Contributed by the Jay Follis – Gilmore Car Museum
Hickory Corners, (MICH) – If you’re looking to learn a new skill that very few people possess or perhaps searching for a unique gift, the Gilmore Car Museum offers one truly matchless idea: a driving experience like no other. Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a car that’s 100 years old or older… It has no gas pedal, no fuel gauge and no speedometer. It’s like no vehicle you’ve ever driven and it’s not the newest autonomous self-driving auto.
You can learn this technology that was considered extraordinarily cutting edge back when the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series, the RMS Titanic sank and the U.S. entered the first World War over a century ago. Are you ready to experience true “Time Travel?” Take your seat behind the wheel of an authentic Model T Ford, built between 1908 and 1927. “Think of it as going back to driver’s training—old school, that is!” states Gilmore Car Museum spokesman Jay Follis.
If experiencing this type of authentic “time travel” sounds appealing, then you are in luck. The Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s Largest Auto Museum and just east of Kalamazoo—has offered Model T driving courses to the public throughout the summer for nearly two decades and each of the dates typically sell out very quickly. In response,several additional seats have just been added for the 2024 season.
Follis explains that for this distinct experience students drive an actual Model T Ford right out of the Museum’s collection and throughout its historic campus. Oh, and the pedals? Follis explains them as “Forward, Reverse and I HOPE I Stop!” Henry Ford introduced the Model T as a sturdy, low-priced car for the masses in 1908 and produced it with very few changes until 1927. It became affectionately known as the “Tin Lizzie,” and was soon chugging off the assembly line and into history. With over 15 million vehicles produced it became the world’s best-selling automobile until the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed it in 1972.
Driving a Model T Ford is truly unique as it’s controlled by three pedals on the floor, a handle beside the seat and two small levers on the steering wheel. The only fuel gauge was a wood stick placed into the gas tank—located under the driver’s seat. A speedometer was an option and a hand-operated windshield wiper didn’t become standard until 1925. By the way, there’s no push button or key starter. Motorist had to turn a crank out in front of the vehicle, all the while adjusting the choke and fuel mixture! The History Channel identified the Model T Ford as “Changing the way Americans lived, worked and traveled,” and that stated it “revolutionized transportation in America.”
While the Model Ts themselves may appear very simplistic by today’s standards, they do hold a challenge for drivers of modern cars. Are you or someone you know up for the challenge? If so, you’re in good company. Most antique car enthusiasts have never driven a Model T and most students are perplexed by the three pedals and hand controls until they begin actually driving one.
The Gilmore Car Museum’s Model T Driving School makes for a fun and interesting experience or a truly unique gift. The “Old School” driver’s training runs about four hours and each session is taught by long-time Model T owners and enthusiasts. Each class includes practice driving in genuine Model T Fords around the Museum’s three miles of paved roadways. Museum historians provide the engaging backstories of Henry Ford and the early Ford Motor Company, as well as up-close inspections of various Model Ts and a few surprises during the course.
This is a rare opportunity to interact with these authentic vehicles—normally only seen on sitting in a museum display—by actually getting behind the wheel and driving one. The cost of the Model T driver’s training is only $150.00 per student and is open to any licensed drivers or those with a valid learner’s permit. After successfully completing a road test in a genuine Ford Model T, each student will be presented with a Certificate of Completion and souvenir booklet. The Gilmore Car Museum near Kalamazoo conducts the largest and longest running Model T “Driving School” in the nation and seats sell out quickly, so make sure to visit www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org to reserve your spot today.
