A PEEK AT HISTORY

The Last Model Ts

roduction of Model Ts stopped in May of 1927. The last engine number installed in a production car was 15,007,033. Over 69,000 engines were produced in 1927 after production of the cars stopped. The last Model T engine produced by Ford was built on August 4, 1941 and the first Model As were available in November 1927.

The postcard at the top of the page, from the collection of Ernie Wentrcek, circa 1928 or later, was printed in celebration of a local fair that was held in downtown Shiner, Texas. Some of the cars in the postcard are Model T touring cars and some are other makes. There is also a Model T Fordor. Ben Hardeman checked out the photo for us and did not see any cars that could positively be identified as Model As, but there might be one behind the buggy in the parade. It is too difficult to determine the make of the other vehicles in the parade because of the decorations.

Notice the Southern Pacific boxcar that is labeled AUTOMOBILE. Although there is no way to know the make or model of the cars being shipped, Model Ts were definitely loaded into boxcars and sent to different parts of the country back then. All vehicles were shipped without wheels, and touring cars did not have tops attached to them.

The photo at the bottom of the page, from the collection of Ben Hardeman, shows a new Model T being received by a new Ford dealership in Bassano, Alberta Canada. Notice that it has no top and the wheels still have the paper tags attached that identify the particular car on which they are to be installed. It must have just come off the train.

<<  LAST PAGE

NEXT PAGE >>