Here comes the first "T" puttering down China Lake Boulevard. The main "drag" of Ridgecrest Dressed in period costume is this husband and wife team from Kansas with their 1919 model. Unlike most of the cars that were painted black, this one was a cream colour with orange fenders This 1914 model is sporting original 1914 California license plates. The first year California issued plates to the public and these are also legal registration under California’s ‘year of manufacture’ programme Do you think the driver of this Touring car is wondering if he can trade his car for that gleaming new 2003 Ford Mustang up on those ramps? No, I think not. Model T pick up Just in case you were out on the road and wanted to know why a bunch of old cars were in a caravan, this car was always placed last in line to explain it all 1926 Closed sedan Mickey and Minnie Mouse enjoying the trip All 42 "T’s" lined up in the car park of the dealership       The Day the "T’s" came to Town by Tom Muñoz The year 2003 marks the 100th year of the Ford Motor Company being in existence, providing literally the world, with good, reliable automobiles. As part of the official celebration, a caravan of 42 vintage Model T Fords travelled from the starting point in San Diego, California, to the final destination - Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. There were scores of stops planned at local Ford dealerships along the way, and luckily, Ridgecrest was included. When all was said and done, all the "zigzagging" would cover over 3,000 miles by the time they arrived in Michigan. The participants in this particular tour were members of various clubs, including the Model T Club of America, Model T Ford Club International, the Model T Club of Southern California, and even a club all the way from Australia, the Veteran Motor Car Club of Australia. There were also some participants from Europe, mainly Germany. Since there were so many stops planned, time was limited to only 2 hours per stop. The dealership provided a barbecue lunch to the participants, while the public admired these ancient automobiles. The most common question asked was about the "hand crank" that started the cars. Most had been converted to electric start, but some maintained the crank for authenticity. Many a person had been injured, maimed, or even killed for not being mindful on proper usage. One driver demonstrated the proper procedure on starting the car, and it was then easy to see why such mishaps happened. When the show was over, the public was invited to drive along with the caravan until their next stop 65 miles north in Lone Pine, California. The only restriction was that you had to drive a Ford- any year or model- just as long as it was a Ford. Find out more about Fords’ official centennial celebration by visiting on the web at www.ford.com A brief History of the Model T Having spent his formative years experimenting with a variety of models as a motor manufacturer, Henry Ford ultimately pared the company’s range down to just one - the Model T. Introduced in October 1908 and destined to become the world’s first mass-produced automobile, 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 side-valve configuration, displacing 2,896cc, and the transmission consisted of a simple-to-use two-speed planetary unit. It’s said that throughout the Model T’s 19-year production life, the thing that changed most often was the price; introduced at $850 it enjoyed yearly decreases to a low of $290 in December of 1924. However, notable ‘developments’ included the adoption of electric lighting in 1915, a switch from brass to a black-finished radiator the following year, and the option of an electric starter in 1919. In the mid-1920s increasing competition prompted the introduction of balloon tyres, the option of wire wheels and the car’s availability in colours other than black. The year 1913 was a turning point for Ford when the moving assembly line was implemented and is credited for literally putting America on wheels. In 1922 the Model T passed the one million unit mark in annual sales, and when production ceased at the end of May 1927, in excess of 15 million examples of this most remarkable automobile had been produced. Rugged, reliable and easy to drive, the Model T introduced more people to motoring than any other car. It opened up many new travel opportunities, as up until that point it was said that the average person lived their entire lives within a 50-mile radius of where they were born.