You wouldn’t expect to find a 1926 Ford Model T on a Government liquidation site, but reader James M. just did. It may not be a barn find, but it does look to be in great condition and you might just be able to get it for a bargain. It is located in Rancho Cordova, California and is listed for sale here on this site, which does look legit. Bidding is at $9,700 with 3 days left.
The Model T was the first cheap car. It was a huge departure from the handmade automobiles of the day which took many man-hours to build and even more dollars to buy. We should all thank Ford for making cars affordable, even if mass-production techniques have taken some of the soul out of our four wheeled steeds. Check out more T facts here on the Ford site.
This particular T is in great shape and looks like it could make a fun driver. We assume that it has been restored at some point and we have no idea how it made it into these guy’s hands. They do seem to know their stuff though and have offered a good description, plenty of photos, and even a creative video to showcase the car.
The seller mentions that this car has been fitted with Rocky Mountain brakes. If you don’t already know, Model Ts did not have stellar brakes. There was an expanding drum in the transmission and an emergency brake hooked up to the rear axle. Neither worked very well, so many owners have fitted these Rocky Mountain brakes. They work through the standard brake pedal and attach to the rear to provide safer stopping power.
The Model T would be fun and all, but it was still considered an economy car in its day, so it didn’t do anything particularity well. It is still part of America’s heritage though so someone will save it and love it for years to come. Personally, we would rather have this from the liquidation site. And, yes it is street legal…
The half track was pretty interesting too.
WHERE IS EVERYBODY ? I CAN’T BELIEVE THERE IS ONLY ONE COMMENT AHEAD OF ME. HOW DID A CAR LIKE THIS GET ON A GOVERNMENT AUCTION SITE ?WHEN I WAS YOUNG THE LOCAL JUNK YARD HAD A TANK AND A HALF TRACK IN IT THAT I WOULD PLAY IN EVERY TIME WE WENT THERE.I ALWAYS WANTED THE TANK BUT GROWING OLDER THE HALF TRACK MADE MORE SENCE.WOULD NOT MIND HAVING THESE TWO TOYS TO PLAY IN NOW.
@Fred,
To see Model Ts you need to go somewhere like the Henry Ford Museum / Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. People almost never see them anymore, unfortunately, so don’t have experience or even memories of them. Not many museums or car collectors would buy one these days. Musclecars or more recent vintage sports cars are far more desired, and musclecar prices show that. Bottom line seems to be that the Model T/A/B don’t evoke much of a response, and maybe even less than a half-track because the half track is unusual and interesting. Too bad. These are a very big part of US car history.
Looks like the name of the selling company is ‘Government Auctions’. Could be from an estate or storage auction.
Ford A & T models are an eye-opener. The interior space in the 2-door sedans is roughly equivalent to a ’79 Ford Fiesta, and the cruising speeds are well below the double nickel. The people who grew up with these are now in their 80s and 90s.
There are a lot more Model Ts out there than you think. Nearly every town has a Model T club these days, and every once in a while, if you’re out driving early on a Saturday or Sunday morning (usually once per month or so) you can see a parade of these cars being driven around town. I was just at a local Ford dealer looking up paint codes in their parts department, and TWO Model Ts were pulling out of the service drive as I was walking up. Maybe they’re not “all over the place” or filling up car museums, but they are out there, you just haven’t looked around hard enough.
@Richard,
You must live in an interesting area, maybe where there are lots of retirees with car hobbies? Can you give us an idea where that might be, because I also live in an area with lots of retirees with car hobbies, and I have seen only one early Ford, a very nice, hardly driven model A, at the local marina. Maybe also one or two at the various Show & Shines (among a sea of sports/muscle/rods), and none at any Ford dealership I have been by in the last few decades. I would be interested to know where all the early Fords out there are—apart from car museums, of course.
This one sold for $18,750!
I live in Carroll County area of MD and frequently see model A and Model T Cars around town. I live in Westminster MD There must be a car club near here dealing with these cars. I saw about 10 of them last week in Union Bridge MD at a specialist repair shop that usually deals with British cars. My favorite sighting was a model A Roadster unrestored in it’s battered glory gassing up at the local station with a guy in his 70’s at the wheel. I passed him a little later on the Baltimore Beltway. He was a brave sole. It looked like a barn find that was resurrected to be a driver.