1911 Ford Model T Folding Top Operation

A dark blue 1911 Ford Model T Touring having its folding soft top installed at the 2022 Holiday Motor Excursion presented by the Horseless Carriage Club (HCCA) of Southern California.

Now here's something you don't see everyday! I believe every real car enthusiast should have at least some degree of appreciation for the past. Owning a convertible today is considered a luxury - you can enjoy the fresh air and the lovely sunshine, and if it gets cold or wet, chances are you can push a button and watch the top fold itself neatly over your head in seconds. But 112 years ago, things were a bit different. Most cars on the road were convertibles - not because convertibles were cool, but rather because having side windows and a fixed roof was a luxury reserved for only the wealthiest individuals.

So if you were out on the road in 1911 and it started to rain, chances are this was something you would have had to do. I've seen manually operated tops of small sports cars that required more than one person to put up, and this Model T is certainly no small car. Even for two people, the task didn't look easy. And unlike later convertible tops that locked neatly onto the windshield, this top is more like a big tent - you erect a few structural elements, swing it over what needs to be covered, then strap it down at numerous points so it doesn't collapse or fly open. It probably wouldn't hurt to double check your work just to make sure you didn't miss a hook or a strap. By the time you returned to the driver's seat soaked from the rain and exhausted from the heavy lifting, you may have wondered why you didn't just hold up an umbrella and drive your poor butt home.

So next time you push the button to operate the power top in your modern convertible, take a moment to appreciate just how far we've come. And if you ever happen to pull up next to a Model T on a rainy day, be sure to stop and offer to buy the owner a beer.

Would you drive a century-old Model T in wet weather? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!