To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Guyton
Collection event, 4 - 5 May 2019.
Estimate:
$10,000 - $15,000
- Nice "Black T" from the transition era
- Correct and authentic older restoration
The Model T Ford was built in a myriad of body styles over the two
decades of its existence, but by far the most popular was the
five-passenger Touring car. Most of these were of the 'three-door'
configuration introduced for 1913. Bodies were all new that year.
Doors were permanently mounted, but there were just three of them,
the driver's door being a "dummy" with a faux outline in the outer
sheet metal. This was to eliminate an otherwise clumsy entry and
exit for the driver, since the left-side handbrake got in the way.
For 1914, the body was slightly revised, to add strength and
rigidity, and the door openings were made shallower to accommodate
the additional bracing. Fully 80 percent of Model Ts were
Tourings.
Subsequent changes included electric lights, supplied by the
magneto, for 1915 and the abandonment of brass trim for the "black
T" motif in 1917. A battery, electric starter, and generator were
added to closed cars for 1919. Later in the year, open cars also
received a starter. Wheels were now demountable.
This car, an older quality restoration, has the hallmarks of an
early 1919 tourer, with electric lights and demountable rims, but
no battery, generator, or starter. It has been titled as 1918,
however, using an engine number that was possibly state assigned.
It was acquired in June 1985 from Victor Labantschnig of St. Louis,
who is believed to have restored it. The top is a LeBaron Bonney
item, and the upholstery is done to factory specification in
buttoned black artificial leather. The floors have the
difficult-to-find rubber mats. The tires are 30 � 3� Wards
Riverside, of considerable age.
The archetypal Model T, this black touring car will provide
pleasure, whether on tour, on the show field, or simply being
driven for old-fashioned enjoyment.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/gc19.