1923 Ford Model T Centre Door Sedan

Engine: Inline, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled
Displacement: 2.9 L (177 ci)
Bore and Stroke: 95 x 102 mm (3.75 x 4 in)
Power: 14.9 kW (20 hp)
Transmission: 2-forward, 1-reverse, planetary
Weight: 787 kg (1,735 lb)
Capacity: 5 passengers
Original Cost: C $826 (estimate)

This Ford Model T Centre Door sedan was built in Walkerville, Ontario in 1923 by Ford Motor Company of Canada. It was then sold new in Calgary, Alberta by Universal Motor Cars Limited. The owner used it until 1929, then placed the car in storage. This car is in original condition with the exception of new tires and new paint job. Several automobile experts feel this car has the best original interior of any Model T in the world.

Henry Ford built his first automobile, which he called a quadricycle, in 1896 in Detroit, Michigan. He attempted to break into the automobile manufacturing business by founding the Detroit Automobile Company (later called the Henry Ford Company) in 1899, but a falling out with his financial backers lef Ford to leave the company in 1902. He subsequently partnered with Alexander Y. Malcomson to found another company which, with the backing of John and Horace Dodge and John S. Gray, the president of the German-American Savings Bank, was incorporated as the Ford Motor Company in 1903. The Model A was introduced that same year. In 1908, the Model T was introduced. While earlier Ford automobiles, including Models A, K and S, were produced at a slow rate - only a few a day - over 10,000 Model Ts were manufactured before 1909. As demand for the Model T grew, the company was forced to adapt their manufacturing process. This led to Ford's introduction of the world's first moving assembly line in1913, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12.5 hours to approximately 1.5 hours and boosted the annual output to over 200,000 units. By 1920, production would exceed one million automobiles per year.

Henry Ford is reported to have said, "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black." Before the assembly line, Model Ts were available in a variety of colours. However, the speed of the assembly line meant that the drying time for paint created a production bottleneck; only Japan Black (also called Japan Lacquer or Brunswick Black) dried quickly enough until Duco reintroduced other quick-drying colours in 1926.

Chronology:
1896 - Henry Ford builds his first automobile, which he called a quadricycle.
1903 - Ford establishes the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
1904 - Gordon Morton McGregor founds the Ford Motor Company of Canada in Walkerville, Ontario (now part of Windsor) to sell Ford automobiles.
1908 - Ford introduces the Model T.
1915 - Ford begins manufacturing Model Ts with centre doors.
1923 - This Model T is built in Ontario; it is sold by Universal Motor Cars Limited in Calgary, Alberta.
1929 - This Model T is placed in storage by its original owner.
1955 - Stan Reynolds acquires this Model T from its original owner.
1982 - This Model T is added to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum Collection.