MTFCA Forum

97 years ago today was the last day of production of the Model T Ford.

I stand corrected. CBS got it wrong this morning.

What about overseas assembly? I bet a bunch more were assembled and sold after the official end of production. Henry was not one to waste anything. I also understand that engines were made up to the 1940's.

John Codman wrote: ↑

Sun May 26, 2024 11:20 am

I stand corrected. CBS got it wrong this morning.

Major TV network news programs, are famous for getting facts "right" when it comes to automotive history. They are staffed with "novices", who think they are "experts", when it comes to automotive history. Its not your mistake, John. You just got succored in by CBS' misinformation.

From Bruce McCalley's book:
**these are just the engines**

John Codman wrote: ↑

Sun May 26, 2024 9:20 am

97 years ago today was the last day of production of the Model T Ford.

The "last day of production" can be interpreted in many different ways.
In the context of Ford producing cars on its Model T assembly line that date is documented as May 26, 1927 (as the FORD website states)
see page 17 https://corporate.ford.com/about/histor ... eline.html
This indicates that US cars built after that date were not "produced" in the normal way but were assembled from remaining inventory.
-- --
The rest of the World
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T
"Eventually, on May 26, 1927, Ford Motor Company ceased US production and began the changeovers required to produce the Model A. Some of the other Model T factories in the world continued for a short while, with the final Model T produced at the Cork, Ireland plant in December 1928.

In 2002, Ford built a final batch of six Model Ts as part of their 2003 centenary celebrations. These cars were assembled from remaining new components and other parts produced from the original drawings. The last of the six was used for publicity purposes in the UK.

Although Ford no longer manufactures parts for the Model T, many parts are still manufactured through private companies as replicas to service the thousands of Model Ts still in operation today.

On May 26, 1927, Henry Ford and his son Edsel drove the 15-millionth Model T out of the factory. This marked the famous automobile's official last day of production at the main factory.

Now if you were to count cars built after the "official last day of production at the main factory"... wouldn't the six built by Ford in 2002 count as the last Model T's built.

I also understand that engines were made up to the 1940's.

According to Bruce's encyclopedia, the last model T engines were made August 4, 1941. I was about six weeks old.

Much of what has been said and printed depends on how the known facts are interpreted. Does "produced" mean only cars that were made in Detroit? Several branch plants by then were using only engines made in Detroit, but continued assembling cars until they used up their supply of body or chassis parts. You could still get an engine, but not some of the body and chassis parts that weren't made anymore. Were cars assembled in branch plants not "produced"?

Apparently there is some confusion about the color of #15,000,000. I've read that it was repainted sometime in the thirties. If it was, I think the green we see on it today is correct. Look at the photos of it with Henry and Edsel. The body is clearly a lighter color than the black fenders. It's unlikely that the later green paint job was a change in color from maroon or blue.

A simple explanation is the branch’s assembled a model T as long as they could if they had enough parts to build a complete car. My personal opinion is they wanted to make money and not have a lot of excess parts left over after the 15,000,000 “official number was announced.
My opinion of course.
I wonder if Ford made any sheet metal parts after the 15,000.000 mark was reached. He probably stopped the body metal parts production then. The branch’s already had the sheet metal body parts already I’m thinking since they could build a complete car with what they already had.

Not directly Ford T but a question nonethe less--- I had a friend, a senior exec at GM Oshawa. He told me that there were a few" Johnny Cash, one piece at a time cars' built in southern Ontario by determined workers in the plant who managed to liberate parts from the plant. Even early computer inventory control did not stop this entirely.
Are there any confirmed cases where Ford Ts were built " at home' from liberated parts? Do any of them still exist? Regards David Powell.

David Powell wrote: ↑

Mon May 27, 2024 7:30 am

Not directly Ford T but a question nonethe less--- I had a friend, a senior exec at GM Oshawa. He told me that there were a few" Johnny Cash, one piece at a time cars' built in southern Ontario by determined workers in the plant who managed to liberate parts from the plant. Even early computer inventory control did not stop this entirely.
Are there any confirmed cases where Ford Ts were built " at home' from liberated parts? Do any of them still exist? Regards David Powell.

I don't know about Model Ts, but there were quite a number of Indian Motorcycles built that way when Indian was in Springfield MA. Theft was so rampant that essentially, it put Indian out of business.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to have some ‘walk off’ new T parts after production ceased.
I can imagine the parts stuck in corners at the delearships and some storage bldgs. There was a period of time trying to figure out what to do with them. That’s my conjecture of course but it probably happened.

When I went to work at the Technical School that was a closed down Air Force base there was lots of old dormitories and other bldgs and shops. There was all kinds of tools and equipment left in them. You can imagine what happened to a lot of it!

John. Thanks for the memories of the old Bryan air force base. Now riverside campus at Texas A & M. I attended electronics school there in mid sixties. Cool place. There were warehouses full of surplus electronic equipment and other items. Also a fair amount of explosives and primer caps stored in bunkers between the run ways. They were the life of the party at some river beer drinking parties. Blowing up trees along the Brazos river. Or so I hear. no personal knowledge of course. Automotive crash testing of breakaway highway signs and guard rails was developed there and I understand is still being done to some extent.

Oldav8tor wrote: ↑

Sun May 26, 2024 11:42 am

What about overseas assembly? I bet a bunch more were assembled and sold after the official end of production. Henry was not one to waste anything. I also understand that engines were made up to the 1940's.

Exactly. Canadian production is always overlooked. On that note, the number of Model T's produced overall would be closer to 16 million than 15 million.