Help ID these Fords?

raceron1120

raceron1120

Well-known member
This picture below is from the town I grew up in, only much much earlier than I am! I'm guessing it's late teens/early 20s but identifying the cars in it may help others I know put a closer date on it. Note there's an Oakland car dealership in the picture too. My swag on the front T is 1915 or '16. The one next to it also a T? - maybe a 1913? The roadster(?) farthest away - I won't guess.

Might anyone here know for sure, the year and model these cars?

This is Milford Michigan, about 40 miles west of Detroit. Ford had a carb plant in town, built in the mid 30s and it remained thru the 80s until TRW closed it and had the building demolished. Ford moved the carb operations to Rawsonville MI I think in the early or mid 50s.

Thanks for any assist on ID-ing these cars!

earlyMilfordA.jpg

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The one in the front is a '15 or early '16. Electric headlights and metal cowl are the giveaway. The one behind it, I'm not so sure it's a Model T. It seems to have a brass radiator, but the front fenders curve downward at the front, which Ts with brass don't have, and the cowl seems to be a different shape.
 
Will N said:
...The one behind it, I'm not so sure it's a Model T...

Yes, I agree. But I just don't know the Ts that well, they are way before my time. But I figured if not a Ford perhaps someone could possibly ID it even if it's a non-Ford. And that roadster further back? Again I'm unsure. I tried to clean up the pic best I could but the quality is fair at best.
Click to expand...
 
I agree, '15 or '16 on the first one. '15 if the light rims are brass, '16 if they are black. I can't tell. Second one has too wide a cowl to be T. The roadster in the back looks to be '13 or 14 from the straight topped fenders. Maybe earlier.
 
Thanks folks, you've been a great help! Yes I'd agree that second car isn't a Ford. I've been looking around at other makes from the teens and am thinking it might in fact be an Oakland, maybe 1914-1916. Given that an Oakland dealership is shown and has been confirmed as having been there at the time this photo was taken, that might be what it is.

The closest car appears to have brass headlights to according to you experts, that would make it a 1915 T. Thanks!
 
Model T '15 or '16 facing ; T roadster across the street, probably earlier model plus another further up , angle parked.
The other car could be tricky to identify ; it is RHD which many early US cars were until LHD became standard after about 1912. Maybe an Overland?
Interesting picture, thanks for putting it up.
 
Great pic, my father lives in Milford and my brother too. My brother actually has an apartment in one of those buildings.
 
Vanspeed said:
Great pic, my father lives in Milford and my brother too. My brother actually has an apartment in one of those buildings.
Click to expand...

I spent a lot of days on those streets in that picture, only much much later. Mostly in the 50s and early 60s. A lot of those buildings are still there.

Ford had a carburetor plant just outside town for many years, I think it was built in the late 30s. Kelsey Hayes took it over when Ford moved its carb stuff to Rawsonville MI in the late 50s. TRW finally took over the place and it closed sometime I think in the mid/late 90s, and the building was demolished.

I put a small youtube video of Milford up, a year or so ago. From 1957, it shows the old Ford carb plant in the background, the multi-storied building in the background at about 37 seconds into the video and again several times throughout. My aunt took the video, it's the same Main Street as the picture above, just looking north intead of south. Although not in the video I was in the parade.

There are several Fords and some other vehicles in the clip, as the GM proving grounds was/is near Milford MI. Link to the video if anyone wants to see it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11jbvsDS9Zg

I currently live about 20 miles from Milford.

Thanks to all for helping identify the vehicles.
 
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