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News about Nessie, the Highlands and Scotland.
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Ford Model T - Motoring Over Ben Nevis (1911) Rare Footage

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As publicity stunts go, this 1911 ascent up all 1,344 meters of Britain's highest peak in a Ford Model T takes some beating - fancy taking a Prius for a spin on the moon? The idea was to show that this 'affordable' assembly line American car could more than match the hand-crafted British models (note the American flag at the end of the film). Interestingly, the film starts at the snowy summit and seems to capture the tricky descent rather than the climb.

Behind the wheel was Henry Alexander Jr, the son of Scotland's first Ford dealer, and between the 9th and the 13th of May, with much planning, the steady ascent was made. Looking at the churning tyres and the odd spot of dynamite along the way the prevailing thought is perhaps "You did it!... But please don't do it again."

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I imported my 1925 Ford Model T from the USA, not far from Detroit, Michigan where it was built.

The Model T was manufactured between 1908 and 1927, and was know by various names including Tin Lizzie, Flivver, T‑Model Ford, or just 'T'.

The Model T set 1908 as the historic year that the automobile became popular. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that opened travel to the common middle-class American; some of this was because of Ford's innovations, including assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting.

On May 26, 1927, Henry Ford watched the 15 millionth Model T Ford roll off the assembly line at his factory in Highland Park, Michigan.
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Fort William sculpture will recall the Ford Model T climb of Ben Nevis «

Fort William sculpture will recall the Ford Model T climb of Ben Nevis « | Highland News and Information | Scoop.it
One of the things which has always intrigued me is an event I am reminded of whenever I open a number of the books I have collected regarding the history of motoring in Scotland - the time a Model T was driven to the top of Ben Nevis. The stunt took place in 1911 (repeated…
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Model T Ford on Ben Nevis : Photos, Diagrams & Topos : SummitPost

Model T Ford on Ben Nevis : Photos, Diagrams & Topos : SummitPost | Highland News and Information | Scoop.it
In 1911 Henry Alexander Jr, son of a Ford dealership owner in Edinburgh drove, a 20 horse-power Model T Ford to the top of The Ben as a publicity stunt. The feat involved 10 days of reconnaissance work - finding and checking a drivable route to around half way up the mountain, and placing bridging planks over impassable gullies and streams. It took three further days to drive the car to the halfway point and two more days to cover the rest of the distance to the summit. Alexander was helped by a large support team who would haul to safety whenever the car sank in boggy ground. Which it would do continually on the lower slopes of the mountain, often axle deep.
On returing to Fort William, Alexander was hailed a hero, and after only some minor adjustments to the breaks, and no other repairs necessary, he drove the car back to Edinburgh. In 1928 he returned to Ben Nevis' summit, this time in a Standard New Ford (Model A Ford).
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Video: The motor car driven to the top of Ben Nevis - The Scotsman

Video: The motor car driven to the top of Ben Nevis - The Scotsman | Highland News and Information | Scoop.it
It was a madcap venture of the highest order - and one that is to be permanently remembered in the shadows of Ben Nevis where it was staged.
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