FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

There is a discussion on another Forum about the change over from right hand to left hand drive cars in the USA. Someone posted the fact that Henry built the T's with the steering on the left and others just changed over within a few years. I'm wondering when the first Model T was built for export with right hand drive. thanks. Bob

Re: FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

Bob

Probably the right answer is from the start, as Ford of Canada was doing all the exports prior to the T as Ford Canada made N,R,S, for export. Really don't know for sure. RHD were commonly exported from Canada.

There is record of Model T #2436 mfg at Piquette plant in Detroit going to "Australia" in the invoice records, one presumes that is a RHD.

Re: FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

Thanks, I forgot that most of the Ford exports were shipped from Canada.

Re: FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

It also was necessary to build RHD cars for Nova Scotia & New Brunswick on the east coast of Canada since they drove on the left untill 1923 when they changed their laws to drive on the same side as the rest of the country. This and export production were combined in Canadian Ford plants.

Re: FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

Does this explain why Canadian-built touring and runabout (roadster) cars had functioning left side driver's doors up to the 1925 model year?

Re: FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

Definitely!


An interesting fact that is little known other than in the east coast is the reference to 1923 as the year of free beef. When they changed to drive on the other side of the road it was found that all of the ox teams could not be retrained to walk on the other side of the road -- oxen are known to be a little slow thinking. The solution was to train new oxen. Talk about a poor career change for the original gang!! Luckily horses are easier to train so they survived.

Re: FIRST Right Hand Drive Model T
 

Interesting discussion. Would have chimed in earlier, but we've had a bit of an earthquake in my city.
Prior to Model T production, most Fords [ N, R, S etc] & other US cars were RHD. Henry went to LHD with the T, probably following state laws coming in then, especially Michigan.
But Ford US was making RHD T's, for export as some of the first T's to New Zealand & Australia were shipped by Peabody's of NY. After a couple of years, Ford Canada became responsible for exports to British Dominion countries which mostly used RHD.
Canada was set up for exporting but not because of RHD. Ford US had a huge home market & the large Sth American market which also was mostly RHD! Canada had a small local market but being part of the British Dominions, could export at a lower tariff cost to fellow 'British' countries. These included Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaya, Sth Africa, Singapore & many small markets in Africa. Ford England supplied the British Isles & Ireland , also parts of Europe. Ford US did most of the rest, either RHD or LHD.
This scenario only lasted up to before the War. The Ford markets became much more complicated after the War era.