You’ve probably heard the line. "You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black." Henry Ford supposedly said it, everyone laughed, and millions of identical black cars rolled off a line.
It’s a great story. It’s also mostly a myth.
The Ford Model T actually started its life in 1908 available in grey, green, blue, and red. It wasn't until 1914—six years into the run—that Ford went all-in on black. Why? Because black paint dried the fastest. When you’re trying to build a car every 93 minutes, you don’t have time to wait for "Brewster Green" to stop being tacky.
Honestly, the Model T is the most famous car in history that almost nobody today actually knows how to drive. If I sat you in the driver's seat of a 1923 Runabout right now, you’d probably stall it, scream, or accidentally back into a mailbox.
The Three-Pedal Trap
Most people look at the three pedals on the floor of a Ford Model T and think: Clutch, Brake, Gas. Wrong.
The right pedal is the brake. The middle pedal is reverse. The left pedal? That’s your transmission control. There is no gas pedal on the floor. You handle the throttle with a lever on the steering column, right next to another lever that manually adjusts the spark timing. Imagine trying to navigate a Starbucks drive-thru while sliding a "spark" lever so your engine doesn't knock itself to death.
It was a planetary transmission. Basically, it was a primitive automatic that you had to bully into working.
- Left pedal down: Low gear.
- Left pedal halfway: Neutral.
- Left pedal up: High gear.
It sounds simple until you realize that to stop, you have to find that "halfway" neutral sweet spot with your left foot while mashing the right pedal for the brake. If you panic and stomp everything at once, the car just sort of shudders and dies.
Why the "Tin Lizzie" Actually Won
Henry Ford didn't just want a car. He wanted a "universal car." Before 1908, cars were toys for rich guys in goggles. They cost upwards of $2,000 to $3,000 (roughly $70,000+ today).
Then came the T.
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It launched at $850. By 1925, thanks to the moving assembly line at Highland Park, the price dropped to about $260. That’s roughly $4,600 in 2026 money. You could buy a brand-new, reliable vehicle for the price of a used MacBook and a fancy e-bike.
The Vanadium Steel Secret
People called it the "Tin Lizzie," which sounds flimsy. In reality, the Ford Model T was a tank. Ford used vanadium steel, an alloy he'd seen on French racing cars. It was twice as strong as regular steel but way lighter. This mattered because roads in 1910 weren't "roads." They were muddy pits filled with horse manure and jagged rocks.
The T had high ground clearance and a "three-point" suspension that let the frame twist without snapping. It was basically the first crossover SUV. Farmers loved it because you could take the rear wheels off, attach a belt, and use the engine to power a grain saw or a water pump.
The Dark Side of the $5 Day
We love to talk about how Ford doubled wages to $5 a day in 1914. It’s often cited as the birth of the middle class.
But there was a catch. To get that $5, you had to let Ford’s "Sociological Department" into your house. They checked if you were drinking too much, if your home was clean, and if you were "living right." If you failed the vibe check, you didn't get the raise.
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The work itself was brutal. Before the assembly line, one guy built a whole engine. After, one guy stood in one spot and turned one bolt for nine hours. It was mind-numbing. Ford didn't raise wages out of the goodness of his heart; he did it because his turnover rate was 380%. He had to pay people enough to convince them not to quit after three days of repetitive motion.
Driving Backward Upward
Here’s a weird quirk: if you took a Ford Model T to a steep hill, you often had to drive up it in reverse.
The fuel system was gravity-fed. There was no fuel pump. The tank sat under the front seat, and the gas just trickled down to the carburetor. If the hill was too steep, the gas would stay in the back of the tank, and the engine would starve and quit.
Reverse gear was also lower than the forward low gear, meaning it had more torque. So, 1920s drivers would just shrug, turn around, and butt-first their way up the mountain.
How to Get Involved with a Model T Today
If you’re sitting there thinking you want one of these 20-horsepower magnets for your garage, you’re in luck.
Unlike almost any other car from 115 years ago, you can still buy every single part for a Ford Model T. Companies like Snyder’s Antique Auto Parts or Lang’s Old Car Parts literally have catalogs where you can order a brand-new radiator, a set of coils, or even the wooden spokes for the wheels.
- Join the MTFCA: The Model T Ford Club of America is the go-to group. They have local chapters everywhere.
- Buy a "Driver," not a "Show Car": You can find a running, decent-looking Model T for $10,000 to $15,000.
- Learn the "Safety" Crank: If you hand-crank the engine and don't tuck your thumb behind the handle, the engine can kick back and literally snap your arm. It was called a "Ford Fracture."
The Ford Model T isn't just a museum piece. It’s a loud, vibrating, oil-leaking piece of technology that changed how we move. It turned the world from a place where you lived and died within 20 miles of your birthplace into a place where the horizon was actually reachable.
If you ever get the chance to ride in one, take it. Just don't expect to find the gas pedal on the floor.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check out Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube: He has a specific video on "How to Drive a Model T" that shows the pedal-work in real-time. It's the best visual guide for the planetary transmission.
- Visit the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan: You can actually ride in a T on the grounds of Greenfield Village to feel the "three-point" suspension for yourself.
- Look up local "Old Car" meets: Most T owners are dying to show people how the levers work. Ask for a demonstration of the "spark and throttle" dance.