Our final Classic of the Month for 2024 is the car that brought private car ownership to the ordinary man and changed the world for ever. We present this month, the Ford Model T.
This beautifully restored example dates from 1919 and is owned by PCVC member Haris Havadjas and maintained by our very own, Christopher Koutsakos. The car was purchased in Riverside, CA and was imported by its present owner from the USA to Cyprus in 1992. It carries the prestigious Antik registration number “001 A” and, is now a true Cypriot classic car, being a pick-up, which usually transports period luggage, including the leather suitcases used by Christopher`s father in the 1930s.
The Model T is powered by an inline four cylinder petrol engine of 2.9 litre capacity, which produces a whopping 20 bhp! Whilst the car only has 2 forward gears ( one slow and the other, dead slow), it has an amazing top speed of 42mph. Model Ts are not the easiest cars to drive as the controls will appear very strange to modern eyes. There is no accelerator pedal, the speed of the car being controlled by a lever on the steering wheel. The 3 floor pedals control the clutch, the brake and the selection of reverse gear! Being a 1919 car this Model T has not only electric lights but also an electric starter, although the electrical system is 6 volts. There are, however, no brakes on the wheels, as the brakes operate on the transmission.
Christopher has however become accustomed to the quirks of the Model T and can be seen most Sundays driving through the streets on Nicosia on his way to morning coffee. He says that “ the car is fun to drive, you sit so high, it is like sitting on a sofa! It puts a smile the face of everyone, including me.”
You can see other fabulous Classic Vehicles at any PCVC events and meetings, full details of which can be found on our Facebook page, or, on our webpage
www.paphosclassicvehicleclub.com
or telephone, 97760997.
