In this article we bring you some motoring advice which is admittedly long past its practical use as it concerns a motor car that ended production in Ireland in 1927. The observations are drawn from a 1967 edition of Motoring Life magazine, which reflected on the realities of owning and driving the Ford Model T.
Widely popular in its time, the Model T was nevertheless a machine that demanded attention and understanding from its driver. By modern standards it was far from straightforward.
BALLINASCARTHY
Henry Ford landed in Cork on the morning of August 9th 1912 accompanied by his wife Clara and their son Edsel to revisit his Irish roots. They made his way to Ballinascarthy in County Cork, his father’s birthplace, were today a life-size stainless-steel sculpture of a Ford Model T stands in the village, marking their connection to West Cork.
By the time he arrived that summer, the Model T was already reshaping life in America. The very first car had rolled off the assembly line on September 27th 1908 at the Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit, Michigan. At launch the T cost $825, approx. €26,500 today. With improvements in production efficiencies by 1925 the price had fallen to $260 approx. €4,400. In the years that followed, hundreds of thousands were produced, 248,307 cars in 1914 alone, placing reliable and affordable motoring within reach of the American middle class for the first time.
HENRY FORD & SON
Henry Ford’s visit to Ireland in 1912 was more than a sentimental visit. Travelling through Cork and beyond, he saw at first hand the hardship that marked much of Irish life and it left a lasting impression.
Five years later, in April 1917, Henry Ford & Son Ltd was incorporated in Cork. Soon afterwards it was announced that the first purpose-built Ford factory established outside North America would be built at the Marina, on the site of the old racecourse along the south bank of the River Lee.
Production at the new plant began not with motor cars, but with tractors. Built under the Fordson name, the first tractor left the Cork assembly line in July 1919. By the close of that year more than 300 had been completed. Expansion was rapid. In 1920 alone, over 3,600 Fordson tractors were produced at the Marina works, supplying farmers at home and across Europe with modern mechanical power.
FORD IN IRELAND
In Ireland, Ford representation began modestly, with the first agent securing a contract for six cars. Following the start of US production in September 1908, the Model T reached Ireland in 1909 and quickly attracted buyers. Sales doubled year on year, and by 1913 around 600 Ford vehicles were being sold annually across the island.
By that same year, Ford accounted for roughly half of all cars produced in the United States. Although Henry Ford is often quoted as saying buyers could have any colour so long as it was black, early cars were offered in several colours, with black becoming standard only from 1914 for reasons of production efficiency. Expansion continued rapidly, and by 1918 it was estimated that one in every two cars in use worldwide was a Model T.
Production of the Ford Model T in Ireland began in 1923. Drawing on experience gained from Fordson tractor manufacture, the Cork workforce did more than simply assemble imported kits; engines and transmissions were built at the plant. In total, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Model T cars were produced at the Marina works.
Manufacture continued at the Marina works until 31 December 1927, when Model T production came to an end worldwide. By that stage, some 15,456,868 cars had been produced across Ford assembly plants internationally.
THE MODEL T
The car was marketed at a base price that covered only the essentials. Items such as a spare wheel or even a roof were optional extras. Safety equipment as understood today did not exist; there were no seatbelts, airbags or electronic driver aids – there were no electronics.
Power came from a 2.9 litre side valve, water cooled four-cylinder engine derived from a tractor and restricted to approximately 1,000 rpm by its narrow ports and small valves. Drivers also had to adjust fuel mixture and spark timing themselves, making mechanical knowledge essential. The engine was notable as it had a detachable cylinder head and a monobloc casting that combined the four cylinders and the upper crankcase into a single, durable cast-iron unit. Transmission was by means of an epicyclic gearbox providing two forward speeds and reverse.
The T could reach about 40 miles per hour, though it had no speedometer. Fuel was measured with a stick, economy ranged between 28 and 30 miles per gallon, and its exhaust output equated to roughly two modern Ford Focus cars.
DRIVINGF THE T
The Model T’s driving controls differed markedly from a modern car. Although three pedals were fitted to the floor, none operated as a conventional accelerator. Speed was regulated by a hand lever mounted on the steering column. Alongside it sat a second lever for spark advance, allowing the driver to adjust ignition timing while underway.
Three pedals were set into the floor, the far-right pedal slowed the car by slowing the transmission. The far-left pedal operates the clutch but not in a way we would expect on a modern car. The T’s clutch had three distinct positions and acted more like a gear selector. The middle halfway down position puts the car into neutral, while pressing the pedal to the floor puts the car into the low gear. Getting moving and into first required slowly pressing the clutch down while easing on the throttle using the steering wheel mounted lever and easing off the brake. Once underway letting the pedal all the way out puts the Model T into the high gear necessary for normal cruising speeds. The middle pedal is used to activate the reverse and can also aid braking in an emergency.
To the left of the driver was a lever sprouting from the wooden floor that served two functions. Pulled all the way toward the driver it served as a parking brake. Moving the lever forward part of the way put the car in neutral while pushing the lever all the way forward puts the car into high gear and this in turn pops the clutch pedal all the way up.
The other controls in the car were a choke, used to prime the carburetor with fuel when starting the engine and the coil box which holds the battery and the petrol tank was under the driver’s seat.
DAILY DRIVING
Bringing a cold Model T to life demanded both caution and familiarity with its controls. The spark lever on the steering column had to be set fully retarded before any attempt was made to start the engine. The usual method was to turn the engine over a few times with the starting handle with the ignition switched off, then return to the driver’s seat to switch on the ignition and set the throttle and spark. Only then would the driver step to the front and give the starting handle a firm swing.
If the timing had not been correctly adjusted, the engine could kick back sharply, with enough force to cause serious injury. And once the engine caught, there was little time to spare as the driver needed to move quickly back to the controls to ease back the throttle before the car drove forward on its own.
The driving position was high and upright, considerably taller than that of most modern cars. This height increased the sensation of speed and added a degree of unease when cornering or slowing, as the car’s proportions could make it feel less than settled.
With no power assistance, turning the steering wheel involved noticeable effort and physical input. Braking also demanded foresight and strong legs, as stopping performance was modest by today’s standards. Even so, the ride itself was surprisingly forgiving, with transverse mounted semi-elliptic springs a reflection of the car’s development at a time when smooth, paved roads were the exception rather than the norm.
MODIFICATIONS
Even in the Model T era, owners sought ways to modify their cars to suit local conditions. One of the most popular upgrades was the Ruckstell two speed rear axle, notably one of the few aftermarket accessories formally approved by Ford.
This auxiliary gearing arrangement provided an additional range between the standard low and high ratios. It effectively offered an intermediate gear and a lower overall drive, proving particularly useful in slow moving traffic or when climbing steep gradients that were beyond the capability of the standard high gear.
MECHANICAL MOTORING
The Ford Model T was a skill to be learned. It asked its driver for strength, judgement and mechanical understanding in return for mobility and independence.
A century later, when motoring has become almost effortless, the Model T stands as a reminder of a time when progress came with noise, vibration and the smell of petrol.
With thanks to Todd Schelling for the use of his video and to Dr Mark Humphrys for suggesting this story
Check out our Cork-built Model T
Sources of Information, Video and Photo Credits
Commons: wikimedia
Cork Examiner
Driving ambition: Oliver O’Hanlon on Henry Ford in Ireland – The Irish Times
Evening Echo
Getty Images
Model T Driving Instructions – Todd Schelling
Motoring Life Magazine Vol. XVIII 1967
RTE
The Irish Ford Model T Club
