near complete restoration of a highly original example. Detail features such as original front floorboards and car builder patent plaque are still present and it is evident that the bodywork is built in wood rather than metal for most of the structure. Viewed carefully there remain details that need finishing, there are no manifolds and while painted, the condition of the engine is not clear. The dash is missing a coil box, coils and wiring also, most of these cars would have had a windshield too. But one of the benefits of the remarkable survival rates of the T is that there are a host of other minds to consult with on making sure that the right pieces are sourced and further many different supporting entities and suppliers of parts who can assist. The Ford is finished in bright red with black fenders, chassis and undercarriage and has black wood spoke wheels, the basic bodywork is accented with brass Edmunds & Jones headlights, brass radiator shell and sidelights. A much more exclusive, distinctive and attractive automobile than later Model Ts would be, when completed, it will provide its new owner that a very rare commodity indeed which carries rarified status among their community. Lot to be sold without reserve.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com