T showroom

D

Dave Mellor NJ

Well-known member
Sorry it's not an A showroom
 

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  • T showroom.jpeg
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Not an A, but still a cool shot.

It really looks like a farm and garden shop that decided that they could sell a few of those motorized things painted in black.
 
I would say the photo was taken in 1925, the last year of the black-only Model T's. The Coupe sitting on the right side of the photo is of the (late) 1923-25 style and appears to have the optional 21" balloon tires, made available for the first time during that year.
I wonder how it all ended for that shiny new Coupe sitting on the dealer's showroom floor? Did it end up as a bomb dropped over Germany or Japan in WWII? Maybe it survived the ravages of time and is sitting in someone's garage? Being a Model T Coupe lover, I sure hope so!
Marshall, 1924 Coupe owner
 
When I did my docent thing at Piquette (someday I hope to get back there on weekends, life is just too busy now), we learned about showroom setups. It was actually a somewhat standardized process, and the things like palm trees and wicker furniture were part of the setup. According to Ford, they lent an air of luxury and exoticness to the showroom and helped make customers feel special. Very interesting to know that car dealers were using psychology like that even back then.

Super cool picture- especially with the farm equipment. Too bad there isn't a Fordson in it as well.

v/r,
jason
 
Marshall V. Daut said:
I would say the photo was taken in 1925, the last year of the black-only Model T's. The Coupe sitting on the right side of the photo is of the (late) 1923-25 style and appears to have the optional 21" balloon tires, made available for the first time during that year.
I wonder how it all ended for that shiny new Coupe sitting on the dealer's showroom floor? Did it end up as a bomb dropped over Germany or Japan in WWII? Maybe it survived the ravages of time and is sitting in someone's garage? Being a Model T Coupe lover, I sure hope so!
Marshall, 1924 Coupe owner
Click to expand...

Marshall, I initially was going to date it a tad earlier since it appears it has gray tires? Maybe camera reflection??

It is worth mentioning that there doesn't seem to be any oil drops or trays underneath either vehicle. ;)
 
Tires in old photos that were actually black often appear lighter, such as grey. If the tires are in fact 21" balloon, as I suspect, the photo couldn't have been taken any earlier than August 1924, the month when the new Model T's traditionally were unveiled. So, I need to alter my original statement that the photo was taken in 1925. It could have also been taken in the fall of 1924. But then the cars would have to be 1925 models. Well, at least the Coupe in the foreground is. 'Can't tell about the one behind it. Maybe it's a left-over unsold 1924? The key would be to find out when 21" tires became available during the 1925 model year. If not until 1925, then that pretty well cinches the photo as originating sometime in 1925.
'Kind of fun playing detective with 100 year-old photos. All kinds of clues lead to all kinds of interpretations. Shy of a date stamp on the photo, we'll probably never know for sure when it was taken. But - those 21" tires are the key to unlocking this mystery in time.
Marshall
 
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