Friday 27th July 1917

Ford introduced its first truck, the Model TT, available for just $600, the most radically different Ford Model T variant ever produced. While it used the same 20 hp engine and transmission, it’s chassis was 25 inches longer than the standard Model T, and was beefier, too. TTs had a different rear end, with worm gears and lower ratios, to enable the classic Ford Model T motor to move a ton of freight. Speed was the trade off. The result of lower gear ratios, designed to haul freight, and an approximately higher weight of 900 lbs over the heaviest regular T is that TTs drive significantly slower than regular Ts. If you push them hard they might reach 24 mph, but they are far happier at around 20 mph.