Celebrating 100 Years of Ford Australia: Classic Restos - Series 58

2025 marks a significant milestone: 100 years of Ford in Australia. To celebrate the centenary, Fletch takes us on a journey back to where it all began in Detroit, Michigan, uncovering the roots of the Ford Motor Company and its legendary founder, Henry Ford.

While the Model T is the car most closely associated with Henry Ford, it was preceded by several lesser-known models, including the Model B, C, F, K, N, R, and S, all of which were handcrafted at the historic Piquette Plant between 1904 and 1910. These early models laid the foundation for what would become a global manufacturing revolution.

The game-changer came with the shift to the massive 60-acre Highland Park facility, where Ford introduced the moving assembly line. Production skyrocketed from hundreds to thousands of vehicles per day, and assembly time dropped dramatically, from over 12 hours to just 90 minutes. Mass production as we know it was born.

In Australia, the early Model T Fords first arrived in 1908, not as complete vehicles, but in kit form. Local dealers assembled them on site, giving the brand a unique Australian flavour from the very beginning.

Fletch revisits this history with a tour of the original Piquette Plant in Detroit, featured in an earlier episode of Classic Restos, and explores the personal side of Henry Ford during a visit to his 1915 Fairlane Estate.

Back home, Fletch catches up with Peter, the proud owner of a beautifully restored 1925 Model T Truck. Originally built at Highland Park and shipped to Australia as a kit, it was completed locally with Australian-built coachwork. The engine is as simple as you'd expect for the time: it's a 22.5 hp, four-cylinder engine with no water pump, oil pump, fuel pump, or dipstick. Despite its simplicity, the vehicle was surprisingly agile and with its high clearance and huge wheels, it was capable of carrying heavier loads than its quoted 1-tonne capacity. Some early archive footage shows the vehicle's capabilities on some very rough roads.

The Model T Ford is famous for putting the world on wheels.