1923 Ford Model T Tudor Sedan
Registration no. BS 9274
Chassis no. 7219431

After spending his formative years as a motor manufacturer experimenting with a variety of models, Henry Ford pared the company's range down to just one - the Model T - destined to become the world's first truly mass-produced automobile. Introduced in October 1908, the Model T boasted a simple 100"-wheelbase chassis that contrived to be both lightweight and durable thanks to the pioneering use of vanadium steel. The engine was a 20hp four-cylinder sidevalve displacing 2,896cc, and the transmission a simple-to-use two-speed planetary unit.

By the start of the 1920s, the Ford Model T had been in production for 11 years, but despite its relative age the car was far from finished. Indeed, two-thirds of all Model Ts were sold after 1920! As one might expect, given the maturity of the design, the Model T changed more progressively during the Twenties, with few of the major revisions of earlier years. The adoption of an oval fuel tank for 1921 enabled the body to be re-designed with a lower and more comfortable seating position, though from a distance the difference was barely noticeable, while the engine gained a single valve cover, replacing the twin covers used previously. Cars supplied with electrical equipment came with a dashboard, the latter becoming standard on all models late in 1922, while it remained possible to order an open Model T without electric starter or full electric lighting.

This Model T Tudor (two-door) sedan was discovered in a garage in Long Island, USA, and was purchased and imported in 2004. The battery was replaced and the tyres inflated, and the car kept in 'oily rag' condition. In 2005, the 'T' took part in the Figueira de Foz Rally in Portugal, covering approximately 300km in one day, and has also regularly toured in the UK. Described by the private vendor as 'all original', starting easily and running well, the car is offered with a V5C Registration Certificate.

No collector's experience is complete without at one time owning a Model T, the car that put America - and the world - on wheels, and this left-hand drive example represents an ideal starting point for new collectors as well as being an indispensable element for the most comprehensive collection.