The Legendary Model-T Ford: The Ultimate History of America's First Great Automobile [Hardcover]

Tom Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 19, 2007

Henrys Lady may have put America on wheels nearly 100 years ago, but this claim to Ford's fame remains as exciting to Ford fans as the day the first one rolled off the line. This passion for performance is celebrated in the 300 superb, color photos and historic black-and-white images, production data and technical specifications, and collector pricing contained in this beautiful new book. The classic design, and rich photography of this reference offers you a unique and useful commemorative of the 100-year anniversary of the car that changed the world.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications (December 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896895602
• ISBN-13: 978-0896895607
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #777,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Car that put America on Wheels, January 2, 2008

By 

H. N. Dohe (My Sanctum Sanctorium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legendary Model-T Ford: The Ultimate History of America's First Great Automobile (Hardcover)

I am fascinated by antique automobiles, and while Ford wasn't the first person to manufacture a car, he was the first to make one that most people could afford. No longer was the automobile a plaything for the rich. But more than that, Ford made a flivver that was just right for the times- rugged, easy to fix, and made for the road conditions of the day (today's drivers would have a hard time trying to drive one of these. For example, the throttle mechanism is a post on the steering column, not via a floor pedal).

Tom Collins has made an interesting book, one that is not too technical like some I have read on the T. There are two big drawbacks though- ones that make me rate this book more as 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. One is that there are a fair number of spelling errors, and in this day of spellcheck, that is unacceptable. The second, and bigger problem, is that some of the photos in this book are out of focus. Especially ones by Robin Heil-Kern. On a level plane, one half of the photo is in-focus, but the other is fuzzy. In some cases the whole photo is out of focus, like the depth of field was way off. I found it very distracting, and of course if you're looking for a nice picture book, you want clear photos.

The Amazon price is very discounted, and would make this book a good one for your automoblile library.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A good effort with serious flaws, May 22, 2008

By 

Eric Macleod - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legendary Model-T Ford: The Ultimate History of America's First Great Automobile (Hardcover)

Tom Collins has undertaken the ambitious task of creating the ultimate book about the Model T Ford. His effort has resulted in the first book to be offered coinciding with the centennial of the introduction of the car. One suspects the timing of the book is no accident, though the haste to completion is likely the reason for the undoing of a good, albeit seriously flawed effort.

The book is a large coffee table sized volume. It is beautifully illustrated throughout, using a mixture of period and contemporary photographs. The quality of the photography and the reproduction of those photos tended to be quite good, although some of the pictures chosen were of only fair composition. The captions of the photographs were very often incomplete, omitting the names of the owners of all of the cars in contemporary pictures, and in numerous cases, incorrectly identifying car years, body-style names and colors. This was true of several images of one car in particular that were identified as being from different years. In another case, a beautiful photograph of a Ford assembly line was used. Unfortunately, the cars being assembled were 1929 Ford Model A's instead of Model T's. Major errors such as these served to discredit the historical accuracy of the entire volume.

Collins used numerous quotes to illustrate his ideas. While the quotations were usually well referenced, there were some statements attributed to Henry Ford, such as telling Edsel to "shut up" during a board meeting, sounded suspect and were not referenced. The reference list utilized by Collins is beyond reproach, but if the book is to be considered a reliable source, better care when attributing controversial statements to the highest profile individual in the book would have been prudent.

Throughout the book, Collins used a friendly, conversational style of writing. The prose is easy to digest, though he was repetitive at times. It seemed as if he felt he had space to fill and often did so by circling around his point instead of stating it outright. This was particularly true as Collins attempted to underscore the impact the Model T had on society, a theme he returned to time and again. While Collin's point was well taken, there was no need to repeat it so many times.

Collins was at his best when writing about the Model T Ford and racing. An entire chapter was devoted to the topic and it was space well utilized. The text was interspersed with quotes from drivers, mechanics and press of the Model T era, greatly adding to the richness and feeling of authenticity of the chapter. The illustrations in this chapter were among the best in the book and will likely inspire more than a few recreations of the racing cars shown.

Chapter 10 focused on stories of the impact Model T's have had on people's lives. Most of the chapter was written by contributors and was edited for length by Collins. It read well with stories that were a delight. This chapter was able to better illustrate the impact the Model T had on people than Collins attempts without the human element. Likely, an entire book could have been devoted to this topic

The last chapter is likely the most controversial aspect of the book and certainly the most inaccurate. It deals with current prices of Ford Model T's and appears to be based on data that is seriously outdated. The highest prices were, predictably, for the earliest and rarest brass cars, but even those are woefully out of touch with reality. According to the book a 1909 Touring car in number 1 condition can be purchased for well under $30,000. To whom do I make out the check? Another example (illustrated with a nice photo of this author's 1926 Touring car) indicates that such a car (1926 Touring) is worth roughly $20,000. While that may be an accurate reflection of the price guides, one can be sure that a car restored to number 1 condition cannot be purchased for that kind of money. The bottom end of the scale is similarly out of reality, with prices of restorable cars significantly below what has been seen in well over a decade. A chapter such as this is ripe for dispute and would likely be better off removed if a revision of the book were printed.

Overall, the book is a beautifully illustrated volume that is highly entertaining to read. Collins served as his own editor and illustrated the peril one faces when correcting one's own work. Many of the shortcomings in the book could have been rectified had the job been placed in the hands of another. Much of the erroneous information likely would have been caught by a technical editor of one of the major Model T clubs or by an outside source referenced in the bibliography. In its' present form the reader should enjoy the book's engaging writing and beautiful illustrations while ignoring the historical inaccuracies and numerous mislabeled photographs. Purchasing the book is recommended to all readers, keeping in mind not to use it as a final reference source. For a true reference, the book by Bruce McCaulley continues to be the standard by which other books on the Ford Model T should be judged.

Reviewed by Eric W. Macleod

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Legendary Model T Ford by Tom Collins, March 7, 2008

By 

Alberto Lugo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legendary Model-T Ford: The Ultimate History of America's First Great Automobile (Hardcover)

This is a great book, well done and well illustrated. It is more than just another book on the Model T. It is a great book that provides an entertaining history of the vehicle that put America on wheels. WELL DONE THANKS.