NO RESERVE One-Family-Owned 1923 Ford Model T Project
Vehicle Details
- Year: 1927
- Make: Ford
- Model: Model T
- VIN: 7546806
- Mileage Shown: 0mi (TMU)
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean
- Color: Black
- Seller Type: Private Party
- Location: Olympia, WA 98506
- Lot #: V-0045227
Introduced in 1908 and established as one of the most historically significant automobiles of all time, the Ford Model T is regarded as the world’s first affordable mass-production car, accounting for half of all cars on the road in the U.S. by 1918 and with 15 million examples produced in total by 1927. This 1923 Ford Model T Touring was purchased new by the owner’s great uncle and passed it onto his brother, the seller’s grandfather, who drove it around the family farm in eastern Washington before selling it to his son in 1954. The current owner eventually purchased the car from his father in 2001 and has kept it stored in his shop to this day. Cared for by the same family for over 100 years, this Model T project car is now being offered for auction out of Washington.
As with nearly every Model T produced, this 1923 example is finished in Black. The Touring version features an open-top four-door design with a manual convertible roof and a folding two-piece windscreen. Other equipment includes an aftermarket Peerless radiator, a rear-mounted spare tire, and 21” wood spoke wheels. The seller describes the car as being virtually untouched since new, showing extensive patina and some surface rust. The tires are believed to have last been replaced in the 1940s and no longer hold air. The convertible top fabric is missing, although a folding wooden frame is included.
The cabin is devoid of upholstery and includes a bench seat frame, a four-spoke steering wheel, a light switch, and a Ford ammeter. There is no odometer equipped.
The Model T features a water-cooled 177ci (2.9L) inline four-cylinder engine rated at 20 HP. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a two-speed manual planetary gearbox with a reverse gear. The car has not been started since the 1950s and requires a new battery, although the seller reports the engine turns over freely at the crank and is not seized.
This sale will include a clean title.
The seller would like you to know: “Thank you for your interest in our auction. I am listing this car for my mother who is the current owner. All of my life this car has been in our shop and my mother remembers riding in the car around the family farm when she was very young. Our goal was to keep this car in our family for 100 years, so now that we have hit that mark and since my mom is moving to a new house, we think now is the time to find a new owner who can restore and enjoy the car. We'd really love to see this car on the road and hope it finds a great home where it can be appreciated.”
Auction Results
- Sold for: $2,800
- Auction End: Jul 01, 2024 07:00:19PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 3
Comments (19)
Thanks everyone!
Damn, missed it, I would have given more.
Sold for $2,800
Bid in the amount of $2,800
Thank you everyone who has left comments or reached out to me, its meant a lot to our family to read these. I’ll be around today to any questions if you have any.
Bid in the amount of $2,500
@TheVintageCarGuy Thanks for the comments @TheVintageCarGuy. It is amazing to me knowing the age and the paint is still on it. What ever it was made out of, was made to last!
I look at the patina and paint on this car, and I chuckle as I immediately think of Henry Fords marketing prowess, telling his sales team buyers could have their Ford painted any color they wanted, as long as it was Black.
@bmp007 I so wish this was closer to me. I would be a bidder, but the logistics and cost of shipping a non-running automobile across country make this unattainable for me.
Bid in the amount of $2,000
@husker_boxster Hello @husker_boxster . It does include the carb, it's sitting in the engine bay not hooked up now, but would assume it would work fine once cleaned up. Like you said its a fun one since it's so different from newer cars but simple enough to work on.
Do you have the carb?
I inherited my dad's 1924 Model T Touring that he restored in the 60s. They are fun machines. GLWA.
@TheVintageCarGuy Thanks @TheVintageCarGuy it wasn't sold through the dealership, the State used a dealer form as a formal bill of sale form to facilitate the transfer between my great grandfather and my grandfather for the title change. This is why you don't see a sales price in the lower section or a dealer listed which would happen if a dealer was involved, but can see the title fee. It's also stamped by the state in who it was prepared by. In the spot that in white out at the top the new owner is my grandfather and on the second line white out says the previous owner name, which is my grandfather's name. They have the same last names as you would expect.
@bmp007 Thanks, and I wish you the best. One quick question. Can yo help me understand why, if this is a one family owned car, this Model T appears to have been sold through a dealership in 1954? Seems to me if it changed hand intra-family, a dealer would not be involved and a formal bill of sale would not be necessary.
@TheVintageCarGuy Thanks @TheVintageCarGuy, I completely appreciate the comment and agree this is a hard one for us to give up. I also think you are right, just doing a bare minimum update and getting it running would be a best way to enjoy it. It would be great if our situation was different where we could keep this in the family, but unfortunately its not in the cards for us. We're thankful for the 100 years and will always remember it fondly.
@bmp007 I hope that your reserve is met, and the car sells, if that is what you really want. I don't wish you any ill will. But, a big part of me really hopes the bidding gets nowhere near your reserve, forcing you to keep this in your family. It now is, and will never be again, a 100 year, single family owned piece of history. I fear that once it is gone you will regret it forever. If it doesn't sell, make the investment, restore this to a driveable state and enjoy it. Pass it down through the family for another 100 years. It doesn't need to have a Hershey perfect restoration. Just make it cosmetically pleasing and mechanically safe and let the whole family enjoy it. I know your mother would. Oh the memories it will inspire. Glwta
@BDehart thanks so much for the comment! It’s been special to the family.
Love it what incredible ownership history.
This is my first listing auction with Pcarmarket (I've purchased a few items), so I am excited to bring our treasured family car to it. I'm the son of it's current owner. It's been in the same family for 100 years, but with my parents moving and me not having the space for it, we are hoping someone will love this car and get it back on the road. I will be looking at comments and am happy to answer any questions along the way. Thanks!