Like most automobile museums, the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana has some Ford Model Ts.

One of the oldest and best-known American automobile manufacturers is Ford, which was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford who had a dream of producing the “universal car,” a car which could be owned by everyone. In 1908, Ford introduced the Model T, which would become America’s first mass-produced car. Originally, the Model T had a retail price of $850, but with mass-production and popular demand, the price had fallen to $290 in 1924. By1914 the Ford factory could produce a Model T in just 93 minutes. In 1923, the company produced more than 2 million Model Ts.

Mass production of the Model T was made possible by the development of the assembly line. The proto-type for Ford’s first assembly was developed by Peter Edmund Martin. Martin joined Ford in 1903 and was the company’s fifth employee.

Demand for the Model T sometimes exceeded production and on several occasions Ford had to stop accepting orders so that production could catch up. Soon there were millions of Model Ts in America, all looking pretty much the same, and creating a demand for roads, highways, gas stations, and all of the other things associated with the automobile.

The Model T had fairly simple controls. First of all, the throttle was a lever on the steering wheel. There were three pedals on the floor. Pushing in the left pedal engaged low gear and, if the shift level was fully forward, taking the foot off this pedal put the car into high gear. Putting the shift level into the neutral position and pushing in the middle pedal engaged reverse. The pedal on the right operated a transmission brake (there were no separate breaks for the wheels).

The Model T was soon known as the Tin Lizzie and functioned as the family workhorse. Ford also offered the do-in-yourself folks accessories such as mufflers and fenders. For those who felt that the Model T was a bit sluggish, one popular remedy was to drop a few camphor balls into the gas tank.

From 1908 to 1913, the Model T was available in grey, green, blue, and red (notice that black was not an option). While green was available on touring cars, town cars, coupes, and Landaulets, red was available only on touring cars, and grey only on town cars. In 1914 Ford adopted a black-only policy because black paint was cheaper and more durable.

The Model T became a part of American popular culture and inspired songs, movies, and jokes. Other retailers, such as Hammacher Schlemmer and Saks Fifth Avenue, sold automobile clothing and accessories to go along with the popular car.

Shown below are some Model Ts in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana.

1910 Ford Model T Runabout

Total production of the 1910 Runabout was 1,486. The list price was $900. The engine was an L Head Four, Cast Iron Block with 22 HP.

Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa 1914 Ford Model T Speedster

This is a customized version of the standard Model T. The list price was $500. It has a top speed of 45 mph. It has an inline 4-cylinder engine with 20 HP.

Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa 1915 Ford Model T

The list price was $405-980. The engine: 4-cylinder with 20 HP.

Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa 1918 Ford Model T, 1 Ton Grain Truck

The bed and box were custom made. The box is designed to haul wheat and other grain.

Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa 1923 Ford Model TT Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa 1924 Ford Model T Roadster

According to the Museum: “1924 was the year that Ford made its most affordable car yet. Starting out at only $290, this Model T was marketed towards the factory worker or school teacher who were only making about $400 per year.”

Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa Ojibwa 1926 Ford Model T Coupe

This was advertised as the “Improved Ford” and was simply a restyled and more comfortable version of the Model T. The list price was $520. It had an L-head, 4-cylinder engine with 20 HP.

Ojibwa Ojibwa Note: these photos were taken on September 21, 2025.