That same year the Mount Rushmore monument was dedicated, the first television broadcast was made in England and the Ford TT Truck exceeded 300,000 units sold in a twelve month period. It was the best score achieved by the farm truck in its ten years of production that saw more than 1.3 million vehicles released on the roads of the United States.
Henry Ford’s first take on a utility vehicle took the form of a stretched Model T platform. Sold as a chassis only, the truck had a production run of three units in 1917 when it came out. In the decade that followed, this skinny, undulating mechanical contraption sold an average of 130,000 a year, figures that would give rights to almost any manufacturer even today.
One of those 98-year-olds has somehow made it to this day, tucked away in a barn – what better place to store a retired farm truck? Recovered a few years later and (probably) restored, the pick-up is now for sale.
Photo: classicautomall.com
Little is known about this particular precursor to Ford’s all-time best-selling product, we mean the Blue Oval trucks, but it’s an essential piece of Crank Force history. The metaphor is partial, as the expression also has a literal meaning: intense manual labor was required to start the engine.
You’ve probably seen Oliver and Hardy silent movies (or any other movie of the era) in which the car starts through a complex sequence of operations that required the driver to enter the cabin to turn on the ignition, then jump in and start the engine. The lever was usually mounted under the radiator at the front of the vehicle.
The TT Truck model was no exception, and this model here proves it: the rusted steel rod is still in place, ready to shake some life into this Methuselah flathead four-cylinder. Displacing 177 cubic inches (2.9 liters), rated at 20 hp and 113 Nm (thanks to a 3.98:1 compression ratio), the engine was a workhorse in the early days of mass-produced automobiles.
A piece of piston history, this type of engine had one of the longest production runs of any internal combustion engine, precisely 12,000 days, from September 27, 1908 to August 4, 1941 .The TT truck could have played an outstanding role in this outstanding aspect. extended manufacturing cycle.
Photo: classicautomall.com
Other industries quickly adopted the agricultural vehicle, from the military to oil companies to educational institutions. Of course, the demand for an otherwise robust and reliable four-banger would not be erased with the end of the vehicle’s production.
The hero of this article is for sale, but the price is a matter of details, and this should not be surprising. Since there isn’t a huge market demand for wrought iron rigs like the Model TT truck, it’s probably best to talk to the seller directly.
The truck is a spectacular sight: a monument to mechanical history that looks like it came from the set of those silent movies I mentioned earlier. The cabin looks like a makeshift chicken coop with windows.
Photo: classicautomall.com
In all fairness, while Ford initially offered the Model TT as a rolling chassis, beginning in 1924, the 1,480-lb. The truck (670 kg) received an optional factory-produced body. The price for this extravaganza was around $45-$65 (depending on the design). And, in 1925, windshield wipers were available as a factory extra (this truck doesn’t have them, though).
The bed is made of wood and steel, with painted planks forming the platform. The same material from the trees is used for the floor and dash – car carpentry must have been a very sought-after occupation a century ago.
Aesthetics aside – it’s a machine from an era when trucks weren’t supposed to be beauty queens but rather rugged, honest-to-goodness equipment, the TT looks decent. Rust is present (abundantly, I might say), but it did little to defeat nearly century-old American steel. “Built Ford Tough” had an entirely different connotation at the dawn of the piston era.
Photo: classicautomall.com
At some point, the truck may have had the paint updated (but that’s just an educated guess, judging by the photos). The wooden spoked wheels appear to be in good overall condition, but are not road worthy, just like the rest of the car is not.
A full overhaul is mandatory for this 1925 TT to be driven again, if a potential buyer is to intend to. Old Ford might as well be saved for the sake of the Crank Gods and nothing else. As you can see, the steering column has two levers and three pedals stick out of the padded wooden dash.
However, nothing about this Ford even remotely resembles the current operating mode of a standard vehicle. The video shows how to start a Ford TT truck, and it’s probably unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Photo: classicautomall.com
Since we mentioned driving, the TT model needed two forward and one reverse gears to get the job done. At least, in stock form, but aftermarket add-ons were available to make the car go faster than the factory recommended 24km/h.
In 1925, a new Ford Model TT would cost about $500, or $8,547.71 if adjusted for inflation. This truck for sale here isn’t meant to return to its hard-working days, although that might be a very attainable goal for a gear fanatic, but it would better serve as a timestamp of one of the most influential brands in the world
