MTFCA Forum

Palacio Jackson. 18 de Julio esquina Plaza Cagancha, Montevideo. Circa 1920

https://cdf.montevideo.gub.uy/catalogo/foto/12530fmhge

Why not one language ?? Great photo !
Got me thinking - why “tire” ?? In English, the etymology of this familiar word we all easily understand, has been shortened from “attire”, i.e. what a wheel wears. Right up to the invention of rubber tires (1890s - both solid and pneumatic), “tire” remained the universal term from wagon wheels to landing gear for supersonic jet aircraft.

In Spanish-speaking countries, there’s a variety of terms for inflatable rubber tires. In Mexico, they are “llantas”, which, incidentally replicates the term in English, stemming from its strict definition as “attire for a wheel”. In Puerto Rico, they are commonly called “gomas”, literally “rubbers”, and of course, as the photo illustrates, in Uruguay and in Spain, the preferred term is “neumáticos”.

"Time to Re-tire"

Fisk Tires (rear tires), currently in use:

Where would that roadster body have been manufactured? Canada, England, or Europe?

The reason I'm asking is that it is right-hand-drive but does not have a driver's side door.

If it were a Canadian body for export, I would think it would have a driver's side door.

In every other respect, it looks like a 1917 Canadian Ford or, if it had 30 x 3 front wheels, a 1917 U.S. Ford.

I imagine it was built at the Barracas Assembly Plant in Argentina using a US sourced CKD.

Argentina was right hand drive up until June 10, 1945.

It looks like it has "No-Skid" tyres on the back and slicks on the front.

There is always so much more to learn about the T’s that were produced in the USA. And those assembled outside of the USA are not as well documented so even more to learn and hopefully document about them. Anyone who has leads on which Ford Factory might have produced the car in the photo, please let us know.
Great photo – thank you John for posting it.

Based on the little bit of research I have done, I think it is likely a British Ford produced roadster fitted with a special rear body.

Rationale/rabbit trail.

I did some looking and so far, I have only been able to identify one Ford Factory that produced a Right Hand Drive (RHD) roadster or touring that had a false door on front right hand side. That doesn’t mean that one or more others didn’t do that – just that I have no supporting evidence that they ever did produce one.

Note the qualifier “Ford Factory” – Australian production was not under Ford direction until 1925ish (see: http://duncanandfraser.com/ford%20australia%20first.htm ) So while their independent body makers did produce bodies without a right hand door (not a false door – just a smooth side) I don’t consider that a Ford Factory body. Of course Ford USA purchased bodies from outside suppliers – but they were made generally to the Ford specifications.

We do know that Ford of England did use the false door on the right hand side of their open cars. And and by 1915 their open car bodies were very similar to USA and Canadian bodies except they had the opening door on the left front and the dummy door on the right front. That is nicely document in “The English Ford Book” vol 1 which from memory said that layout was continued into 1918. But that sometime during 1918 they added a functional right hand door and continued the RHD. I would gladly look that up, but it -- along with most of my other books -- have been boxed up to allow the painters to paint the inside of our house. I have included a photo of a 1917 English production Ford to illustrate that. It is from the Tuckett Brothers’ website somewhere on the for sale/sold cars located at:

https://www.modeltford.co.uk/cars-for-sale
It shows the false door on the right as well as the RHD. Note the Tuckett Brothers had other cars listed. Including a 1920 touring from South Africa which was also a RHD but with the opening right hand front door. And that would be because Canada produced the parts for most of the former British colonies/Commonwealth and so Canada also supplied South Africa. A big shout-out of Thanks to the Tuckett brothers and their support to our hobby!

It is also well documented that Ford of Canada produced the cars with doors on both sides of the front so the body could easily be used for either RHD or LHD steering. See the posting at:

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/2 ... 1343994878

which has a lot of other postings. Kevin Mowle also did a great article on the 1920’s Canadian Ts and how the were different form the USA production Ts.


What about the possibility of the Argentine Ford Plant assembling the RHD without a door?
The Ford Assembly plant in 1924-25 in Argentine was apparently assembling Left Hand Drive cars. From the photo at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... or_Company

You can see the left hand drive if you zoom in on the photo:
You can also see the valance below the radiator indicating they are 1924-25 model year cars. The complete photo is available at: Argentine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... or_Company
And if the T in the lower right hand corner of the full photo has the single rear glass that would point to a 1925 model year.

Of course one photo does not prove that something was Not done. Maybe that was the only week they made the LHD cars? But if anyone has additional information to support only LHD or to show they did RHD also – that would be greatly appreciated.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

Really great writeup there Hap T! Nice to see you posting lengthy pieces again. I have always really enjoyed reading them myself, and am sure others interested in model T history do also.

Wayne,

Thanks for the kind words. Like so many others I would post more if I was more caught up at work, home, on the car (new and old) and had a little more energy. The energy level has really gone down the last few years. Good news, my job is mostly typing on a computer and teaching folks so there is no heavy lifting etc. But it sure reminds me that I'll never run 2 miles as fast as I did when I was in my 20s.

One addition to the posting. Why would an English Ford Roadster fitted with the special rear section be in Uruguay during the 1917-1920s period? From the Los Angeles Times site at: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html it has an article on "Uruguay's Treasure Trove on Wheels" published May 13, 1998. The part that got my attention was:

"Why is this South American nation [Uruguay] of 3 million an automotive treasure trove? During the first half of the century, booming beef and wheat exports and a generous welfare state made Uruguay a bountiful land. Among the bounties was a flood of imported luxury cars from Europe and the United States."

While I don't think a T fits into the "imported luxury cars" for the local Fisk Dealer it may have been considered a good marketing tool? And if the ships were already going there, then adding a "T" to the shipment wouldn't take up that much room....

I look forwarded to retiring within the next 2 years and being able to work with you and others to help document more about the T's. I am hoping to find out when the 1926 improved models were introduced in some of the South American countries. I suspect but I have NO EVIDENCE YET, that Ford USA supplied only the 1926 style engine & transmission (wide pedals and bolts from the hogs head to the engine block) but continued to supply the 1925 style bodies and fenders to some South American countries when the "improved models" were already introduced in the USA. When I have more time I'll post that question and see if we find some additional information to confirm what did or did not happen.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off